SgRVE6, a LHY-CCA1-Like Transcription Factor From Fine-Stem Stylo, Upregulates NB-LRR Gene Expression and Enhances Cold Tolerance in Tobacco

• Published in: Frontiers in plant science 2020-08, Vol.11, p.1276-1276
• Main Authors: Chen, Shu, Huang, Huai-An, Chen, Jian-Hui, Fu, Cheng-Cheng, Zhan, Peng-Lin, Ke, Shan-Wen, Zhang, Xiang-Qian, Zhong, Tian-Xiu, Xie, Xin-Ming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: circadian clock; cold tolerance; fine-stem stylo; nucleotide binding domain leucine-rich repeats; Plant Science; RVE transcription factor
• ISSN: 1664-462X; 1664-462X
• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01276

Stylosanthes species are economically important tropical and subtropical forage legumes which are generally vulnerable to chilling and frost. Fine-stem stylo ( S. guianensis var. intermedia ) has the most superior cold tolerance among all stylo species. A REVEILLE ( RVE ) gene, SgRVE6 , was cloned from fine-stem stylo. Bioinformatic analysis suggests that SgRVE6 encodes a transcription factor of 292 amino acid residues, which belongs to the LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL/CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED 1-LIKE (LCL) subgroup of RVE family and contains a SHAQKYF-class MYB domain and a LCL domain. SgRVE6 is universally expressed in root, stem and leaf tissues of fine-stem stylo and is rapidly up-regulated in all tested tissues under cold stress. Over-expressing SgRVE6 affects expression of 21 circadian clock genes, up-regulates expression of 6 nucleotide binding domain leucine-rich repeats (NB-LRR) encoding genes associated with tobacco cold tolerance, improves physiological responses to low temperature, and endows the transgenic tobaccos with higher tolerance to cold stress. This is the first time a study investigates the biological function of RVE6 in cold responses of plant species.