Functional Analysis Of Zea Mays NAC Membrane Bound Transcription Factor ZmNTL1

Plants were exposed to various stresses, such as high salinity and drought, whichadversely affects all stages of normal growth of plant, including seed germination,vegetative growth and reproductive growth, and results in lower yields and poorerquality in crops. When plants were exposed to stress, the environmental stress signalswere converted into internal signal at different levels and regulated the expression ofstress related genes. As transcription factors play important roles in regulating geneexpression, the research on transcription factors is particularly essential. NACmembrane-bound transcription factors are plant-specific and they have functions notonly in plants growth but also in stress responses. So far，there is no report about thefunctional study of NAC membrane-bound transcription factors in maize.Through bioinformatics analysis, five potential NAC membrane-boundtranscription factor coding genes in maize were found and the full length cDNA ofZm043548was cloned, which was named ZmNTL1, in maize B73inbred lines. Thefunction of the preliminary functional analysis was performed and correspondingresults were obtained as follows:1. Through the transmembrane motif prediction, we screened5NTL genes inmaize (Zm2g163914, Zma2g125777, Zm2g064541, Zm2g003715, Zm035434).2. The1554bp CDS sequence of Zm043548(ZmNTL1) was cloned, whichencoded517amino acids. The N-terminal of ZmNTL1contained conserved NACdomain and C-terminal contained a transmembrane motif.3. Tissue specific expression analysis showed that the transcription level ofZmNTL1was the highest in leaves, the second in roots and the lowest in stems.4. Plant expression vector p35::ZmNTL1was successfully constructed, and wastransformed into Arabidopsis thaliana by agrobacterium GV3101. The homozygoustransgenic lines with single copy of35::ZmNTL1was obtained.5. Salt tolerance assay was performed in35::ZmNTL1transgenic lines. Undertreatment of50mM,100mM,150mM,200mM NaCl, the seed germination rate,root lenghth and survival rate of35::ZmNTL1transgenic lines was higher than that inwild type seedlings. 6. Drought tolerance assay was performed in35::ZmNTL1transgenic lines.Under treatment of200mM,250mM and400mM Man, the seed germination rate of35::ZmNTL1transgenic lines was higher than that in wild type seedlings. The survivalrate of transgenic lines is higher than that in wild type Arabidopsis under droughtstress.