Identification and characterization of genes involved in the acquisition of chilling tolerance in citrus fruit

Citrus, like many other tropical and subtropical fruit are sensitive to chilling temperatures. However, application of a pre-storage temperature conditioning (CD) treatment at 16°C for 7 d or of a hot water brushing (HWB) treatment at 60°C for 20 sec remarkably enhances chilling tolerance and reduces the development of chilling injuries (CI) upon storage at 5°C. In the current research, we proposed to identify and characterize grapefruit genes that are induced by CD, and may contribute to the acquisition of fruit chilling tolerance, by two different molecular approaches: cDNA array analysis and PCR cDNA subtraction. In addition, following the recent development and commercialization of the new Affymetrix Citrus Genome Array, we further performed genome-wide transcript profiling analysis following exposure to CD and chilling treatments. To conduct the cDNA array analysis, we constructed cDNA libraries from the peel tissue of CD- and HWB-treated grapefruit, and performed an EST sequencing project including sequencing of 3,456 cDNAs from each library. Based on the obtained sequence information, we chose 70 stress-responsive and chilling-related genes and spotted them on nylon membranes. Following hybridization the constructed cDNA arrays with RNA probes from control and CD-treated fruit and detailed confirmations by RT-PCR analysis, we found that six genes: lipid-transfer protein, metallothionein-like protein, catalase, GTP-binding protein, Lea5, and stress-responsive zinc finger protein, showed higher transcript levels in flavedo of conditioned than in non-conditioned fruit stored at 5 ᵒC. The transcript levels of another four genes: galactinol synthase, ACC oxidase, temperature-induced lipocalin, and chilling-inducible oxygenase, increased only in control untreated fruit but not in chilling-tolerant CD-treated fruit.  By PCR cDNA subtraction analysis we identified 17 new chilling-responsive and HWB- and CD-induced genes. Overall, characterization of the expression patterns of these genes as well as of 11 more stress-related genes by RNA gel blot hybridizations revealed that the HWB treatment activated mainly the expression of stress-related genes(HSP19-I, HSP19-II, dehydrin, universal stress protein, EIN2, 1,3;4-β-D-glucanase, and SOD), whereas the CD treatment activated mainly the expression of lipid modification enzymes, including fatty acid disaturase2 (FAD2) and lipid transfer protein (LTP). Genome wide transcriptional profiling analysis using the newly developed Affymetrix Citrus GeneChip® microarray (including 30,171 citrus probe sets) revealed the identification of three different chilling-related regulons: 1,345 probe sets were significantly affected by chilling in both control and CD-treated fruits (chilling-response regulon), 509 probe sets were unique to the CD-treated fruits (chilling tolerance regulon), and 417 probe sets were unique to the chilling-sensitive control fruits (chilling stress regulon). Overall, exposure to chilling led to expression governed arrest of general cellular metabolic activity, including concretive down-regulation of cell wall, pathogen defense, photosynthesis, respiration, and protein, nucleic acid and secondary metabolism. On the other hand, chilling enhanced various adaptation processes, such as changes in the expression levels of transcripts related to membranes, lipid, sterol and carbohydrate metabolism, stress stimuli, hormone biosynthesis, and modifications in DNA binding and transcription factors.