NAC Transcription Factor ANAC032 Negatively Regulates Abscisic Acid and Sugar Responses

Abstract

This study investigates the role of the NAC transcription factor ANAC032 in regulating abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent stress responses and its involvement in sugar signaling pathways. Arabidopsis seedlings with overexpressed or knock-out ANAC032 were examined for their sensitivity to ABA, glucose, and fluridone to elucidate the functional role of ANAC032 in ABA and high glucose-mediated growth retardation. Our results showed that ANAC032 negatively regulates ABA responses, as ANAC-overexpressing plants exhibited higher ABA sensitivity, while anac032 mutants were less sensitive. Under high glucose conditions, anac032 mutants demonstrated hyposensitivity, with germination rates higher than wild-type and ANAC032-overexpressing plants. Additionally, yeast two-hybrid screening identified three NAC proteins, ANAC020, ANAC064, and ANAC074, interact with ANAC032. These findings highlight ANAC032’s role in stress signaling pathways and its potential interactions with other NAC proteins, contributing to a better understanding of transcriptional regulation in plant stress responses and possibly expanding to forage crop development.