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Molecular cloning and characterization of two manganese superoxide dismutases from Miscanthus × giganteus

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Six MnSOD genes were isolated from five Miscanthus species. MgMnSOD1 functions in mitochondria and MgMnSOD1 seems to be the main MnSOD gene involved in stress response of M. × giganteus.

Abstract

Miscanthus × giganteus is a promising biomass energy crop with advantages of vigorous growth, high yield, low fertilizer and pesticide inputs. However, poor overwinter ability limits its widespread cultivation. Moreover, narrow genetic base may increase the risk of susceptibility to diseases and pests. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), an important antioxidant enzyme involved in stress tolerance is able to protect plant cells from accumulated reactive oxygen species by converting superoxide to peroxide and oxygen. In many plants, overexpression of MnSOD has shown the ability to enhance the resistance to various stresses. This article describes the studies performed in an attempt to elucidate the molecular and enzymatic properties of MnSODs in M. × giganteus. MnSOD genes from M. × giganteus (MgMnSOD1, MgMnSOD2), M. lutarioriparia (MlMnSOD), M. sacchariflora (MsaMnSOD), M. sinensis (MsiMnSOD), and M. floridulus (MfMnSOD) were cloned and sequenced. The sequence analysis and expression patterns of MgMnSOD1 and MgMnSOD2 suggest that they were orthologous genes which were inherited from the two parents, M. sacchariflora and M. sinensis, respectively. In addition, MgMnSOD1 is predicted to be the main MnSOD gene involved in stress response of M. × giganteus. The activity of purified recombinant MgMnSOD1 was 1854.79 ± 39.98 U mg−1 (mean ± SD). Further enzymatic assays revealed that the protein exhibited an outstanding thermal stability. MgMnSOD1 is predicted to be targeted to mitochondria and involved in removing the superoxide radical generated by respiration. The presence and sequences of other SOD isozymes transcripts were also investigated in this study.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Professor Juying Wu for generously providing the M. × giganteus rhizomes. This research was financially supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program (863 Program, Project No. 2012AA101801).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China

    Xiaofei Zeng, Neng Cheng, Xingfei Zheng, Ying Diao, Gen Fang, Fasong Zhou & Zhongli Hu

  2. School of Science, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China

    Surong Jin

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  1. Xiaofei Zeng
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  2. Neng Cheng
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Communicated by K. K. Kamo.

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Zeng, X., Cheng, N., Zheng, X. et al. Molecular cloning and characterization of two manganese superoxide dismutases from Miscanthus × giganteus . Plant Cell Rep 34, 2137–2149 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-015-1857-y

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