LAUSR

TAF9 is one of the TATA-binding protein-associated factors (TAFs) that constitute the TFIID complex. We isolated a plant TAF9 ortholog from the Chimonanthus praecox (L.) Link cDNA library and named it CpTAF9. The CpTAF9 protein contained the conserved TAF9 and H2A superfamily domain, which is highly conserved among the TAF9s of other organisms. It also showed a specific tissue expression pattern that the transcript level of CpTAF9 was higher in mature leaves than in other tissues. In addition, CpTAF9 expression in wintersweet leaves could be induced by treatment with salt or high temperatures, or by exogenous abscisic acid application. Overexpression of CpTAF9 in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. under the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter improved salt and high-temperature stress tolerance to some extent. These results demonstrated that CpTAF9 may have a role in gene regulation associated with salt and heat stress responses in wintersweet, providing a foundation for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms that underlined TAF-mediated control of the stress response processes in plant.