Transcription Factors in Alkaloid Engineering

Plants produce a large variety of low-molecular-weight and specialized secondary compounds. Among them, nitrogen-containing alkaloids are the most biologically active and are often used in the pharmaceutical industry. Although alkaloid chemistry has been intensively investigated, characterization of alkaloid biosynthesis, including biosynthetic enzyme genes and their regulation, especially the transcription factors involved, has been relatively delayed, since only a limited number of plant species produce these specific types of alkaloids in a tissue/cell-specific or developmental-specific manner. Recent advances in molecular biology technologies, such as RNA sequencing, co-expression analysis of transcripts and metabolites, and functional characterization of genes using recombinant technology and cutting-edge technology for metabolite identification, have enabled a more detailed characterization of alkaloid pathways. Thus, transcriptional regulation of alkaloid biosynthesis by transcription factors, such as basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH), APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor (AP2/ERF), and WRKY, is well elucidated. In addition, jasmonate signaling, an important cue in alkaloid biosynthesis, and its cascade, interaction of transcription factors, and post-transcriptional regulation are also characterized and show cell/tissue-specific or developmental regulation. Furthermore, current sequencing technology provides more information on the genome structure of alkaloid-producing plants with large and complex genomes, for genome-wide characterization. Based on the latest information, we discuss the application of transcription factors in alkaloid engineering.

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Functional characterization of two bZIP transcription factors in Verticillium dahliae

Gene ◽

10.1016/j.gene.2017.05.061 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 626 ◽

pp. 386-394 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Yulin Fang ◽

Dianguang Xiong ◽

Longyan Tian ◽

Chen Tang ◽

Yonglin Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factors ◽

Verticillium Dahliae ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Bzip Transcription Factors

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Characterization of novel regulators for heat stress tolerance in tomato from Indian sub-continent

10.1101/800607 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sonia Balyan ◽

Sombir Rao ◽

Sarita Jha ◽

Chandni Bansal ◽

Jaishri Rubina Das ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factors ◽

Heat Stress ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Transcriptome Profiling ◽

Negative Regulator ◽

Comparative Transcriptome ◽

Regulatory Pathways ◽

Cool Region ◽

Promoter Swapping

AbstractThe footprint of tomato cultivation, a cool region crop that exhibits heat stress (HS) sensitivity, is increasing in the tropics/sub-tropics. Knowledge of novel regulatory hot-spots from varieties growing in the Indian sub-continent climatic zones could be vital for developing HS-resilient crops. Comparative transcriptome-wide signatures of a tolerant (CLN1621L) and sensitive (CA4) cultivar-pair short-listed from a pool of varieties exhibiting variable thermo-sensitivity using physiological, survival and yield-related traits revealed redundant to cultivar-specific HS-regulation with more up-regulated genes for CLN1621L than CA4. The anatgonisiticly-expressing genes include enzymes; have roles in plant defense and response to different abiotic stresses. Functional characterization of three antagonistic genes by overexpression and TRV-VIGS silencing established Solyc09g014280 (Acylsugar acyltransferase) and Solyc07g056570 (Notabilis), that are up-regulated in tolerant cultivar, as positive regulators of HS-tolerance and Solyc03g020030 (Pin-II proteinase inhibitor), that is down-regulated in CLN1621L, as negative regulator of thermotolerance. Transcriptional assessment of promoters of these genes by SNPs in stress-responsive cis-elements and promoter swapping experiments in opposite cultivar background showed inherent cultivar-specific orchestration of transcription factors in regulating transcription. Moreover, overexpression of three ethylene response transcription factors (ERF.C1/F4/F5) also improved HS-tolerance in tomato. This study identifies several novel HS-tolerance genes and provides proof of their utility in tomato-thermotolerance.HighlightNovel heat stress regulatory pathways uncovered by comparative transcriptome profiling between contrasting tomato cultivars from Indian sub-continent for improving thermotolerance. (20/30)

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Transcription factors–DNA interactions in rice: identification and verification

Briefings in Bioinformatics ◽

10.1093/bib/bbz045 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 946-956 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Zijie Shen ◽

Yuan Lin ◽

Quan Zou

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factors ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Rice Genome ◽

Research Strategies ◽

Promoter Regions ◽

Rice Varieties ◽

Rice Genome Sequence ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Genomics Research

Abstract The completion of the rice genome sequence paved the way for rice functional genomics research. Additionally, the functional characterization of transcription factors is currently a popular and crucial objective among researchers. Transcription factors are one of the groups of proteins that bind to either enhancer or promoter regions of genes to regulate expression. On the basis of several typical examples of transcription factor analyses, we herein summarize selected research strategies and methods and introduce their advantages and disadvantages. This review may provide some theoretical and technical guidelines for future investigations of transcription factors, which may be helpful to develop new rice varieties with ideal traits.

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Functional characterization of three flavonoid glycosyltransferases from Andrographis paniculata

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.190150 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (6) ◽

pp. 190150 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Yuan Li ◽

Xin-Lin Li ◽

Chang-Jiang-Sheng Lai ◽

Rui-Shan Wang ◽

Li-Ping Kang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Characterization ◽

Biochemical Properties ◽

Flavonoid Glycoside ◽

Andrographis Paniculata ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Flavonoid Glycosides ◽

Asian Countries ◽

Pharmacological Activities ◽

Different Types

Andrographis paniculata is an important traditional medicinal herb in South and Southeast Asian countries with diverse pharmacological activities that contains various flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides. Glycosylation can transform aglycones into more stable, biologically active and structurally diverse glycosides. Here, we report three glycosyltransferases from the leaves of A. paniculata (ApUFGTs) that presented wide substrate spectra for flavonoid glycosylation and exhibited multi-site glycosylation on the substrate molecules. They acted on the 7-OH position of the A ring and were able to glycosylate several other different types of compounds. The biochemical properties and phylogenetic analysis of these glycosyltransferases were also investigated. This study provides a basis for further research on the cloning of genes involved in glycosylation from A. paniculata and offers opportunities for enhancing flavonoid glycoside production in heterologous hosts. These enzymes are expected to become effective tools for drug discovery and for the biosynthesis of derivatives via flavonoid glycosylation.

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Functional characterization of human Kindlin-2 core promoter identifies a key role of SP1 in Kindlin-2 transcriptional regulation

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters ◽

10.2478/s11658-011-0028-6 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ammad Khan ◽

Takashi Shimokawa ◽

Staffan Strömblad ◽

Hongquan Zhang

Keyword(s):

Transcriptional Regulation ◽

Core Promoter ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Ph Domain ◽

Interacting Protein ◽

Normal Tissues ◽

Functional Aspects

AbstractKindlin-2 is a recently identified FERM and PH domain containing integrin interacting protein. Kindlin-2 is ubiquitously expressed in normal tissues. So far, much effort has been spent exploring the functional aspects of Kindlin-2. However, the transcriptional regulation of Kindlin-2 has not yet been investigated. In this study we identified and functionally characterized the promoter of the human Kindlin-2 gene. We show that the core promoter of Kindlin-2 is a 39 base pair long GC rich fragment located −122/-83 upstream of the Kindlin-2 transcription start site. Functional characterization of this core promoter region by both in silico as well as in vitro/in vivo analysis shows that the transcription factor SP1 plays an important role in regulation of Kindlin-2 expression.

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Isolation and functional characterization of Spirulina D6D gene promoter: Role of a putative GntR transcription factor in transcriptional regulation of D6D gene expression

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications ◽

10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.11.018 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 365 (4) ◽

pp. 643-649 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Sanjukta Subudhi ◽

Pavinee Kurdrid ◽

Apiradee Hongsthong ◽

Matura Sirijuntarut ◽

Supapon Cheevadhanarak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Transcription Factor ◽

Transcriptional Regulation ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Gene Promoter

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Functional characterization of Arabidopsis NaCl-inducible WRKY25 and WRKY33 transcription factors in abiotic stresses

Plant Molecular Biology ◽

10.1007/s11103-008-9408-3 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 69 (1-2) ◽

pp. 91-105 ◽

Cited By ~ 323

Author(s):

Yuanqing Jiang ◽

Michael K. Deyholos

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factors ◽

Abiotic Stresses ◽

Functional Characterization

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Functional characterization of secondary wall deposition regulating transcription factors MusaVND2 and MusaVND3 in transgenic banana plants

PROTOPLASMA ◽

10.1007/s00709-015-0822-5 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 253 (2) ◽

pp. 431-446 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Sanjana Negi ◽

Himanshu Tak ◽

T. R. Ganapathi

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factors ◽

Secondary Wall ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Wall Deposition ◽

Secondary Wall Deposition ◽

Transgenic Banana

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Defining the human C2H2 zinc finger degrome targeted by thalidomide analogs through CRBN

Science ◽

10.1126/science.aat0572 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 362 (6414) ◽

pp. eaat0572 ◽

Cited By ~ 87

Author(s):

Quinlan L. Sievers ◽

Georg Petzold ◽

Richard D. Bunker ◽

Aline Renneville ◽

Mikołaj Słabicki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factors ◽

Small Molecules ◽

Zinc Finger ◽

Ubiquitin Ligase ◽

Biochemical Analysis ◽

Zinc Fingers ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

C2h2 Zinc Finger

The small molecules thalidomide, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide induce the ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of the transcription factors Ikaros (IKZF1) and Aiolos (IKZF3) by recruiting a Cys2-His2 (C2H2) zinc finger domain to Cereblon (CRBN), the substrate receptor of the CRL4CRBN E3 ubiquitin ligase. We screened the human C2H2 zinc finger proteome for degradation in the presence of thalidomide analogs, identifying 11 zinc finger degrons. Structural and functional characterization of the C2H2 zinc finger degrons demonstrates how diverse zinc finger domains bind the permissive drug-CRBN interface. Computational zinc finger docking and biochemical analysis predict that more than 150 zinc fingers bind the drug-CRBN complex in vitro, and we show that selective zinc finger degradation can be achieved through compound modifications. Our results provide a rationale for therapeutically targeting transcription factors that were previously considered undruggable.

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