Open AccessOverexpression of a novel cold‐responsive transcript factor L c FIN 1 from sheepgrass enhances tolerance to low temperature stress in transgenic plants
Author(s) -
Gao Qiong,
Li Xiaoxia,
Jia Junting,
Zhao Pincang,
Liu Panpan,
Liu Zhujiang,
Ge Liangfa,
Chen Shuangyan,
Qi Dongmei,
Deng Bo,
Lee ByungHyun,
Liu Gongshe,
Cheng Liqin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/pbi.12435
Subject(s) - biology , transcriptome , abiotic stress , transgene , transcription factor , gene , cold stress , microbiology and biotechnology , abiotic component , gene expression , genetics , botany , ecology
Summary As a perennial forage crop broadly distributed in eastern E urasia, sheepgrass ( L eymus chinensis ( T rin.) T zvel) is highly tolerant to low‐temperature stress. Previous report indicates that sheepgrass is able to endure as low as −47.5 °C,allowing it to survive through the cold winter season. However, due to the lack of sufficient studies, the underlying mechanism towards the extraordinary low‐temperature tolerance is unclear. Although the transcription profiling has provided insight into the transcriptome response to cold stress, more detailed studies are required to dissect the molecular mechanism regarding the excellent abiotic stress tolerance. In this work, we report a novel transcript factor L c FIN 1 ( L . chinensis freezing‐induced 1) from sheepgrass. L c FIN 1 showed no homology with other known genes and was rapidly and highly induced by cold stress, suggesting that L c FIN 1 participates in the early response to cold stress. Consistently, ectopic expression of L c FIN 1 significantly increased cold stress tolerance in the transgenic plants, as indicated by the higher survival rate, fresh weight and other stress‐related indexes after a freezing treatment. Transcriptome analysis showed that numerous stress‐related genes were differentially expressed in L c FIN 1 ‐overexpressing plants, suggesting that L c FIN 1 may enhance plant abiotic stress tolerance by transcriptional regulation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and CHIP ‐ qPCR showed that L c CBF 1 can bind to the CRT / DRE cis‐ element located in the promoter region of L c FIN 1 , suggesting that L c FIN 1 is directly regulated by L c CBF 1. Taken together, our results suggest that L c FIN 1 positively regulates plant adaptation response to cold stress and is a promising candidate gene to improve crop cold tolerance.