Computational predictions of common transcription factor binding sites on the genes of proline metabolism in plants

Proline, an imino acid, has been well documented to be associated with the stress response induced by abiotic factors such as drought, cold and salinity in plants and biotic factors such as bacterial and fungal attacks. However, the regulatory mechanisms controlling proline metabolism, intercellular and intracellular transport and connections of proline to other metabolic pathways are poorly understood. F-MATCH analysis combined with composite module analysis (CMA) revealed that the binding sites matching matrices for O2 and OCSBF-1 were overrepresented in the promoters of differentially expressed proline metabolism genes. The presence of MYBAS1 consensus binding sites occurring in combination with O2 and OCSBF1 in the promoters of genes of proline biosynthesis pathway and SBF1 and GT1 consensus binding sites occurring in combination with O2 and OCSBF1 in the promoters of proline catabolic pathway genes suggest their involvement in modulation of proline metabolism and its accumulation in plants.