A new member of the Arabidopsis WRKY transcription factor family, AtWRKY6, is associated with both senescence- and defence-related processes.

WRKY proteins constitute a large family of plant-specific transcription factors whose precise functions have yet to be elucidated. Here we show that expression of one representative in Arabidopsis, AtWRKY6, is influenced by several external and internal signals often involved in triggering senescence processes and plant defence responses. Progressive 5' deletions of the AtWRKY6 promoter allowed separation of defined regions responsible for the expression in distinct organs or upon pathogen challenge. Nuclear localization of AtWRKY6 was demonstrated; protein truncations and gain-of-function studies enabled delineation of a region harbouring a novel type of functional nuclear localization signal (NLS).