Functional Characterization of NAC and MYB Transcription Factors Involved in Regulation of Biomass Production in Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Zhong, Ruiqin; Yuan, Youxi; Spiekerman, John J.; Guley, Joshua T.; Egbosiuba, Janefrances C.; Ye, Zheng-Hua

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134611

Title: Functional Characterization of NAC and MYB Transcription Factors Involved in Regulation of Biomass Production in Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Journal Article · Thu Aug 06 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · PLoS ONE

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134611· OSTI ID:1904686

Zhong, Ruiqin ^[1]; Yuan, Youxi ^[1]; Spiekerman, John J. ^[1]; Guley, Joshua T. ^[1]; Egbosiuba, Janefrances C. ^[1]; Ye, Zheng-Hua ^[1]

University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)

Switchgrass is a promising biofuel feedstock due to its high biomass production and low agronomic input requirements. Because the bulk of switchgrass biomass used for biofuel production is lignocellulosic secondary walls, studies on secondary wall biosynthesis and its transcriptional regulation are imperative for designing strategies for genetic improvement of biomass production in switchgrass. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of a group of switchgrass transcription factors, including several NACs (PvSWNs) and a MYB (PvMYB46A), for their involvement in regulating secondary wall biosynthesis. PvSWNs and PvMYB46A were found to be highly expressed in stems and their expression was closely associated with sclerenchyma cells. Overexpression of PvSWNs and PvMYB46A in Arabidopsis was shown to result in activation of the biosynthetic genes for cellulose, xylan and lignin and ectopic deposition of secondary walls in normally parenchymatous cells. Transactivation and complementation studies demonstrated that PvSWNs were able to activate the SNBE-driven GUS reporter gene and effectively rescue the secondary wall defects in the Arabidopsis snd1 nst1 double mutant, indicating that they are functional orthologs of Arabidopsis SWNs. Furthermore, we showed that PvMYB46A could activate the SMRE-driven GUS reporter gene and complement the Arabidopsis myb46 myb83 double mutant, suggesting that it is a functional ortholog of Arabidopsis MYB46/MYB83. Together, these results indicate that PvSWNs and PvMYB46A are transcriptional switches involved in regulating secondary wall biosynthesis, which provides molecular tools for genetic manipulation of biomass production in switchgrass.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-03ER15415; ISO-1051900

OSTI ID:: 1904686

Journal Information:: PLoS ONE, Vol. 10, Issue 8; ISSN 1932-6203

Publisher:: Public Library of ScienceCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Functional Characterization of NAC and MYB Transcription Factors Involved in Regulation of Biomass Production in Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

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