Genomic distribution and context dependent functionality of novel WRKY transcription factor binding sites.

Background: The WT-boxes NGACTTTN are novel microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP)-responsive cis-regulatory sequences. Many of them are uncommon WRKY transcription factor (TF) binding sites.

Results: To understand their functional relevance, a genomic distribution analysis of the 16 possible WT-boxes and a functional analysis of a WT-box rich promoter was done.

A strong NF-κB p65 responsive cis-regulatory sequence from Arabidopsis thaliana interacts with WRKY40.

Transcription factors from mammals and plants, which play a role in innate immunity, interact with the same microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP)-responsive sequences from Arabidopsis thaliana. The interaction of mouse NF-κB p65 with MAMP-responsive sequences containing the core motif GACTTT of the WT-box was investigated. This revealed one sequence, derived from the promoter of the A.