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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #299753
Title: Enhanced oxidative stress resistance through activation of a zinc deficiency transcription factor in Brachypodium distachyon

Author
item Glover-Cutter, Kira
item Alderman, Stephen
item Dombrowski, James
item Martin, Ruth

Submitted to: Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2014
Publication Date: 11/30/2014
Citation: Glover-Cutter, K.M., Alderman, S.C., Dombrowski, J.E., Martin, R.C. 2014. Enhanced oxidative stress resistance through activation of a zinc deficiency transcription factor in Brachypodium distachyon. Plant Physiology. 166:1492-1505.

Interpretive Summary: Identification of viable strategies to increase stress resistance of crops will become increasingly important for global food security as our population increases and our climate changes. Considering that resistance to oxidative stress is often times an indicator of health and longevity in animal systems, characterizing this pathway as well as conserved pathways known to increase oxidative stress resistance could prove fruitful for crop improvement strategies. We are using the model species Brachypodium distachyon for identifying and validating stress resistance factors. Specifically, we focus on the zinc deficiency response pathway and its role in oxidative stress resistance. We report on characterization of oxidative stress resistance reporter genes in Brachypodium to study the oxidative stress response. We also identified a zinc deficiency transcription factor that may help to protect plants from oxidative stress insults. These provide a potential screening target for either germplasm selection or genetic modification of commercial crop systems to improve plants ability to survive abiotic stresses.

Technical Abstract: Identification of viable strategies to increase stress resistance of crops will become increasingly important for the goal of global food security as our population increases and our climate changes. Considering that resistance to oxidative stress is oftentimes an indicator of health and longevity in animal systems, characterizing this pathway as well as conserved pathways known to increase oxidative stress resistance could prove fruitful for crop improvement strategies. This report argues for the usefulness and practicality of the model organism Brachypodium distachyon for identifying and validating stress resistance factors. Specifically, we focus on the zinc deficiency pathway and its role in oxidative stress in the model organism Brachypodium. We report the identification of a zinc deficiency transcription factor, BdZIP10, that when overexpressed protects plants and callus tissue from oxidative stress insults, most likely through the direct activation of the protective oxidative stress genes. Increased oxidative stress resistance and cell viability through the overexpression of BdZIP10 implicate this factor as a possible screening target for either germplasm selection or genetic modification of commercial crop systems prone to abiotic stress.