Abstract
To identify genes involved in defense against heavy-metal stresses, a cDNA library originating from mercuric chloride-treated maize (Zea mays L. cv. INRA 258) leaves was constructed and analysed by differential screening using cDNAs derived from treated and untreated plants. Transcriptionally activated cDNA clones, designated CHEM (chemically-activated), were isolated and characterized. They represent various known proteins, such as glycine-rich proteins, pathogenesis-related proteins, chaperones and membrane proteins. The expression of the genes encoding these proteins was studied in maize subjected to other forms of abiotic stress. Expression of glycine-rich proteins was greatly enhanced by heat stress, and also stimulated by NaCl, polluted rainwater, wounding and cold stress. Pathogenesis-related proteins were strongly induced by ultraviolet light and to a lesser extent by NaCl, polluted rainwater and wounding. Heat-shock protein was mainly induced by heat and cold, and ubiquitin by wounding. Expression of the membrane channel protein was stimulated by heat stress, NaCl, polluted rainwater and ultraviolet-light irradiation.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- CHEM:
-
chemically activated cDNA clones
- GRP:
-
glycine-rich protein
- HSP:
-
heat-shock protein
- PR proteins:
-
pathogenesis-related proteins
References
Alba MM, Culianezmacia FA, Goday A, Freire MA, Nadal B, Pages M (1994) The maize RNA-binding protein, MA16, is a nucleolar protein located in the dense fibrillar component. Plant J 6: 825–834
Brederode FT, Linthorst HJM, Bol JF (1991) Differential induction of acquired resistance and PR gene expression in tobacco by virus infection, ethephon treatment, UV light and wounding. Plant Mol Biol 17: 1117–1125
Christensen AH, Sharrock RA, Quail PH (1992) Maize polyubiquitin genes: structure, thermal perturbation of expression and transcript splicing, and promoter activity following transfer to protoplasts by electroporation. Plant Mol Biol 18: 675–689
de Tapia M, Bergman P, Awade A, Burkard G (1986) Analysis of acid extractable bean leaf proteins induced by mercuric chloride treatment and alfalfa mosaic virus infection. Partial purification and characterization. Plant Sci 45: 167–177
de Tapia M, Dietrich A, Burkard G (1987) In vitro synthesis and processing of a bean pathogenesis-related (PR4) protein. Eur J Biochem 166: 554–563
Devreux J, Haeberlin P (1984) A comprehensive set of sequence analysis programs for the VAX. Nucleic Acid Res 12: 387–395
Didierjean L, Frendo P, Burkard G (1992) Stress responses in maize: sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding glycine-rich proteins. Plant Mol Biol 18: 847–849
Feinberg AP, Vogelstein A (1983) A technique for radiolabelling DNA restriction endonuclease fragments to high specific activity. Anal Biochem 132: 6–13
Fischer K, Arbinger B, Kammerer B, Busch C, Brink S, Wallmeier H, Sauer N, Eckerskorn C, Flugge U (1994) Cloning and in vivo expression of functional triose phosphate/phosphate translocators from C-3-and C-4-plants — Evidence for the putative participation of specific amino acid residues in the recognition of phosphoenolpyruvate. Plant J 5: 215–226
Frendo P, Didierjean L, Passelegue E, Burkard G (1992) Abiotic stresses induce a thaumatin-like protein in maize; cDNA isolation and sequence analysis. Plant Sci 85: 61–69
Genschik P, Parmentier Y, Durr A, Marbach J, Criqui, MC, Jamet E, Fleck J (1992) Ubiquitin genes are differentially expressed in protoplast-derived cultures of Nicotiana sylvestris and in response to various stresses. Plant Mol Biol 20: 897–910
Gomez J, Sanchez-Martinez D, Stiefel V, Rigau J, Puigdomenéch P, Pagés M (1988) A gene induced by the plant hormone abscisic acid in response to water stress encodes a glycine-rich protein. Nature 334: 262–264
Hershko A, Ciechanover A (1992) The ubiquitin system for protein degradation. Annu Rev Biochem 61: 761–807
Linthorst HJM (1991) Pathogenesis-related proteins of plants. Critic Rev Plant Sci 10: 123–150
Ludevid MD, Freire MA, Gomez J, Burd CG, Albericio F, Giral TE, Dreyfuss G, Pagés M (1992) RNA binding characteristics of a 16 kDa glycine-rich protein from maize. Plant J 2: 999–1003
Marivet J, Frendo P, Burkard G (1992) Effects of abiotic stresses on cyclophilin gene expression in maize and bean and sequence analysis of bean cyclophilin cDNA. Plant Sci 84: 171–178
Métraux JP, Burkhart W, Moyer M, Dincher S, Middelsteadt W, Willials S, Payne G, Carnes M, Ryals J (1989) Isolation of a complementary DNA encoding a chitinase with structural homology to a bifunctional lysozyme/chitinase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86: 896–900
Nasser W, de Tapia M, Kauffmann S, Montasser-Koushari S, Burkard G (1988) Identification and characterization of maize pathogenesis-related proteins. Four maize PR proteins are chitinases. Plant Mol Biol 11: 529–538
Nasser W, de Tapia M, Burkard G (1990) Maize pathogenesis-related proteins: characterization and cellular distribution of 1,3-β-glucanases and chitinases induced by brome mosaic virus infection or mercuric chloride treatment. Physiol Mol Plant Pathol 36: 1–14
Ragueh F, Lescure N, Roby D, Marco Y (1989) Gene expression in Nicotiana tabacum in response to compatible and incompatible isolates of Pseudomonas solanacearum. Physiol Mol Plant Pathol 35: 23–33
Rickey TM, Belknap WR (1991) Comparison of the expression of several stress-responsitive genes in potato tubers. Plant Mol Biol 16: 1009–1018
Rochester DE, Winer JA, Shah DL (1986) The structure and expression of maize genes encoding the major heat shock protein HSP 70. EMBO J 5: 451–458
Rosen KM, Villa-Komeroff L (1990) An alternative method for the visualization of RNA in formaldehyde agarose gels. Focus 12:23–24
Sambrook J, Fritsch EF, Maniatis T (1989) Molecular cloning: A laboratory manual (2nd edn). Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor
Sanger F, Nicklen S, Coulson AR (1977) DNA sequencing with chain-termining inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74: 5463–5467
Steffens JC (1990) The heavy metal-binding peptides of plants. Annu Rev Physiol Plant Mol Biol 41: 553–575
Vierling E, Kimpel JA (1992) Plant responses to environmental stress. Curr Opin Biotechnol 3: 164–170
Winter J, Wright R, Duck N, Gasser C, Fraley R, Shah D (1988) The inhibition of petunia hsp70 mRNA processing during CdC2 stress. Mol Gen Genet 211: 315–319
Yamamoto YT, Cheng CL, Conkling MA (1990) Root-specific genes from tobacco and Arabidopsis homologous to an evolutionary conserved gene family of membrane channel proteins. Nucleic Acids Res. 18: 7449
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Didierjean, L., Frendo, P., Nasser, W. et al. Heavy-metal-responsive genes in maize: identification and comparison of their expression upon various forms of abiotic stress. Planta 199, 1–8 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00196874
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00196874