NAC转录因子在调控植物生长发育和逆境胁迫应答过程中发挥重要的作用，而乙烯是调控跃变型果实番茄成熟衰老的重要因子，前期研究发现沉默NAC基因番茄果实乙烯合成和信号传导相关基因表达模式受到显著影响，其分子作用机制尚不清楚。项目通过染色质免疫共沉淀、凝胶阻滞、酵母双杂交、BiFC以及pull-down等实验方法，鉴定NAC直接调控的靶基因和这些基因的启动子序列，初步从体内和体外，在蛋白-DNA层面分析NAC与乙烯合成信号传导相关基因（LeACS2/LeACS4等）的关系，解析NAC转录因子与乙烯在番茄果实成熟衰老代谢中的协调关系，为进一步阐明NAC转录因子在调控番茄果实成熟衰老的代谢网络中的作用提供新的理论支撑。

NAC transcription factors play important roles in plant development and resistance. While ethylene is an important conditioning factor in the ripening and senescence of tomato (climacteric fruit). Basic our research results, silencing NAC genes significantly affects ethylene synthesis and the expression of signal transduction related genes, yet its molecular mechanism remains unclear now. By experimental methods such as chromatin immuno coprecipitation(ChIP), gel retardation assay, yeast two-hybrid system, BiFC and pull-down, the project determines the interaction between NAC and signal transduction related genes in ethylene synthesis (LeACS2/LeACS4 /LeETRs/LeCTRs/ LeEIN2/LeEILs/ LeERFs) in two aspects of protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions in vivo or vitro. The destination is to find the target gene and promoter sequence of NAC, determine the interactions between NAC and RIN proteins, analyze the coordinating relations between NAC transcription factors and ethylene in metabolism in tomato fruit ripening and senescence, and establish transcriptional regulatory network based on ethylene-NAC-RIN, thus providing new theoretical support for illuminating roles of different transcription factors and proteins interactions in the regulatory network of tomato ripening and senescence.