ABRE

ABRE, short for ABA-responsive element, is a cis-acting regulatory motif found in the promoters of many plant genes. It mediates transcriptional activation in response to the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and plays a central role in plant responses to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and cold, as well as in seed maturation and dormancy programs. The motif typically contains a core ACGT sequence, and many ABREs function together with coupling elements (CEs) to confer stronger or more tissue-specific ABA responsiveness.

ABREs recruit basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors, notably the AREB/ABF family and ABI5, which bind ABRE motifs to induce ABA-responsive gene expression. The activity of ABREs is often modulated by their combination with other cis-elements, such as G-boxes, allowing fine-tuned regulatory responses depending on developmental stage and environmental conditions.

Applications of ABREs include promoter analysis and promoter engineering. Researchers use ABRE-containing promoters or synthetic promoters with multiple ABREs to drive ABA- or stress-inducible expression in plants, aiming to study stress tolerance mechanisms or enhance crop resilience through transgenic approaches.

Note: in everyday language, “abre” is a form of the Spanish verb abrir meaning “you open,” which is unrelated to the ABA-responsive element described above. The term ABRE in biology refers specifically to the ABA-responsive element.