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Three zinc‐finger RNA ‐binding proteins in cabbage ( Brassica rapa ) play diverse roles in seed germination and plant growth under normal and abiotic stress conditions
Author(s) -
Park Ye Rin,
Choi Min Ji,
Park Su Jung,
Kang Hunseung
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/ppl.12488
Subject(s) - arabidopsis , seedling , abiotic stress , biology , germination , abscisic acid , brassica rapa , arabidopsis thaliana , botany , oryza sativa , brassica , biochemistry , gene , mutant
Despite the increasing understanding of the stress‐responsive roles of zinc‐finger RNA ‐binding proteins ( RZs ) in several plant species, such as Arabidopsis thaliana , wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) and rice ( Oryza sativa ), the functions of RZs in cabbage ( Brassica rapa ) have not yet been elucidated. In this study, the functional roles of the three RZ family members present in the cabbage genome, designated as BrRZ1 , BrRZ2 and BrRZ3 , were investigated in transgenic Arabidopsis under normal and environmental stress conditions. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that all BrRZ proteins were exclusively localized in the nucleus. The expression levels of each BrRZ were markedly increased by cold, drought or salt stress and by abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Expression of BrRZ3 in Arabidopsis retarded seed germination and stem growth and reduced seed yield of Arabidopsis plants under normal growth conditions. Germination of BrRZ2 ‐ or BrRZ3 ‐expressing Arabidopsis seeds was delayed compared with that of wild‐type seeds under dehydration or salt stress conditions and cold stress conditions, respectively. Seedling growth of BrRZ3 ‐expressing transgenic Arabidopsis plants was significantly inhibited under salt, dehydration or cold stress conditions. Notably, seedling growth of all three BrRZ ‐expressing transgenic Arabidopsis plants was inhibited upon ABA treatment. Importantly, all BrRZ s possessed RNA chaperone activity. Taken together, these results indicate that the three cabbage BrRZ s harboring RNA chaperone activity play diverse roles in seed germination and seedling growth of plants under abiotic stress conditions as well as in the presence of ABA .