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Overexpression of TMAC2, a novel negative regulator of abscisic acid and salinity responses, has pleiotropic effects in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Abstract

Phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates many aspects of plant development and growth. To explore the molecular mechanism of ABA, we identified the novel ABA-regulated genes in Arabidopsis thaliana by searching for genes possessing two or more ABREs (ABA-responsive elements). One of these genes, two or more ABREs-containing gene 2 (TMAC2) is highly induced by ABA and NaCl. Database searches revealed that TMAC2 encodes a protein with no domains of known function. Expression of TMAC2-GFP fusion protein in Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts indicated that TMAC2 is targeted to the nucleus. Although the gene has a basal level of expression in various Arabidopsis organs/tissues except for adult leaves, a high expression level was detected in roots. Constitutive overexpression of TMAC2 in plants resulted in the insensitivity to ABA and NaCl, suggesting that TMAC2 plays a negative role in ABA and salt stress responses. Furthermore, TMAC2-overexpressing plants exhibited the short roots, late flowering and starch-excess phenotypes. RT-PCR analysis showed that decreased expression of two floral- and one starch degradation-related genes, SOC1/AGL20 and SEP3/AGL9, and SEX1, respectively, may lead to altered phenotypes of TMAC2-overexpressing plants. Taken together, our data reveal that TMAC2 acts in the nucleus and is an important negative regulator of ABA and salt stress responses, and could play a critical role in controlling root elongation, floral initiation and starch degradation.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

ABRE:

ABA-responsive element

GUS:

β-glucuronidase

TMAC2 :

Two or more ABREs-containing gene 2

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Chang-Hsien Yang for teaching Arabidopsis transformation, Dr. Jen Sheen for the gift of the GFP expression vector, and Dr. Hao-Jen Huang and Mr. Szu-Yuan Pu for technical support with Arabidopsis protoplast transfection. We also appreciate Ms. Laura Heraty for English editing.

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  1. Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Ming-Der Huang & Wen-Luan Wu

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  1. Ming-Der Huang
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  2. Wen-Luan Wu
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Correspondence to Wen-Luan Wu.

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Huang, MD., Wu, WL. Overexpression of TMAC2, a novel negative regulator of abscisic acid and salinity responses, has pleiotropic effects in Arabidopsis thaliana . Plant Mol Biol 63, 557–569 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-006-9109-8

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