Plant nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) B subunits confer drought tolerance and lead to improved corn yields on water-limited acres

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 104; no. 42; pp. 16450 - 16455
• Main Authors: Nelson, Donald E, Repetti, Peter P, Adams, Tom R, Creelman, Robert A, Wu, Jingrui, Warner, David C, Anstrom, Don C, Bensen, Robert J, Castiglioni, Paolo P, Donnarummo, Meghan G, Hinchey, Brendan S, Kumimoto, Roderick W, Maszle, Don R, Canales, Roger D, Krolikowski, Katherine A, Dotson, Stanton B, Gutterson, Neal, Ratcliffe, Oliver J, Heard, Jacqueline E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 16-10-2007; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Agricultural biotechnology; Agronomy; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - physiology; Arabidopsis thaliana; AtNF-YB1 gene; Biological Sciences; CCAAT-Binding Factor - genetics; CCAAT-Binding Factor - physiology; chlorophyll; Corn; Crop production; Crop yield; Dehydration; Disasters; Drought; Drought resistance; Drought tolerance; gene expression; Genes; Genomics; Geometric lines; grain yield; leaves; messenger RNA; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Photosynthesis; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - physiology; Plants; Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified - growth & development; Protein Subunits - genetics; Protein Subunits - physiology; Stomatal conductance; temperature; Transcription factors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - physiology; Transgenic plants; Water; water stress; Wilting; Zea mays; Zea mays - genetics; Zea mays - growth & development
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0707193104

Commercially improved crop performance under drought conditions has been challenging because of the complexity of the trait and the multitude of factors that influence yield. Here we report the results of a functional genomics approach that identified a transcription factor from the nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) family, AtNF-YB1, which acts through a previously undescribed mechanism to confer improved performance in Arabidopsis under drought conditions. An orthologous maize transcription factor, ZmNF-YB2, is shown to have an equivalent activity. Under water-limited conditions, transgenic maize plants with increased ZmNF-YB2 expression show tolerance to drought based on the responses of a number of stress-related parameters, including chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, reduced wilting, and maintenance of photosynthesis. These stress adaptations contribute to a grain yield advantage to maize under water-limited environments. The application of this technology has the potential to significantly impact maize production systems that experience drought.