Huifang Li: Plant Physiology First Author

Huifang Li, co-first author of “The auxin response factor TaARF15-A1 negatively regulates senescence in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)”

Current Position: Job hunting

Education Background: 2012.09-2016.06 Henan Agricultural University (Bachelor)

2016.09-       Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Ph.D. Candidate)

Non-scientific Interests: Table tennis, badminton, climbing

Brief bio:

In 2016, I entered the Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and began my postgraduate study under the supervision of Professor Xueyong Zhang. I mainly focused on the functional verification and genetic analysis of the hormone related gene TaARF15-A1 and yield associated genes TaDA1 and TaGS3. The research results were published in Plant Physiology (co-first author), Plant Biotechnology Journal (co-first author) and The Crop Journal (co-first author).

In this study, auxin response factor TaARF15-A1 was identified as a negative regulator of senescence in common wheat. Both TaARF15-A1 and TaMYC2 could bind to the adjacent promoter regions of TaNAM-1, and the binding of TaARF15-A1 may block the DNA binding sites of TaMYC2 to TaNAM-1. What’s more, TaARF15-A1 physically interacted with TaMYC2, and the heterodimerization may weaken the TaMYC2 protein activity or interfere with its binding affinity. Thus, the effects of TaMYC2 on enhancing TaNAM-1 transcription were abolished by TaARF15-A1 even if TaARF15-A1 did not affect the TaNAM-1 transcription individually. These findings provide another one perspective on the crosstalk between the auxin and JA signaling pathways. Moreover, they provide additional evidence for antagonistic effects among TFs in regulating plant senescence.

李慧芳、柳洪 | Plant Physiology 第一作者

论文：Auxin response factor TaARF15-A1 negatively regulates senescence in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

姓    名：李慧芳

目前职位：求职中

教育背景：2012.09至2016.06，河南农业大学，农学学士；2016.09至今，中国农业科学院作物科学研究所，硕、博连读。

兴趣爱好：乒乓球、羽毛球、爬山

个人简介：

我于2016年进入中国农业科学院作物科学研究所张学勇研究员团队开始研究生的学习，主要开展激素相关基因TaARF15-A1，产量相关基因TaDA1和TaGS3的功能验证及遗传解析工作。研究结果发表于Plant Physiology、Plant Biotechnology Journal（共一排第二）和The Crop Journal（共一排第二）。

本研究发现，生长素响应因子TaARF15-A1负调控小麦衰老。TaARF15-A1和TaMYC2均结合到TaNAM-1邻近的启动子区域，而TaARF15-A1的结合可能会阻碍TaMYC2与TaNAM-1启动子上顺式作用元件的结合。且TaARF15-A1和TaMYC2存在蛋白-蛋白互作，这种异源二聚化的形成可能降低TaMYC2蛋白活性或干扰其与TaNAM-1的结合亲和力。因此，即使TaARF15-A1单独不影响TaNAM-1的转录，TaARF15-A1也可以通过与TaMYC2互作以及竞争结合同一个基因启动子序列上的相近位点间接抑制TaNAM-1的表达来参与小麦衰老的调控。这些发现为生长素和JA信号途径之间的交叉调控提供了另一个视角，也为转录因子之间在调节植物衰老中的拮抗作用提供了额外的证据。