Characterization of ZmCOLD1, novel GPCR-Type G Protein genes involved in cold stress from Zea mays L. and the evolution analysis with those from other species

Maize is one of the most vital staple crops worldwide. G proteins modulate plentiful signaling pathways, and G protein-coupled receptor-type G proteins (GPCRs) are highly conserved membrane proteins in plants. However, researches on maize G proteins and GPCRs are scarce. In this study, we identified three novel GPCR-Type G Protein (GTG) genes from chromosome 10 (Chr 10) in maize, designated as ZmCOLD1-10A, ZmCOLD1-10B and ZmCOLD1-10C. Their amino acid sequences had high similarity to TaCOLD1 from wheat and OsCOLD1 from rice. They contained the basic characteristics of GTG/COLD1 proteins, including GPCR-like topology, the conserved hydrophilic loop (HL) domain, DUF3735 (domain of unknown function 3735) domain, GTPase-activating domain, and ATP/GTP-binding domain. Subcellular localization analyses of ZmCOLD1 proteins suggested that ZmCOLD1 proteins localized on plasma membrane (PM) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Furthermore, amino acid sequence alignment verified the conservation of the key 187th amino acid T in maize and other wild maize-relative species. Evolutionary relationship among plants GTG/COLD1 proteins family displayed strong group-specificity. Expression analysis indicated that ZmCOLD1-10A was cold-induced and inhibited by light. Together, these results suggested that ZmCOLD1 genes had potential value to improve cold tolerance and to contribute crops growth and molecular breeding.     

Comparative proteomic analysis reveals differential protein and energy metabolisms from two tobacco cultivars in response to cold stress

Low temperature is an important abiotic stress for plant development and has serious effects on crop production. Because tobacco is sensitive to low temperature, it is suitable for analyzing the mechanisms of cold response in plants. In the current study, NC567 and Taiyan8, two cultivars with different sensitivities to low temperature, were used in Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantitation (iTRAQ)-based proteomics to uncover their different mechanisms in response to cold stress. A total of 4317 distinct proteins were identified and the differentially expressed proteins in four comparison sets were used for further analysis. The gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that the majority of differentially expressed proteins were in the categories involved in metabolic and cellular processes. Surprisingly, there were 55 proteins decreased in NC567, but increased in Taiyan8 in response to cold, while the levels of 42 proteins were lower in Taiyan8 than NC567 at normal temperature, but higher in Taiyan8 than NC567 under cold treatment, suggesting different responses to cold stress in these cultivars. The levels of polypeptides involved in protein synthesis and degradation, photosynthesis, and respiration, as well as ROS scavenging, were different in the comparison sets, implying that protein and energy metabolisms may be important for the establishment of cellular environment at low temperature. In conclusion, our study identified the potential pathways involved in low-temperature response of tobacco and provides hints for the further improvement of cold tolerance in crops.     

Cloning of heat shock protein genes (hsp70, hsc70 and hsp90) and their expression in response to larval diapause and thermal stress in the wheat blossom midge,Sitodiplosis mosellana

Sitodiplosis mosellana Géhin, one of the most important pests of wheat, undergoes obligatory diapause as a larva to survive unfavorable temperature extremes during hot summers and cold winters. To explore the potential roles of heat shock proteins (hsp) in this process, we cloned full-length cDNAs of hsp70, hsc70 and hsp90 from S. mosellana larvae, and examined their expression in response to diapause and short-term temperature stresses. Three hsps included all signature sequences of corresponding protein family and EEVD motifs. They showed high homology to their counterparts in other species, and the phylogenetic analysis of hsp90 was consistent with the known classification of insects. Expression of hsp70 and hsp90 were highly induced by diapause, particularly pronounced during summer and winter. Interestingly, hsp70 was more strongly expressed in summer than in winter whereas hsp90 displayed the opposite pattern. Abundance of hsc70 mRNA was comparable prior to and during diapauses and was highly up-regulated when insects began to enter the stage of post-diapause quiescence. Heat-stressed over-summering larvae (⩾30 °C) or cold-stressed over-wintering larvae (⩽0 °C) could further elevate expression of these three genes, but temperature extremes i.e. as high as 45 °C or as low as −15 °C failed to trigger such expression patterns. Notably, hsp70 was most sensitive to heat stress and hsp90 was most sensitive to cold stress. These results suggested that hsp70 and hsp90 play key roles in diapause maintenance and thermal stress; the former may be more prominent contributor to heat tolerance and the latter for cold tolerance. In contrast, hsc70 most likely is involved in developmental transition from diapause to post-diapause quiescence, and thus may serve as a molecular marker to predict diapause termination.     

Global expression profiling of sulfur-starved Arabidopsis by DNA macroarray reveals the role of O-acetyl-l-serine as a general regulator of gene expression in response to sulfur nutrition

To investigate the changes in profiles of mRNA accumulation in response to sulfur deficiency, approximately 13 000 non-redundant Arabidopsis thaliana ESTs corresponding to approximately 9000 genes were analyzed using DNA macroarray. Three-week-old Arabidopsis plants grown on an agarose-solidified control medium were transferred to a sulfate-free medium and grown for 48 h for the analyses of sulfur-related metabolites and global gene expression profiles. Concentrations of sulfate, O-acetyl-l-serine (OAS), a positive regulator of sulfur deficiency-responsive genes, cysteine and glutathione (GSH) were determined. Plants transferred to sulfate-free media had reduced concentrations of sulfate and GSH, and OAS concentrations increased. Macroarray analysis revealed a number of genes, including APR2 and Sultr1;2, whose mRNA accumulation was increased by sulfur deficiency. Profiling was also carried out with plants treated with OAS under sulfate-sufficient condition. Scatter plot analysis revealed a positive correlation between the changes of expression levels by sulfur deficiency and by OAS treatment among the clones tested, suggesting that mRNA accumulation of a number of genes under sulfur deficiency is mainly controlled by OAS concentrations in tissues. It was also revealed that the sets of genes regulated under sulfur deficiency in leaves and roots differ considerably.     

准噶尔小胸鳖甲短时低温胁迫响应的转录组分析

【目的】拟步甲科昆虫小胸鳖甲Microdera punctipennis是分布于中国新疆古尔班通古特沙漠的特有物种,具有很强的耐寒性,但其低温响应的分子机制尚不明确。本研究旨在利用转录组测序技术丰富小胸鳖甲的已知基因信息,分析在短时低温胁迫下,上调表达基因的主要类群及参与的主要代谢通路。【方法】利用Trinity软件对分别在4℃低温和25℃(对照)下处理3 h的小胸鳖甲成虫RNA-Seq数据进行从头组装,利用Blast2go软件进行基因注释。通过DESeq和GFOLD软件分析差异表达基因,并对上调表达基因进行GO(Gene Ontology)和KEGG(Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes)代谢途径富集分析。【结果】测序过滤后得到68 165 001个有效读序,51 712个平均长度为984 bp的非冗余基因,其中29 925个基因(约57.87%)有同源序列(E-value10-5),与拟步甲科的赤拟谷盗Tribolium castaneum相应基因相似性最高(核苷酸序列一致性为72.75%)。低温响应上调表达基因有514个,富集到35个GO类群,18个KEGG途径。其中胁迫响应类群、生物调节类群和免疫系统过程类群都占有重要比例,嘌呤代谢、硫胺素代谢、糖酵解/糖异生等代谢通路显著富集。在胁迫响应类群中,热激蛋白Hsp90基因、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)基因和钙联接蛋白Calnexin基因等8个非生物胁迫相关基因显著上调表达。【结论】荒漠昆虫小胸鳖甲低温转录组揭示,在4℃冷驯化过程中,代谢过程、胁迫响应、生物调节和免疫系统等生物学过程相关基因表达显著上调,其中几个非生物胁迫响应基因提示小胸鳖甲可能从分子伴侣、细胞周期阻滞、线粒体稳定性、抗氧化胁迫等多方面应对低温胁迫。KEGG富集分析所揭示的小胸鳖甲在低温下的转录组代谢通路与其他物种有较大差异。研究结果为后续生物信息学分析及小胸鳖甲耐寒关键基因的发掘及耐寒机制的揭示提供了基础数据。