The study aims to detect the subcellular localization of ERF (ethylene-responsive element binding factor) transcription factor W17 protein, the interaction between W17 and cis-acting regulatory elements GCC-box and DRE in vitro, the binding and transactivating ability in vivo, and the role of W17 in higher plant stress-signal pathway. Recombinant plasmid W17/163hGFP was introduced into onion epidermal cells by the particle bombardment method with a PDS1000/He. Transformed cells were incubated for 24 h at 22°C in the dark and green fluorescence was monitored under a confocal microscope. The gene W17 was fused N-terminus of GST (glutathione-S-transferase) in prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-4T-1 and then transformed into E. coli strain BL21 (DE3). IPTG (0.5 mmol L-1) was added to induce the expression of recombinant GST/W17 for 3 h. The fused proteins were purified by GST purification columns, and then subjected to gel retardation assay with a 32P-labeled GCC or DRE sequence. The different reporter and effector plasmids were introduced into tobacco leaves through agroinfiltration, then transformed leaves stained by X-Gluc, faded with 75% alcohol and monitored under a Stereozooming microscope. The GFP fused with W17 protein was localized in the nuclei; SDS-PAGE assay demonstrated that the fused protein GST/W17 could be induced and purified with molecular weight at around 42.2 kD under the induction of IPTG. Purified fused protein was able to specifically bind to both the wild-type GCC-box and DRE element, but had no interaction with either the mutant DRE or GCC-box; W17 protein can bind to GCC-box and transactive downstream GUS gene in vivo. W17 can localize into the nuclei, and it may be involved not only in biotic stresses controlled by GCC-box, but also in abiotic stresses (e.g., salt-) induced signaling pathway.
