Cloning And Characterization of Pathogen-Inducible EREBP-Like Transcription Factor(CaNR19) From Hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

An EREBP/AP2-type transcription factor (CaPFl) was isolated by DDRT-PCR following inoculation of soybean pustule pathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines Bra which induces HR on pepper leaves. Genomic Southern blot analysis revealed that the CaPFl gene is present as a single copy within the hot pepper genome. The deduced amino acid sequence of CaPFl has two potential nuclear localization signals, a possible acidic activation domain, and an EREBP/AP2 motif that could bind to a conserved cis- element present in promoter region of many stress-induced genes. The mRNA level of CaPFl was induced by both biotic and abiotic stresses. We observed higher-level transcripts in resistance-induced pepper tissues than diseased tissues. Expression of CaPFl is also induced upon various abiotic stresses including ethephon, MeJA, cold stress, drought stress and salt stress treatments. To study the role of CPFI in plant, transgenic Arabidopsis and tobacco plants which express higher level of pepper CaPFl were generated. Global gene expression analysis of transgenic Arabidopsis by cDNA microarray indicated that expression of CaPFl in transgenic plants affect the expression of quite a few GCC box and DRE/CRT box-containing genes. Furthermore, the transgenic Arabidopsis and tobacco plant, expressing CaPFl showed tolerance against freezing temperature and enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas syrnigae pv. tabaci. Taken together, these results indicated that CaPFl is a novel EREBP/AP2 transcription factor in hot pepper plant and it may has a significant role(s) in regulation of biotic and abiotic stresses in plant.