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Over-expression of a C3H-type zinc finger gene contributes to salt stress tolerance in transgenic broccoli plants

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Abstract

C3H-type zinc finger proteins play important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. A C3H-type zinc finger gene, designated BoC3H, was isolated from broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica). The complete coding sequence of BoC3H was 1074 bp in length, encoding 357 amino acids with two CCCH motifs of C-X7-C-X5-C-X3-H and C-X5-C-X4-C-X3-H. The transcripts of BoC3H were profoundly induced by NaCl, and the highest expression level was observed at 18 h after treatment. Four broccoli lines over-expressing the BoC3H gene were obtained, and they exhibited higher germination rates, dry weight and chlorophyll content in response to salt stress as compared to those of wild type plants. Over-expression of BoC3H significantly decreased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) level, relative electrical conductivity (REC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, but dramatically increased free proline content, catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase enzyme activities, resulting in less cell death in the leaves of transgenic plants. Taken together, our results suggest that BoC3H is likely to contribute to salt stress tolerance by regulating H2O2, REC, free proline, MDA and antioxidant enzyme levels in broccoli.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from Public Welfare Technology Research Projects of Zhejiang Province (2016C32091), Taizhou Science and Technology Project (162ny14), Young and Middle-aged Leading Academic Pacemaker Project in Universities of Zhejiang Province (pd2013420), Ecology Key Disciplines of Zhejiang Province in Taizhou University (EKD 2013-03), Shenzhen Overseas Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Funding Scheme (The Peacock Scheme), Shenzhen Vegetable Molecular Biotechnological Engineering Lab Scheme (Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipal Government), and the Natural Science Foundation of China (31301790), Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (S2013040016220).

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MJ and J-JJ conceived, designed and carried out the study. L-XM and C-MH carried out the study. MJ wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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    1. Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province/College of Life Science, Taizhou University, Jiaojiang, 318000, China

      Ming Jiang & Cai-Ming He

    2. State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology Shenzhen Base, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, China

      Jing-Jing Jiang

    3. Institute of Horticulture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China

      Li-Xiang Miao

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    1. Ming Jiang
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    Ming Jiang and Jingjing Jiang contributed equally to this work.

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    Jiang, M., Jiang, JJ., Miao, LX. et al. Over-expression of a C3H-type zinc finger gene contributes to salt stress tolerance in transgenic broccoli plants. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 130, 239–254 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-017-1218-3

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