Scientific Reports (Aug 2018)

MYC-type transcription factors, MYC67 and MYC70, interact with ICE1 and negatively regulate cold tolerance in Arabidopsis

  • Masaru Ohta,
  • Aiko Sato,
  • Na Renhu,
  • Tsuyoshi Yamamoto,
  • Nodoka Oka,
  • Jian-Kang Zhu,
  • Yasuomi Tada,
  • Takuya Suzaki,
  • Kenji Miura

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-29722-x
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract The expression of hundreds of genes is induced by low temperatures via a cold signaling pathway. ICE1, a MYC-type transcription factor, plays an important role in the induction of CBF3/DREB1A to control cold-responsive genes and cold tolerance. To elucidate other molecular factors, a yeast 2-hybrid screening was performed. Two MYC-type transcription factors, MYC67 and MYC70, were identified as ICE1-interacting proteins. The myc mutants were more tolerant to freezing temperatures than wild type. CBF3/DREB1A and other cold-responsive genes were up-regulated in the myc mutants. Overexpression of the MYC genes increased the cold sensitivity and down-regulated the expression of cold-responsive genes. The MYC proteins interacted with the cis-elements in the CBF3/DREB1A promoter, probably to interfere interaction between ICE1 and the cis-elements. Taken together, these results demonstrate that MYC67 and MYC70, ICE1 interactors, negatively regulate cold-responsive genes and cold tolerance.