Overexpression of the <i>CpCOR413PM1</i> Gene from Wintersweet (<i>Chimonanthus praecox</i>) Enhances Cold and Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis
Yeyuan Deng,
Yi Lin,
Guo Wei,
Xiaoqian Hu,
Yanghui Zheng,
Jing Ma
Affiliations
Yeyuan Deng
Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
Yi Lin
Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
Guo Wei
College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Xiaoqian Hu
Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
Yanghui Zheng
Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
Jing Ma
Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox (L.) Link) is a commercial significance woody plant. As a rare winter-blooming plant, C. praecox is widely distributed and highly adaptable to various climates, especially low temperatures. In this study, we identified the COR413 plasma membrane gene CpCOR413PM1 in wintersweet. CpCOR413PM1 was expressed in all tissues of the plant, with the highest expression observed in the root and floral parts. Cultivation under 4 °C and with treatment of ABA led to the up-regulated expression of CpCOR413PM1. The expression of recombinant CpCOR413PM1 protein in Escherichia coli resulted in the tissues’ increased resilience to cold and drought stress. In vitro enzyme activity assays confirmed the protective impact of the CpCOR413PM1 protein on superoxide dismutase under low-temperature stress. Furthermore, the overexpression of CpCOR413PM1 in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in increased cold and drought tolerance and ABA inhibited transgenic Arabidopsis seed germination. The CpCOR413PM1 gene promoter can influence expression of the GUS reporter gene under conditions of 4 °C, 42 °C and abscisic acid. Overall, our study demonstrates that CpCOR413PM1 plays a significate role in cold and drought stress. Our findings strengthen the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying wintersweet’s tolerance to stress and lay the groundwork for the future investigation of the functions of the COR gene family.
