Biologia plantarum 58:499-506, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0432-7

Transcription factor MdCBF1 gene increases freezing stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

Y. Xue1, Y. Y. Wang1, R. H. Peng1, J. L. Zhen1, B. Zhu1, J. J. Gao1, W. Zhao1, H. J. Han1, Q. H. Yao1,*
1 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Breeding, Biotech Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China

Transcription factors play vital roles in stress signal transduction and gene expression modulation. The sequence analysis shows that MdCBF1 from Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Fuji contained an AP2 core domain of 56 amino acids. By comparison of deduced amino acid sequences of CBF related proteins, we deduced that MdCBF1 is a CBF transcription factor gene which belongs to AP2/EREBP family, DREB-A1 subfamily. Further, we reported that transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing the MdCBF1 gene exhibited stronger growth than wild type plants under freezing stress. The analysis of RT-PCR for stress-responsive genes implied that MdCBF1 over-expressing plants had a higher expression of COR15a, RD29A, and RD29B genes than wild type plants. Collectively, our results indicate that MdCBF1 might play an important role in the response of transgenic Arabidopsis plants to freezing stress.

Keywords: amino acid sequence; apple; dehydration responsive element; Malus domestica; RT-PCR
Subjects: transcription factor; temperature - low; freezing tolerance; transgenic plans; amino acid sequences; dehydration responsive element; proline; electrolyte leakage; gene expression
Species: Arabidopsis thaliana

Received: November 18, 2013; Revised: February 27, 2014; Accepted: February 28, 2014; Published: September 1, 2014Show citation

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Xue, Y., Wang, Y.Y., Peng, R.H., Zhen, J.L., Zhu, B., Gao, J.J., ... Yao, Q.H. (2014). Transcription factor MdCBF1 gene increases freezing stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. Biologia plantarum, 58(3), 499-506. doi: 10.1007/s10535-014-0432-7.
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