Arabidopsis transcription factor ANAC017 is a necessary and central control point for normal transcriptome changes in response to reactive oxygen signals, such as H2O2, and specific mitochondrial retrograde stress signals

Stresses that target mitochondrial function lead to altered transcriptional responses for 100-1000s of genes genome wide, and are signalled via retrograde communication pathways within the cell. rao2 mutants contain a mutation in the NAC family transcription factor ANAC017 and cannot induce stress responsive genes (such as the mitochondrial alternative oxidase 1a) in response to mitochondrial dysfunction. We sought to define the global gene network regulated through RAO2 function in response to mitochondrial stress (mimicked through treatment of plants with antimycin A - a specific inhibitor of complex III in the mitochondrial electron transfer chain), and non-specific stress signals such as hydrogen peroxide. We have defined global stress responses that are positively and negatively mediated by RAO2 function, and show that greater than 80% of transcripts that are differentially regulated under H2O2 stress require proper functioning of ANAC017 for a normal stress responses.

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Ng S, Ivanova A, Duncan O, Law SR, Van Aken O, De Clercq I, Wang Y, Carrie C, Xu L, Kmiec B, Walker H, Van Breusegem F, Whelan J, Giraud E