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Characterization of a NAC transcription factor putatively influencing ZmPIP2;5 expression

Teirlinckx, Estelle
(2020)

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Teirlinckx_75511800_2020.pdf
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Details

Supervisors
Chaumont, François ; Maistriaux, Laurie
Faculty
Faculté des bioingénieurs
Degree label
Master [120] : bioingénieur en chimie et bioindustries
Abstract
Abiotic stress factors, such as drought and salinity, represent a major constraint on maize production worldwide. Understanding the various responses of maize to such stress may facilitate efforts to improve the plants resistance to environmental changes. Aquaporins (AQPs), proteins regulating the water movement across biological membranes, are associated with plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. NAC proteins are plant-specific transcription factors (TF) also involved in stress responses. However, only little information regarding stress-related NAC genes and their link with AQPs is available in maize. In a previous genome wide association study, a NAC transcription factor (ZmNAC24) was associated with the expression of an AQP (ZmPIP2;5). In this study, ZmNAC24 was characterized by using bioinformatics tools and comparing it to other members. Its subcellular location was determined via the expression of YFP-ZmNAC24 fusions. Finally, the role of ZmNAC24 as trans-acting regulator of ZmPIP2;5 gene expression was evaluated by transactivation assay. This involved the construction of reporter plasmids allowing us to assess if the presence of ZmNAC24 was able to induce changes in the ZmPIP2;5 promoter activity in maize leaf cells. Subcellular localization experiments in maize protoplasts indicated that ZmNAC24 was localized in the nucleus. The transactivation assay demonstrated that ZmNAC24 trans-activated the ZmPIP2;5 promoter. The results suggested that ZmNAC24 may confer maize plants a tolerance to abiotic stress by modulating the ZmPIP2;5 expression.