Abstract:

In order to identify the role of plant-specific NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) transcription factors in the growth and development, stress responses and hormone regulation of Hevea brasiliensis, the HbNAC1 gene was cloned and analyzed. The sequence of HbNAC1 was cloned from cDNA using RACE-PCR based on the EST sequence isolated from the cDNA library of Hevea brasiliensis latex. Bioinformatics analysis showed that HbNAC1 has an open reading frame (ORF) of 891 bp, encoding a neutral, unstable, water-soluble protein with 296 amino acids. The HbNAC1 protein with a conserved NAC domain in the N-terminus and highly divergent C-terminus had the basic characteristics of the NAC transcription factors. It was predicted to locate in the nucleus and contain three glycosylation sites and twenty-one phosphorylation sites. The tertiary structure of HbNAC1 was predicted to be consisted of three α-helices and nine β-sheets. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed that HbNAC1 was a member of NAC transcription factor family belonging to ANAC011 subgroup, and proposed to participate in regulation of plant immunity response as a specific enzyme related to amino-acid biosynthesis.