Overexpression of tobacco ethylene response factor NtERF3 gene and its homologues from tobacco and rice induces hypersensitive response-like cell death in tobacco

Abstract

Among plant-specific transcription factors, ethylene response factors (ERFs) comprise one of the largest families. ERFs are unique to the plant kingdom and are considered to have crucial roles in plant response to various biotic and abiotic environmental stresses. Here, we report on the functional analysis of a transcriptional repressor, NtERF3, with regard to cell death associated with a hypersensitive response (HR), a plant-specific resistance reaction against pathogens. Expression of NtERF3 was upregulated during HR induction by Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection in tobacco plants harboring the resistance N gene to TMV. Transient overexpression of NtERF3 by Agrobacterium-mediated gene delivery induced HR-like cell death in tobacco, associated with the production of reactive oxygen species and ion leakage. Deletion of the ERF-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif from NtERF3 resulted in no induction of cell death, while the deletion had no effect on nuclear localization of the proteins. After virus-mediated gene delivery, similar results also were observed in tobacco without the N gene. In addition to NtERF3, other EAR motif-containing ERFs from tobacco, Nicotiana benthamiana and rice also induced cell death when overproduced in tobacco plants. The results suggested that many ERF genes encoding EAR motif-containing proteins might have the ability to induce cell death when overexpressed.

The induction of Ethylene response factor 3 (ERF3) in potato as a result of co-inoculation withPseudomonassp. R41805 andRhizophagus irregularisMUCL 41833 – a possible role in plant defense

“…24 The ERF3 was upregulated during hypersensitive response (HR) response by Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection in tobacco plants carrying N resistance gene. 25 It was demonstrated that, the expression of potato-associated ERF3 was upregulated in both mycorrhized and nonmycorrhized potato plantlets challenged with Phytopthora infestans. 26 It may be possible that a potato-associated pathogen can interfere with potato-associated ERF3 activity and reduce defense protein expression, as previously described.…”

The Hevea brasiliensis AP2/ERF superfamily: from ethylene signalling to latex harvesting and physiological disease response

“…The ERF group VIII contains an ERF-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR)-motif known as the transcriptional repressors (Ohta et al, 2001). These ERFs of repressor-type were demonstrated to be able to induce a programmed cell death (Ogata et al, 2011;. The multifunctional co-repressors, TOPLESS (TPL) and TPL-related (TPR) interact directly with the EAR motif of ERF group VIII.…”

PhERF6, interacting with EOBI, negatively regulates fragrance biosynthesis in petunia flowers

“…In tomato, the SlERF3 protein is connected with increased stress tolerance in plants (Pan et al ., ). Overexpression of tobacco NtERF3 induces hypersensitive response‐like cell death (Ogata et al ., ). Koyama et al .…”