Wheat NF-YA10 functions independently in salinity and drought stress

The transcription factor NUCLEAR FACTOR Y (NF-Y) plays an essential role in many developmental and stress-responsive processes in plants. NF-Y composed of 3 subunits, NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC, targets the CCAAT box, a common cis-element in eukaryotic promoters. We recently identified a gene TaNF-YA10-1 from the wheat salinity tolerant cultivar SR3 and found that recombinant TaNF-YA10-1 could successfully bind to the CCAAT motif in vitro. We also showed that the constitutive expression of TaNF-YA10-1 in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly increased the plant's sensitivity to salinity. Here, we further demonstrated that TaNF-YA10-1 -overexpressing plants conferred drought tolerance as judged from the relative root length and whole-plant growth under drought stress. These results suggest that TaNF-YA10-1 functions independently in salinity and drought stress. Our findings are helpful in understanding the distinct roles of NF-YA in plant stress responses.