Stabilization of Arabidopsis DREB2A is required but not sufficient for the induction of target genes under conditions of stress

The Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT-BINDING PROTEIN2A (DREB2A) controls the expression of many genes involved in the plant's response to dehydration and heat stress. Despite the significance of post-translational regulation in DREB2A activation, the mechanism underlying this activation remains unclear. Here, with the aid of a newly produced antibody against DREB2A, we characterized the regulation of DREB2A stability in plants exposed to stress stimuli. Endogenous DREB2A accumulated in wild-type Arabidopsis plants subjected to dehydration and heat stress. A degradation assay using Arabidopsis T87 suspension-cultured cells revealed that DREB2A protein degradation was inhibited at high temperatures. The proteasome-dependent degradation of DREB2A required the import of this protein into the nucleus. The E3 ligases DRIP1 and DRIP2 were involved in this process under both normal and stressful conditions; however, other E3 ligases may have also been involved, at least during the late stages of the heat stress response. Although the constitutive expression of DREB2A resulted in an overproduction of DREB2A and enhanced target gene induction during stress in transgenic plants, the accumulation of DREB2A caused by proteasome inhibitors did not induce target gene expression. Thus, the stabilization of DREB2A is important but not sufficient to induce target gene expression; further activation processes are required.