Prokaryotic Expression and Subcellular Localization Analysis of HRD Transcription Factor Gene in Gossypium hirsutum L.

[Objective] The members of AP2/ERF gene family play an important role in plant growth and stress, and the GhHRD gene is a member of this family. The purpose of our search was to study the function of GhHRD in upland cotton. [Method] The GhHRD gene was cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technology and its structure and function were predicted by bioinformatics methods, prokaryotic expression, subcellular localization and yeast hybridization analysis. [Result] The Open read frame of GhHRD gene was 555 bp, encoding 184 amino acids, with relative molecular mass 19.539 kDa, isoelectric point 5, and a typical AP2/ERF conservative domain. The prokaryotic expression analysis showed that expression of pET-28(＋)-GhHRD could be efficiently induced under the condition of 37 ℃ and 1 mmol·L^－1 IPTG. The recombinant protein GhHRD-GFP is sublocated in the nucleus and has obvious transcriptional self-activation characteristics. [Conclusion] It is speculated that GhHRD may be involved in response to stress responses in cotton. The results laid a foundation for further exploration of DNA binding sites and transcriptional regulatory networks.