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Functional identification of apple MdJAZ2 in Arabidopsis with reduced JA-sensitivity and increased stress tolerance

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Abstract

Key message

Here, we report the decrease of JA-sensitivity and enhancement of tolerance to salt and PEG stresses in Arabidopsis overexpressing apple MdJAZ2.

Abstract

As signalling molecules, jasmonates (JAs) play significant roles in plant development and stress responses. JAZ proteins are the targets of the SCFCOI1 complex and act as the negative regulators in JA signalling pathway. However, there are no reports regarding the biological function of apple JAZ genes. In this study, one JAZ gene, MdJAZ2 from apple, was functionally characterized in detail. The expression of MdJAZ2 was up-regulated by MeJA and wounding treatments. MdJAZ2-GFP fusion protein was observed in nucleus in transient expression assay. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays revealed that MdJAZ2 could form homo- and heteromers, and also interact with F-box protein MdCOI1. Overexpression of MdJAZ2 conferred impaired JA-sensitivity in transgenic Arabidopsis, including JA-mediated root growth inhibition, susceptibility to the bacterial pathogen Pst DC3000, and the expression of JA response genes. Additionally, MdJAZ2 overexpression also improved tolerance to NaCl and PEG treatments in transgenic Arabidopsis. Together, our findings suggest that apple MdJAZ2 was not only involved in the JA response but also played roles in stress tolerance.

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Abbreviations

6-BA:

6-Benzylaminopurine

AD:

Activation domain

BD:

Binding domain

BiFC:

Bimolecular fluorescence complementation

CaMV:

Cauliflower mosaic virus

COI1:

Coronatine insensitive 1

CYFP:

C-terminal halves of the yellow fluorescent protein

GFP:

Green fluorescent protein

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

JA:

Jasmonate

JAZ:

Jasmonate zim-domain

MeJA:

Methyl jasmonate

MS:

Murashige and skoog

NYFP:

N-terminal halves of the yellow fluorescent protein

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

Pst DC3000:

Pseudomonas syringae tomato DC3000

WT:

Wild type

Y2H:

Yeast two-hybrid

ZIM:

Zinc-finger expressed in inflorescence meristem

ZML:

ZIM-like

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Doctor Start-up Fund in Liaoning Province, China (201501031), and the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Public Welfare Research Institutes (0032015019).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Fruit Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Pomology, CAAS, Xingcheng, 125100, Liaoning, China

    Xiu-Hong An, En-Mao Li, Kai Xu & Cun-Gang Cheng

  2. National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, National Research Center for Apple Engineering and Technology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-an, 271018, Shandong, China

    Yu-Jin Hao

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  1. Xiu-Hong An
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Correspondence to Cun-Gang Cheng.

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Communicated by X. S. Zhang.

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An, XH., Hao, YJ., Li, EM. et al. Functional identification of apple MdJAZ2 in Arabidopsis with reduced JA-sensitivity and increased stress tolerance. Plant Cell Rep 36, 255–265 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-016-2077-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-016-2077-9

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