VvNAC17, a novel stress-responsive grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) NAC transcription factor, increases sensitivity to abscisic acid and enhances salinity, freezing, and drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

Yan-Lun Ju; Xiao-Feng Yue; Zhuo Min; Xian-Hang Wang; Yu-Lin Fang; Jun-Xiang Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2019.11.002

VvNAC17, a novel stress-responsive grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) NAC transcription factor, increases sensitivity to abscisic acid and enhances salinity, freezing, and drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

Plant Physiol Biochem. 2020 Jan:146:98-111. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2019.11.002. Epub 2019 Nov 5.

Authors

Yan-Lun Ju¹, Xiao-Feng Yue², Zhuo Min³, Xian-Hang Wang⁴, Yu-Lin Fang⁵, Jun-Xiang Zhang⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Enology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: juyanlun2016@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
² College of Enology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: yuexiaofeng@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
³ Department of Brewing Engineering, Moutai University, Renhuai, Guizhou, 564507, China. Electronic address: minzhuo@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Enology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: wangxianhang@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
⁵ College of Enology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: fangyulin@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
⁶ Ningxia Grape and Wine Research Institute, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750000, China. Electronic address: zhangjunxiang@126.com.

PMID: 31734522
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2019.11.002

Abstract

Drought stress is the primary factor limiting the growth and fruit quality of grapevines worldwide. However, the biological function of the NAC [No apical meristem (NAM), Arabidopsis transcription activation factor (ATAF), Cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC)] transcription factor (TF) in grapevine is not clear. In this study, we reported that VvNAC17, a novel NAC transcription factor, was expressed in various tissues following drought, high temperature (45 °C), freezing (4 °C), salicylic acid (SA), and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments in grapevine. The VvNAC17 protein was localized in the nucleus of Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts and demonstrated transcriptional activation activities at its C-terminus in yeast. The VvNAC17 gene was overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under mannitol and salt stress, the germination rates of the VvNAC17-overexpression lines were higher than those of the wild-type plants, as were the root lengths. The VvNAC17-overexpression lines showed greater tolerance to freezing stress along with a higher survival rate. Following ABA treatment, the seed germination rate and the root length of the VvNAC17-overexpression lines were inhibited, and the stomatal opening and stomatal density were reduced. When subjected to drought and dehydration stress, the VvNAC17-overexpression lines showed improved survival and reduced water loss rates in comparison to the wild-type plants. Under drought conditions, the VvNAC17-overexpression lines had lower malondialdehyde and H₂O₂ contents, but higher peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities as well as higher proline content. Moreover, the expression of marker genes, including ABI5, AREB1, COR15A, COR47, P5CS, RD22, and RD29A, was up-regulated in the VvNAC17-overexpression lines when subjected to ABA and drought treatments. The results suggest that in transgenic Arabidopsis over-expression of VvNAC17 enhances resistance to drought while up-regulating the expression of ABA- and stress-related genes.

Keywords: ABA; Abiotic stress; Arabidopsis thaliana; Grapevine; Marker genes; NAC.

MeSH terms

Abscisic Acid
Arabidopsis*
Droughts
Freezing
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Hydrogen Peroxide
Plant Proteins
Plants, Genetically Modified
Salinity
Stress, Physiological
Transcription Factors
Vitis*

Substances

Plant Proteins
Transcription Factors
Abscisic Acid
Hydrogen Peroxide