TaMADS2-3D, a MADS transcription factor gene, regulates phosphate starvation responses in plants
Yingchun Han,
Na Liu,
Chuang Li,
Shuaiwu Wang,
Lihua Jia,
Rui Zhang,
Hui Li,
Jinfang Tan,
Hongwei Xue,
Wenming Zheng
Affiliations
Yingchun Han
Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China
Na Liu
Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China
Chuang Li
Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China
Shuaiwu Wang
Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China
Lihua Jia
Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China
Rui Zhang
Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China
Hui Li
College of Resource and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China
Jinfang Tan
College of Resource and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China; School of Agriculture, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, Guangdong, China; Corresponding authors.
Hongwei Xue
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Corresponding authors.
Wenming Zheng
Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China; Corresponding authors.
Soil inorganic phosphate (Pi) levels are frequently suboptimal for the growth and development of crop plants. Although MADS-box genes participate in diverse plant developmental processes, their involvement in phosphate starvation responses (PSRs) remains unclear. We identified a type I MADS-box transcription factor gene, TaMADS2-3D, which was rapidly induced under low-Pi stress in roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum). A TaMADS2-3D-GFP fusion protein was found located in the nucleus. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing TaMADS2-3D (TaMADS2-3DOE) showed shortened primary roots, increased lateral root density, and retarded seedling growth under high-Pi (HP) conditions, accompanied by increased Pi contents in their shoots and roots. The Arabidopsis TaMADS2-3DOE plants showed similar PSR phenotypes under low Pi (LP) conditions. These results indicate constitutive activation of PSRs by overexpression of TaMADS2-3D in Arabidopsis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), H2O2 and O2−, levels were increased in root tips of Arabidopsis TaMADS2-3DOE plants under HP conditions. Transcriptome analysis of Arabidopsis TaMADS2-3DOE plants under different Pi regimes revealed expression changes for a variety of PSR genes including AtZAT6. Overexpression of TaMADS2-3D in wheat also led to constitutive activation of PSRs. We propose that TaMADS2-3D regulates plant PSRs probably by modulating ROS homeostasis, root development, PSR gene expression, and Pi uptake. This study increases our understanding of plant PSR regulation and provides a valuable gene for improving phosphorus-use efficiency in wheat and other crops.
