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Published on: March 30, 2018
The NAC transcription factor BrrNAC082 positively mediates leaf senescence in Brassica rapa
Limin Wang1,2,3,4,5, Pan Li1,2,3,4, Tongbing Su1,2,3,4
1State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, 100097, China.
Abstract:
Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of leaf senescence is essential for improving crop yield and quality, especially in leafy vegetables. Here, through comparative transcriptomic analysis during leaf senescence in turnip and Chinese cabbage, we identified a NAM/ATAF/CUC (NAC) transcription factor, BrrNAC082, an ortholog of Arabidopsis thaliana ANAC082, that is involved in the positive regulation of leaf senescence. Population genomics analyses revealed that a 23-bp insertion in the promoter of BrrNAC082 results in gene expression activation and makes a contribution to rapid leaf senescence in turnip. We further investigated gene function genetically via overexpression of BrrNAC082 in both Arabidopsis and Brassica rapa, which led to accelerated leaf senescence, whereas BrrNAC082-silenced plants presented opposite trends. BrrNAC082 modulates ABA-induced leaf senescence via positive feedback regulation of ABA metabolism. Finally, we showed that, as a functional transcription factor, BrrNAC082 can directly activate the expression of the leaf senescence marker BrrSAG12. Furthermore, we revealed a striking functional divergence, as BrrNAC082 acts as a positive regulator of senescence, contrasting with the negative role of its Arabidopsis homolog ANAC082, highlighting the evolutionary plasticity within the NAC transcription factor family. Taken together, our findings revealed a BrrNAC082-BrrSAG12 regulatory pathway that promotes leaf senescence in B. rapa, thus providing a strategy for improving the yield and quality of Brassica crops by manipulating leaf senescence-related traits.
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