ThWRKY4 from Tamarix hispida Can Form Homodimers and Heterodimers and Is Involved in Abiotic Stress Responses

作   者：王留强，郑磊，张春蕊，王玉成，卢孟柱，高彩球
期刊名称：International Journal of Molecular Sciences
影响因子：2.862
卷 期 号：16(11)
页     码：27097-27106
关键词：WRKY, stress response, dimerization, Tamarix hispida, yeast two-hybrid
论文摘要：
WRKY proteins are a large family of transcription factors that are involved in diverse developmental processes and abiotic stress responses in plants. However, our knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of WRKYs participation in protein–protein interactions is still fragmentary, and such protein–protein interactions are fundamental in understanding biological networks and the functions of proteins. In this study, we report that a WRKY protein from Tamarix hispida, ThWRKY4, can form both homodimers and heterodimers with ThWRKY2 and ThWRKY3. In addition, ThWRKY2 and ThWRKY3 can both bind to W-box motif with binding affinities similar to that of ThWRKY4. Further, the expression patterns of ThWRKY2 and ThWRKY3 are similar to that of ThWRKY4 when plants are exposed to abscisic acid (ABA). Subcellular localization shows that these three ThWRKY proteins are nuclear proteins. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ThWRKY4 is a dimeric protein that can form functional homodimers or heterodimers that are involved in abiotic stress responses.