SpringerLink
Log in

An alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) ethylene response factor gene, MsERF11, enhances salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant Cell Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A novel orthologue of ethylene response factor gene, MsERF11, was isolated from alfalfa in this study. It has an open reading frame of 807 bp, encoding a predicted polypeptide of 268 amino acids. Sequence similarity analysis clearly suggested that MsERF11 encoded an ethylene response factor protein. The results of transient expression of MsERF11 in onion epidermal cells indicated that MsERF11 is a nuclear protein. The expression pattern of MsERF11 gene was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR and a higher level of expression was observed in leaves than was observed in roots, stems, flower buds and flowers. Furthermore, the expression was induced by PEG6000, NaCl, Al2(SO4)3 and six different hormones. Over-expressing MsERF11 resulted in enhanced tolerances to salt stress in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. This research indicates that MsERF11 has the potential to be used for improving crop’s salt tolerance in areas where salinity is a limiting factor for agricultural productivity.

Key message MsERF11 was isolated from alfalfa. Its expression was induced by different abiotic stresses and hormones. Over-expressing MsERF11 resulted in enhanced salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abe H, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K, Urao T, Iwasaki T, Hosokawa D, Shinozaki K (1997) Role of Arabidopsis MYC and MYB homologs in drought- and abscisic acid-regulated gene expression. Plant Cell 9:1859–1868

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Agarwal P, Agarwal PK, Joshi AJ, Sopory SK, Reddy MK (2010) Overexpression of PgDREB2A transcription factor enhances abiotic stress tolerance and activates downstream stress-responsive genes. Mol Biol Rep 37:1125–1135

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson JP, Lichtenzveig J, Gleason C, Oliver RP, Singh KB (2010) The B-3 ethylene response factor MtERF1-1 mediates resistance to a subset of root pathogens in Medicago truncatula without adversely affecting symbiosis with rhizobia. Plant Physiol 154:861–873

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen TT, Yang QC, Gruber M, Kang JM, Sun Y, Ding W, Zhang TJ, Zhang XQ (2012) Expression of an alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) ethylene response factor gene MsERF8 in tobacco plants enhances resistance to salinity. Mol Biol Rep 39:6067–6075

    Google Scholar 

  • Clough SJ, Bent AF (1998) Floral dip: a simplified method for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J 16:735–743

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dubouzet JG, Sakuma Y, Ito Y, Kasuga M, Dubouzet EG, Miura S, Seki M, Shinozaki K, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K (2003) OsDREB genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.), encode transcription activators that function in drought-, high-salt- and cold-responsive gene expression. Plant J 33:751–763

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott RC, Betzner AS, Huttner E, Oakes MP, Tucker WQ, Gerentes D, Perez P, Smyth DR (1996) AINTEGUMENTA, an APETALA2-like gene of Arabidopsis with pleiotropic roles in ovule development and floral organ growth. Plant Cell 8:155–168

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Sharkawy I, Sherif S, Mila I, Bouzayen M, Jayasankar S (2009) Molecular characterization of seven genes encoding ethylene-responsive transcriptional factors during plum fruit development and ripening. J Exp Bot 60:907–922

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flowers TJ, Yeo AR (1986) Ion relations of plants under drought and salinity. Aust J Plant Physiol 13:75–91

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flowers TJ, Yeo AR (1995) Breeding for salinity resistance in crop plants. Where next? Aust J Plant Physiol 22:875–884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujimoto SY, Ohta M, Usui A, Shinshi H, Ohme-Takagi M (2000) Arabidopsis ethylene-responsive element binding factors act as transcriptional activators or repressors of GCC box-mediated gene expression. Plant Cell 12:393–404

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao L, **ang CB (2008) The genetic locus At1g73660 encodes a putative MAPKKK and negatively regulates salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. Plant Mol Biol 67:125–134

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao SM, Zhang HW, Tian Y, Li F, Zhang ZJ, Lu XY, Chen XL, Huang RF (2008) Expression of TERF1 in rice regulates expression of stress-responsive genes and enhances tolerance to drought and high-salinity. Plant Cell Rep 27:1787–1795

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Golldack D, Lüking I, Yang O (2011) Plant tolerance to drought and salinity: stress regulating transcription factors and their functional significance in the cellular transcriptional network. Plant Cell Rep 30:1383–1391

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gutterson N, Reuber TL (2004) Regulation of disease resistance pathways by AP2/ERF transcription factors. Curr Opin Plant Biol 7:465–471

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hao DY, Ohme-Takagi M, Sarai A (1998) Unique mode of GCC box recognition by the DNA-binding domain of ethylene-responsive element-binding factor (ERF domain) in plant. J Biol Chem 273:26857–26861

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jakoby M, Weisshaar B, Droge-Laser W, Vicente-Carbajosa J, Tiedemann J, Kroj T, Parcy F (2002) bZIP transcription factors in Arabidopsis. Trends Plant Sci 7:106–111

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong JS, Kim YS, Beak KH, Jung H, Ha SH, Choi YD, Kim M, Reuzeau C, Kim JK (2010) Root-specific expression of OsNAC10 improves drought tolerance and grain yield in rice under field drought conditions. Plant Physiol 153:185–197

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mare C, Mazzucotelli E, Crosatti C, Francia E, Stanca AM, Cattivelli L (2004) Hv-WRKY38: a new transcription factor involved in cold- and drought-response in barley. Plant Mol Biol 55:399–416

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakano T, Suzuki K, Fujimura T, Shinshi H (2006) Genome-wide analysis of the ERF gene family in Arabidopsis and rice. Plant Physiol 140:411–432

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakashima K, Ito Y, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K (2009) Transcriptional regulatory networks in response to abiotic stresses in Arabidopsis and grasses. Plant Physiol 149:88–95

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ning J, Li X, Hicks LM, **ong L (2010) A Raf-like MAPKKK gene DSM1 mediates drought resistance through reactive oxygen species scavenging in rice. Plant Physiol 152:876–890

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohta M, Ohme-Takagi M, Shinshi H (2000) Three ethylene-responsive transcription factors in tobacco with distinct transactivation functions. Plant J 22:29–38

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pasapula V, Shen GX, Kuppu S, Paez-Valencia J, Mendoza M, Hou P, Chen J, Qiu GX, Zhu LF, Zhang XL, Auld D, Blumwald E, Zhang H, Gaxiola R, Payton P (2011) Expression of an Arabidopsis vacuolar H+-pyrophosphatase gene (AVP1) in cotton improves drought- and salt tolerance and increases fibre yield in the field conditions. Plant Biotech J 9:88–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seo YJ, Park JB, Cho YJ, Jung C, Seo HS, Park SK, Nahm BH, Song JT (2010) Overexpression of the ethylene-responsive factor gene BrERF4 from Brassica rapa increases tolerance to salt and drought in Arabidopsis plants. Mol Cells 30:271–277

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shalata A, Tal M (1998) The effect of salt stress on lipid peroxidation and antioxidants in the leaf of the cultivated tomato and its wild salt-tolerant relative Lycopersicon pennellii. Physiol Plant 104:169–174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair TR, Ludlow MM (1985) Who taught plants thermodynamics? The unfulfilled potential of plant water potential. Aust J Plant Physiol 12:213–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Subramanyam K, Sailaja KV, Subramanyam K, Rao DM, Lakshmidevi K (2011) Ectopic expression of an osmotin gene leads to enhanced salt tolerance in transgenic chilli pepper (Capsicum annum L.). Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 105:181–192

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tian Y, Zhang HW, Pan XW, Chen XL, Zhang ZJ, Lu XY, Huang RF (2011) Overexpression of ethylene response factor TERF2 confers cold tolerance in rice seedlings. Transgenic Res 20:857–866

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tocquin P, Corbesier L, Havelange A, Pieltain A, Kurtem E, Bernier G, Périlleux C (2003) A novel high efficiency, low maintenance, hydroponic system for synchronous growth and flowering of Arabidopsis thaliana. BMC Plant Biol 3:2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turner NC (1981) Techniques and experimental approaches for the measurement of plant water status. Plant Soil 58:339–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuteja N (2007) Abscisic acid and abiotic stress signaling. Plant Signal Behav 2:135–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Luttge U, Ratajczak R (2001) Effects of salt treatment and osmotic stress on V-ATPase and V-PPase in leaves of the halophyte Suaeda salsa. J Exp Bot 52:2355–2365

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Huang ZJ, Chen Q, Zhang ZJ, Zhang HB, Wu YM, Huang DF, Huang RF (2004) Ectopic overexpression of tomato JERF3 in tobacco activates downstream gene expression and enhances salt tolerance. Plant Mol Biol 55:183–192

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang YC, Gao CQ, Liang YN, Wang C, Yang CP, Liu GF (2010) A novel bZIP gene from Tamarix hispida mediates physiological responses to salt stress in tobacco plants. J Plant Physiol 167:222–230

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu FB, Zhang GP, Dominy P (2003) Four barley genotypes respond differently to cadmium: lipid peroxidation and activities of antioxidant capacity. Environ Exp Bot 50:67–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • **ong L, Zhu JK (2002) Molecular and genetic aspects of plant responses to osmotic stress. Plant Cell Environ 25:131–139

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu ZS, Chen M, Li LC, Ma YZ (2011) Functions and application of the AP2/ERF transcription factor family in crop improvement. J Integr Plant Biol 53:570–585

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K, Shinozaki K (2006) Transcriptional regulatory networks in cellular responses and tolerance to dehydration and cold stresses. Annu Rev Plant Biol 57:781–803

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Z, Tian L, Latoszek-Green M, Brown D, Wu K (2005) Arabidopsis ERF4 is a transcriptional repressor capable of modulating ethylene and abscisic acid responses. Plant Mol Biol 58:585–596

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang HW, Huang ZJ, **e BY, Chen Q, Tian X, Zhang XL, Zhang HB, Lu XY, Huang DF, Huang RF (2004) The ethylene-, jasmonate-, abscisic acid- and NaCl-responsive tomato transcription factor JERF1 modulates expression of GCC box-containing genes and salt tolerance in tobacco. Planta 220:262–270

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang JY, Broeckling CD, Blancaflor EB, Sledge MK, Sumner LW, Wang ZY (2005) Overexpression of WXP1, a putative Medicago truncatula AP2 domain-containing transcription factor gene, increases cuticular wax accumulation and enhances drought tolerance in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Plant J 42:689–707

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang GY, Chen M, Li LC, Xu ZS, Chen XP, Guo JM, Ma YZ (2009) Overexpression of the soybean GmERF3 gene, an AP2/ERF type transcription factor for increased tolerances to salt, drought, and diseases in transgenic tobacco. J Exp Bot 60:3781–3796

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZJ, Li F, Li DJ, Zhang HW, Huang RF (2010a) Expression of ethylene response factor JERF1 in rice improves tolerance to drought. Planta 232:765–774

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang HW, Liu W, Wan LY, Li F, Dai LY, Li DJ, Zhang ZJ, Huang RF (2010b) Functional analyses of ethylene response factor JERF3 with the aim of improving tolerance to drought and osmotic stress in transgenic rice. Transgenic Res 19:809–818

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu Q, Zhang J, Gao X, Tong J, **ao L, Li W, Zhang H (2010) The Arabidopsis AP2/ERF transcription factor RAP2.6 participates in ABA, salt and osmotic stress responses. Gene 457:1–12

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the earmarked fund for Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System (No. CARS-35), the National Key Technology R&D Program (2011BAD17B01-01-3) and the National Science and Technology Supporting Project (2011BAD17B03).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Bei**g, 100193, People’s Republic of China

    Tingting Chen, Qingchuan Yang & Wang Ding

  2. Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, 625014, People’s Republic of China

    Tingting Chen & **nquan Zhang

  3. Saskatoon Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Cresc, Saskatoon, SK, S7N0X2, Canada

    Margaret Gruber

Authors
  1. Tingting Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qingchuan Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. **nquan Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wang Ding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Margaret Gruber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qingchuan Yang.

Additional information

Communicated by P. Lakshmanan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, T., Yang, Q., Zhang, X. et al. An alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) ethylene response factor gene, MsERF11, enhances salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Plant Cell Rep 31, 1737–1746 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-012-1287-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-012-1287-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation