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Heterologous expression of three Camellia sinensis small heat shock protein genes confers temperature stress tolerance in yeast and Arabidopsis thaliana

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Abstract

Key message

CsHSP17.7, CsHSP18.1, and CsHSP21.8 expressions are induced by heat and cold stresses, and CsHSP overexpression confers tolerance to heat and cold stresses in transgenic Pichia pastoris and Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abstract

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are crucial for protecting plants against biotic and abiotic stresses, especially heat stress. However, knowledge concerning the functions of Camellia sinensis sHSP in heat and cold stresses remains poorly understood. In this study, three C. sinensis sHSP genes (i.e., CsHSP17.7, CsHSP18.1, and CsHSP21.8) were isolated and characterized using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) technology. The CsHSPs expression levels in C. sinensis leaves were significantly up-regulated by heat and cold stresses. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that CsHSP17.7, CsHSP18.1, and CsHSP21.8 belong to sHSP Classes I, II, and IV, respectively. Heterologous expression of the three CsHSP genes in Pichia pastoris cells enhanced heat and cold stress tolerance. When exposed to heat and cold treatments, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing CsHSP17.7, CsHSP18.1, and CsHSP21.8 had lower malondialdehyde contents, ion leakage, higher proline contents, and transcript levels of stress-related genes (e.g., AtPOD, AtAPX1, AtP5CS2, and AtProT1) compared with the control line. In addition, improved seed germination vigor was also observed in the CsHSP-overexpressing seeds under heat stress. Taken together, our results suggest that the three identified CsHSP genes play key roles in heat and cold tolerance.

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Abbreviations

DEG:

Differentially expressed gene

EGFP:

Enhanced green fluorescent protein

HSP:

Heat shock protein

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

ORF:

Open reading frame

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

RACE:

Rapid amplification of cDNA ends

sHSP:

Small heat shock protein

SSH:

Suppression subtractive hybridization

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31570689, 31470690) and the China Earmarked Fund for Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System (CARS-23).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tea Research Institute, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Mingle Wang, Qinghui Li, Huahong Xin, Xujun Zhu & Xinghui Li

  2. Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    Zhongwei Zou

  3. Department of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Xuan Chen

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  1. Mingle Wang
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  2. Zhongwei Zou
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  3. Qinghui Li
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  4. Huahong Xin
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  6. Xuan Chen
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  7. Xinghui Li
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Correspondence to Xuan Chen or Xinghui Li.

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Communicated by Emmanuel Guiderdoni.

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Wang, M., Zou, Z., Li, Q. et al. Heterologous expression of three Camellia sinensis small heat shock protein genes confers temperature stress tolerance in yeast and Arabidopsis thaliana . Plant Cell Rep 36, 1125–1135 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-017-2143-y

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