Regulation of secondary cell wall biosynthesis by poplar R2R3 MYB transcription factor PtrMYB152 in Arabidopsis

Shucai Wang, Eryang Li, Ilga Porth, Jin Gui Chen, Shawn D. Mansfield, Carl J. Douglas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

93 Scopus citations

Abstract

Poplar has 192 annotated R2R3 MYB genes, of which only three have been shown to play a role in the regulation of secondary cell wall formation. Here we report the characterization of PtrMYB152, a poplar homolog of the Arabidopsis R2R3 MYB transcription factor AtMYB43, in the regulation of secondary cell wall biosynthesis. The expression of PtrMYB152 in secondary xylem is about 18 times of that in phloem. When expressed in Arabidopsis under the control of either 35S or PtrCesA8 promoters, PtrMYB152 increased secondary cell wall thickness, which is likely caused by increased lignification. Accordingly, elevated expression of genes encoding sets of enzymes in secondary wall biosynthesis were observed in transgenic plants expressing PtrMYB152. Arabidopsis protoplast transfection assays suggested that PtrMYB152 functions as a transcriptional activator. Taken together, our results suggest that PtrMYB152 may be part of a regulatory network activating expression of discrete sets of secondary cell wall biosynthesis genes.

Original languageEnglish
Article number5054
JournalScientific Reports
Volume4
DOIs
StatePublished - May 23 2014

Funding

We thank Drs. Tom Guilfoyle and Gretchen Hagen (University of Missouri-Columbia) for providing vectors for protoplast transfection assays, the UBC Bioimaging Facility for technical assistance, and all members in the Applied Genomics Innovation Program (AGIP) project for their helpful discussion. This work was supported by funds from the Genome British Columbia (www.genomebc.ca) Applied Genomics Innovation Program project 103BIO to C.J.D and S.D.M., and by the Programme for Introducing Talents to Universities (B07017) and a startup fund from Northeast Normal University (www.nenu. edu.cn) to S.W. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

FundersFunder number
Programme for Introducing Talents to UniversitiesB07017
Northeast Normal University
Genome British Columbia103BIO

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