Expression of StMYB1R-1, a Novel Potato Single MYB-Like Domain Transcription Factor, Increases Drought Tolerance

• Published in: Plant physiology (Bethesda) 2011-01, Vol.155 (1), p.421-432
• Main Authors: Shin, Dongjin, Moon, Seok-Jun, Han, Seyoun, Kim, Beom-Gi, Park, Sang Ryeol, Lee, Seong-Kon, Yoon, Hye-Jin, Lee, Hye Eun, Kwon, Hawk-Bin, Baek, Dongwon, Yi, Bu Young, Byun, Myung-Ok
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abscisic Acid - pharmacology; Adaptation, Physiological - drug effects; Adaptation, Physiological - genetics; Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Nucleus - drug effects; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Dehydration; DNA, Plant - metabolism; Drought; Drought tolerance; Droughts; ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS AND ADAPTATION TO STRESS; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - drug effects; Genes; Genes, Plant - genetics; Guard cells; Leaves; Molecular Sequence Data; Plant cells; Plant physiology and development; Plant Proteins - chemistry; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - isolation & purification; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant Stomata - drug effects; Plant Stomata - physiology; Plants; Plants, Genetically Modified; Protein Binding - drug effects; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Protein Transport - drug effects; Rice; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Solanum tuberosum; Solanum tuberosum - drug effects; Solanum tuberosum - genetics; Solanum tuberosum - physiology; Stress, Physiological - drug effects; Stress, Physiological - genetics; Transcription Factors - chemistry; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - isolation & purification; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transgenic plants; Up-Regulation - drug effects; Up-Regulation - genetics; Water loss
• ISSN: 0032-0889; 1532-2548; 1532-2548
• DOI: 10.1104/pp.110.163634

Potato (Solatium tuberosum) is relatively vulnerable to abiotic stress conditions such as drought, but the tolerance mechanisms for such stresses in potato are largely unknown. To identify stress-related factors in potato, we previously carried out a genetic screen of potato plants exposed to abiotic environmental stress conditions using reverse northern-blot analysis. A cDNA encoding a putative R1-type MYB-like transcription factor (StMYB1R-1) was identified as a putative stress-response gene. Here, the transcript levels of StMYB1R-1 were enhanced in response to several environmental stresses in addition to drought but were unaffected by biotic stresses. The results of intracellular targeting and quadruple 9-mer protein-binding microarray analysis indicated that StMYB1R-1 localizes to the nucleus and binds to the DNA sequence G / A GATAA. Overexpression of a StMYB1R-1 transgene in potato plants improved plant tolerance to drought stress while having no significant effects on other agricultural traits. Transgenic plants exhibited reduced rates of water loss and more rapid stomatal closing than wild-type plants under drought stress conditions. In addition, overexpression of StMYB1R-1 enhanced the expression of droughtregulated genes such as AtHB-7, RD28, ALDH22a1, and ERD1-like. Thus, the expression of StMYB1R-1 in potato enhanced drought tolerance via regulation of water loss. These results indicated that StMYB1R-1 functions as a transcription factor involved in the activation of drought-related genes.