| Aspect | Key details | Evidence type | Key citation IDs | Publication year | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity | **Arabidopsis thaliana** DREB2A, gene **AT5G05410**, UniProt **O82132**; AP2/ERF-family transcription factor functioning in drought and heat stress responses; literature cited here matches the Arabidopsis locus/protein context rather than similarly named orthologs in other species. | Review + primary | (pqac-00000000, pqac-00000001, pqac-00000007) | 2013, 2024, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457; https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16612; https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0236 |
| Domain | Contains the conserved **AP2/ERF DNA-binding domain** and a central **negative regulatory domain (NRD)** of ~30 aa, rich in Ser/Thr and described as PEST-like/predicted instability region; NRD deletion yields constitutively active **DREB2A CA**. | Review + primary | (pqac-00000000, pqac-00000001, pqac-00000006, pqac-00000008) | 2013, 2015, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457; https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0236 |
| Function | Master stress-response TF in largely **ABA-independent** signaling, but integrated with ABA-responsive transcriptional control; induces dehydration- and heat-responsive gene expression and is required for appropriate transcriptional output under water deficit and high temperature. | Review + primary | (pqac-00000000, pqac-00000001, pqac-00000005, pqac-00000007) | 2013, 2024, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457; https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16612; https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0236 |
| Localization | Predominantly **nuclear** for active function; DREB2A has **two redundantly acting NLSs** in the N-terminus. Deleting both NLSs causes cytosolic localization, increased stability, and near-loss of transactivation, indicating that normal degradation and function are nucleus-linked. | Primary | (pqac-00000002, pqac-00000003, pqac-00000018) | 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457 |
| DNA motif | Binds the **DRE/CRT** cis-element; recent synthesis highlights a promoter preference centered on **ACCGAC** for DREB2A, helping explain target selectivity relative to DREB1 proteins. Earlier primary work also cites recognition of **A/GCCGAC** DRE/CRT motifs. | Review + primary | (pqac-00000000, pqac-00000001, pqac-00000006, pqac-00000008) | 2013, 2015, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457; https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0236 |
| Upstream transcriptional regulation | Under non-stress conditions, **GRF7** represses DREB2A via **TGTCAGG** in the promoter. During drought, expression is induced through **ABA-dependent and ABA-independent** inputs, with **ABRE/CE3-related** promoter control implicated. During heat, **HSFA1s** and **MBF1C** activate DREB2A through **HSE**, **CTAGA**, and ABRE-linked promoter regulation. | Review | (pqac-00000007, pqac-00000009) | 2024 | https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16612 |
| Post-translational regulation | Multi-layered control: **DRIP1/DRIP2** RING E3 ligases target DREB2A for **26S proteasome** degradation; **BPM proteins** act as **CUL3 substrate adaptors** binding the NRD to promote turnover; **SUMOylation near the NRD during heat** reduces BPM interaction and stabilizes DREB2A; the NRD is highly phosphorylated under non-stress conditions, with **CK1** proposed as a kinase affecting BPM2 interaction; heat/dehydration stabilize the protein but additional activation is needed. | Review + primary | (pqac-00000000, pqac-00000001, pqac-00000003, pqac-00000004, pqac-00000008, pqac-00000010, pqac-00000011) | 2013, 2024, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457; https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16612; https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0236 |
| Quantitative mechanistic findings | Heat caused **rapid DREB2A accumulation within 1–2 h** followed by decline; dehydration caused gradual accumulation. **MG132 almost completely inhibited degradation** in cell assays. **DREB2A CA** showed about **2×** higher reporter transactivation than full-length DREB2A. Double NLS mutant accumulated strongly in cytosol and had activity near vector control. | Primary | (pqac-00000003, pqac-00000016, pqac-00000017, pqac-00000018) | 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457 |
| Two-step model | Current mechanistic model: **stabilization is required but not sufficient**. Stress first stabilizes DREB2A (reduced proteasomal turnover), then a second activation step—likely involving PTMs and/or cofactor interactions—enables target-gene induction. Proteasome inhibitors can accumulate DREB2A without activating downstream genes under normal conditions. | Primary + review | (pqac-00000001, pqac-00000004, pqac-00000017) | 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457 |
| Downstream targets | Activates **HSFA3** as a well-supported heat-response target and induces broader dehydration/heat-response programs including **LEA genes**, **heat-shock protein genes**, and other stress-inducible loci; NF-YC10/DPB3-1 helps activate heat-inducible DREB2A targets. | Review + primary | (pqac-00000000, pqac-00000004, pqac-00000007, pqac-00000008, pqac-00000010) | 2013, 2024, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457; https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16612; https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0236 |
| Interacting regulators/cofactors | Physical/functional interactors include **RCD1**, **MED25**, and **NF-Y** subunits; these modulate DREB2A activity, conformation, stability, or target selectivity. MED25 has been reported to inhibit DNA binding in later mechanistic syntheses, while NF-YC10 promotes activation of heat-inducible targets. | Review + primary | (pqac-00000004, pqac-00000005, pqac-00000008, pqac-00000010, pqac-00000011) | 2013, 2024, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080457; https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16612; https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0236 |
| Applications | DREB2A is widely treated as a **crop-engineering hub** for improving drought/heat resilience; recent authoritative reviews highlight Arabidopsis DREB2A network knowledge as a basis for stress-tolerance breeding and genome engineering, while cautioning that constitutive activation can require careful tuning to avoid growth penalties. | Review | (pqac-00000007, pqac-00000008) | 2024, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16612; https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0236 |


*Table: This table summarizes the verified identity, molecular function, localization, regulatory mechanisms, and translational relevance of Arabidopsis thaliana DREB2A (AT5G05410/O82132). It highlights the most important experimentally supported and review-synthesized findings, including NRD-dependent control, DNA-binding specificity, and key upstream and downstream regulatory connections.*