Identification and characterization of NF-Y transcription factor families in Canola (Brassica napus L.)

Planta. 2014 Jan;239(1):107-26. doi: 10.1007/s00425-013-1964-3. Epub 2013 Oct 6.

Abstract

NF-Y (NUCLEAR FACTOR-Y), a heterotrimeric transcription factor, is composed of NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC proteins in yeast, animal, and plant systems. In plants, each of the NF-YA/B/C subunit forms a multi-member family. NF-Ys are key regulators with important roles in many physiological processes, such as drought tolerance, flowering time, and seed development. In this study, we identified, annotated, and further characterized 14 NF-YA, 14 NF-YB, and 5 NF-YC proteins in Brassica napus (canola). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the NF-YA/B/C subunits were more closely clustered with the Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) homologs than with rice OsHAP2/3/5 subunits. Analyses of the conserved domain indicated that the BnNF-YA/B/C subfamilies, respectively, shared the same conserved domains with those in other organisms, including Homo sapiens, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Arabidopsis, and Oryza sativa (rice). An examination of exon/intron structures revealed that most gene structures of BnNF-Y were similar to their homologs in Arabidopsis, a model dicot plant, but different from those in the model monocot plant rice, suggesting that plant NF-Ys diverged before monocot and dicot plants differentiated. Spatial-tempo expression patterns, as determined by qRT-PCR, showed that most BnNF-Ys were widely expressed in different tissues throughout the canola life cycle and that several closely related BnNF-Y subunits had similar expression profiles. Based on these findings, we predict that BnNF-Y proteins have functions that are conserved in the homologous proteins in other plants. This study provides the first extensive evaluation of the BnNF-Y family, and provides a useful foundation for dissecting the functions of BnNF-Y.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Brassica napus / genetics*
  • CCAAT-Binding Factor / genetics
  • CCAAT-Binding Factor / metabolism*
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Exons
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Introns
  • Multigene Family*
  • Phylogeny*
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Protein Subunits

Substances

  • CCAAT-Binding Factor
  • Plant Proteins
  • Protein Subunits
  • nuclear factor Y