AUTHOR=van Verk Marcel , Neeleman Lyda , Bol John , Linthorst Huub 

TITLE=Tobacco Transcription Factor NtWRKY12 Interacts with TGA2.2 in vitro and in vivo

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=2

YEAR=2011

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2011.00032

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2011.00032

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>The promoter of the salicylic acid-inducible <italic>PR-1a</italic> gene of <italic>Nicotiana tabacum</italic> contains binding sites for transcription factor NtWRKY12 (WK-box at position −564) and TGA factors (<italic>as-1</italic>-like element at position −592). Transactivation experiments in <italic>Arabidopsis</italic> protoplasts derived from wild type, <italic>npr1-1</italic>, <italic>tga256</italic>, and <italic>tga2356</italic> mutant plants revealed that NtWRKY12 alone was able to induce a <italic>PR-1a::</italic>β<italic>-glucuronidase</italic> (GUS) reporter gene to high levels, independent of co-expressed tobacco NtNPR1, TGA2.1, TGA2.2, or endogenous <italic>Arabidopsis</italic> NPR1, TGA2/3/5/6. By <italic>in vitro</italic> pull-down assays with GST and Strep fusion proteins and by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer assays with protein–CFP and protein–YFP fusions in transfected protoplasts, it was shown that NtWRKY12 and TGA2.2 could interact <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic>. Interaction of NtWRKY12 with TGA1a or TGA2.1 was not detectable by these techniques. A possible mechanism for the role of NtWRKY12 and TGA2.2 in <italic>PR-1a</italic> gene expression is discussed.
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