Small heat shock proteins are differentially regulated during pollen development and following heat stress in tobacco

Enhanced pollen tube performance at high temperature contributes to thermotolerant fruit production in tomato

Rising temperature extremes during critical reproductive periods threaten the yield of major grain and fruit crops. Flowering plant reproduction depends on development of sufficient numbers of pollen grains and on their ability to generate a cellular extension, the pollen tube, which elongates through the pistil to deliver sperm cells to female gametes for double fertilization. These critical phases of the life cycle are sensitive to temperature and limit productivity under high temperature (HT). Previous studies have investigated the effects of HT on pollen development, but little is known about how HT applied during the pollen tube growth phase affects fertility. Here, we used tomato as a model fruit crop to determine how HT affects the pollen tube growth phase, taking advantage of cultivars noted for fruit production in exceptionally hot growing seasons. We found that exposure to HT solely during the pollen tube growth phase limits fruit biomass and seed set more significantly in thermosensitive cultivars than in thermotolerant cultivars. Importantly, we found that pollen tubes from the thermotolerant Tamaulipas cultivar have enhanced growth in vivo and in vitro under HT. Analysis of the pollen tube transcriptome's response to HT allowed us to develop hypotheses for the molecular basis of cellular thermotolerance in the pollen tube and we define two response modes (enhanced induction of stress responses, and higher basal levels of growth pathways repressed by heat stress) associated with reproductive thermotolerance. Importantly, we define key components of the pollen tube stress response identifying enhanced ROS homeostasis and pollen tube callose synthesis and deposition as important components of reproductive thermotolerance in Tamaulipas. Our work identifies the pollen tube growth phase as a viable target to enhance reproductive thermotolerance and delineates key pathways that are altered in crop varieties capable of fruiting under HT conditions.

Mitigation of UV-B Radiation Stress in Tobacco Pollen by Expression of the Tardigrade Damage Suppressor Protein (Dsup)

Pollen, the male gametophyte of seed plants, is extremely sensitive to UV light, which may prevent fertilization. As a result, strategies to improve plant resistance to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation are required. The tardigrade damage suppressor protein (Dsup) is a putative DNA-binding protein that enables tardigrades to tolerate harsh environmental conditions, including UV radiation, and was therefore considered as a candidate for reducing the effects of UV exposure on pollen. Tobacco pollen was genetically engineered to express Dsup and then exposed to UV-B radiation to determine the effectiveness of the protein in increasing pollen resistance. To establish the preventive role of Dsup against UV-B stress, we carried out extensive investigations into pollen viability, germination rate, pollen tube length, male germ unit position, callose plug development, marker protein content, and antioxidant capacity. The results indicated that UV-B stress has a significant negative impact on both pollen grain and pollen tube growth. However, Dsup expression increased the antioxidant levels and reversed some of the UV-B-induced changes to pollen, restoring the proper distance between the tip and the last callose plug formed, as well as pollen tube length, tubulin, and HSP70 levels. Therefore, the expression of heterologous Dsup in pollen may provide the plant male gametophyte with enhanced responses to UV-B stress and protection against harmful environmental radiation.

AsHSP26.2, a creeping bentgrass chloroplast small heat shock protein positively regulates plant development

KEY MESSAGE

The creeping bentgrass small heat shock protein AsHSP26.2 positively regulates plant growth and is a novel candidate for use in crop genetic engineering for enhanced biomass production and grain yield. Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs), a family of proteins with high level of diversity, significantly influence plant stress tolerance and plant development. We have cloned a creeping bentgrass chloroplast-localized sHSP gene, AsHSP26.2 responsive to IAA, GA and 6-BA stimulation. Transgenic creeping bentgrass overexpressing AsHSP26.2 exhibited significantly enhanced plant growth with increased stolon number and length as well as enlarged leaf blade width and leaf sheath diameters, but inhibited leaf trichomes initiation and development in the abaxial epidermis. These phenotypes are completely opposite to those displayed in the transgenic plants overexpressing AsHSP26.8, another chloroplast sHSP26 isoform that contains additional seven amino acids (AEGQGDG) between the consensus regions III and IV (Sun et al., Plant Cell Environ 44:1769-1787, 2021). Furthermore, AsHSP26.2 overexpression altered phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling transduction, resulting in elevated auxin and gibberellins (GA) accumulation. The results obtained provide novel insights implicating the sHSPs in plant growth and development regulation, and strongly suggest AsHSP26.2 to be a novel candidate for use in crop genetic engineering for enhanced plant biomass production and grain yield.

A small heat shock protein GmHSP18.5a improves the male fertility restorability of cytoplasmic male sterility-based restorer line under high temperature stress in soybean

Small heat shock protein (sHSP) is involved in high temperature (HT) stress response. However, the function of sHSPs in regulating male fertility of soybean under HT stress remains largely unknown. Here, we identified a sHSP gene, GmHSP18.5a, which was responded to HT stress during flowering in cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)-based restorer line of soybean. Moreover, GmHSFA6b turned out to directly activated the expression of GmHSP18.5a by binding to the heat shock cis-element in its promoter. Overexpression of GmHSP18.5a increased male fertility in transgenic Arabidopsis, soybean CMS-based restorer line and its hybrid F1 with CMS line under HT stress. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) content detection revealed that GmHSP18.5a promoted the ROS scavenging ability of Arabidopsis inflorescence and soybean flower bud under HT stress. Enzyme activity assay and gene expression analysis indicated that GmHS18.5a mainly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the expression level of ROS metabolism-related genes under HT stress. Our results indicated that GmHSP18.5a improved the male fertility restorability of CMS-based restorer line in soybean by regulating ROS metabolic pathway and reducing ROS accumulation. Our findings not only revealed the molecular mechanism of sHSP regulating the male fertility of soybean under HT stress, but also provided a theoretical basis for creating strong restorer line with thermotolerance.

A subfamily of the small heat shock proteins of the marine red alga Neopyropia yezoensis localizes in the chloroplast

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) play a crucial role under abiotic stress and are present in all organisms, from eukaryotes to prokaryotes. However, studies on the sHSP gene family in red alga are limited. In this study, we aimed to identify and characterize NysHSP genes from the genome of N. yezoensis, a marine red alga adapted to the stressful intertidal zone. We identified seven NysHSP genes distributed on all three chromosomes. Expression analysis revealed that all NysHSP genes responded to H2O2 and heat stress in the gametophytic thalli, but these genes responded only to heat stress in the sporophytic conchocelis. NysHSP20.3, which has an acidic isoelectric point (pI) and short N-terminal region, was localized as granules in the cytosol. Fluorescence imaging of the NysHSP25.8-GFP and NysHSP28.4-GFP fusion proteins revealed that these proteins were located in the chloroplast. Based on their characteristics and cellular localization, the NysHSPs are divided into two subfamilies. Subfamily I includes four sHSP genes that strongly respond to heat stress and encode a protein localized in the cytosol. The NysHSP gene of subfamily II encodes a polypeptide with a long N-terminal region located in the chloroplast. This study provides insights into the evolution and function of the sHSP gene family of the marine red alga N. yezoensis and how it adapts to the stressful intertidal zone.

Rice OsHsp16.9A interacts with OsHsp101 to confer thermotolerance

Class I small heat shock proteins (CI sHSPs), OsHsp16.9A and OsHsp18.0, share 74% identity in amino acid sequences and accumulate in response to heat shock treatments. Individual rice transformants overexpressing OsHsp16.9A and OsHsp18.0 exhibit distinct thermoprotection/thermotolerance modes. Under high temperature stress, OsHsp16.9A-overexpressing lines showed higher seed germination rate, seedling survival, and pollen germination than wild-type controls, while OsHsp18.0 overexpression provided higher thermoprotection/thermotolerance for seedling survival. To elucidate the functional roles of OsHsp16.9A, mass spectrometry was used to identify OsHsp16.9A-interacting proteins. OsHsp101 was consistently identified in the OsHsp16.9A protein complex in several mass spectrometry analyses of seed proteins from OsHsp16.9A-overexpressing lines. Both OsHsp16.9A and OsHsp101 proteins accumulated during similar developmental stages of rice seeds and formed a heat-stable complex under high temperature treatments in in vitro assays. Co-localization of OsHsp16.9A and OsHsp101 was observed via ratiometric bimolecular fluorescence complementation analyses. Amino acid mutation studies revealed that OsHsp16.9A glutamate residue 74 and amino acid residues 23-36 were essential for OsHsp16.9A-OsHsp101 interaction. Moreover, overexpressing OsHsp16.9A in OsHsp101 knockdown mutants did not increase the seed germination rate under heat stress, which further confirmed the functional roles of OsHsp16.9A-OsHsp101 interaction in conferring thermotolerance to rice plants.

Elongation factor TFIIS is essential for heat stress adaptation in plants

Elongation factor TFIIS (transcription factor IIS) is structurally and biochemically probably the best characterized elongation cofactor of RNA polymerase II. However, little is known about TFIIS regulation or its roles during stress responses. Here, we show that, although TFIIS seems unnecessary under optimal conditions in Arabidopsis, its absence renders plants supersensitive to heat; tfIIs mutants die even when exposed to sublethal high temperature. TFIIS activity is required for thermal adaptation throughout the whole life cycle of plants, ensuring both survival and reproductive success. By employing a transcriptome analysis, we unravel that the absence of TFIIS makes transcriptional reprogramming sluggish, and affects expression and alternative splicing pattern of hundreds of heat-regulated transcripts. Transcriptome changes indirectly cause proteotoxic stress and deterioration of cellular pathways, including photosynthesis, which finally leads to lethality. Contrary to expectations of being constantly present to support transcription, we show that TFIIS is dynamically regulated. TFIIS accumulation during heat occurs in evolutionary distant species, including the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, dicot Brassica napus and monocot Hordeum vulgare, suggesting that the vital role of TFIIS in stress adaptation of plants is conserved.

A small heat shock protein, GmHSP17.9, from nodule confers symbiotic nitrogen fixation and seed yield in soybean

Legume-rhizobia symbiosis enables biological nitrogen fixation to improve crop production for sustainable agriculture. Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are involved in multiple environmental stresses and plant development processes. However, the role of sHSPs in nodule development in soybean remains largely unknown. In the present study, we identified a nodule-localized sHSP, called GmHSP17.9, in soybean, which was markedly up-regulated during nodule development. GmHSP17.9 was specifically expressed in the infected regions of the nodules. GmHSP17.9 overexpression and RNAi in transgenic composite plants and loss of function in CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing mutant plants in soybean resulted in remarkable alterations in nodule number, nodule fresh weight, nitrogenase activity, contents of poly β-hydroxybutyrate bodies (PHBs), ureide and total nitrogen content, which caused significant changes in plant growth and seed yield. GmHSP17.9 was also found to act as a chaperone for its interacting partner, GmNOD100, a sucrose synthase in soybean nodules which was also preferentially expressed in the infected zone of nodules, similar to GmHSP17.9. Functional analysis of GmNOD100 in composite transgenic plants revealed that GmNOD100 played an essential role in soybean nodulation. The hsp17.9 lines showed markedly more reduced sucrose synthase activity, lower contents of UDP-glucose and acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA), and decreased activity of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in nodules due to the missing interaction with GmNOD100. Our findings reveal an important role and an unprecedented molecular mechanism of sHSPs in nodule development and nitrogen fixation in soybean.

Heat Shock Signaling in Land Plants: From Plasma Membrane Sensing to the Transcription of Small Heat Shock Proteins

Heat stress events are major factors limiting crop productivity. During summer days, land plants must anticipate in a timely manner upcoming mild and severe temperature. They respond by accumulating protective heat-shock proteins (HSPs), conferring acquired thermotolerance. All organisms synthetize HSPs; many of which are members of the conserved chaperones families. This review describes recent advances in plant temperature sensing, signaling, and response. We highlight the pathway from heat perception by the plasma membrane through calcium channels, such as cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, to the activation of the heat-shock transcription factors (HSFs). An unclear cellular signal activates HSFs, which act as essential regulators. In particular, the HSFA subfamily can bind heat shock elements in HSP promoters and could mediate the dissociation of bound histones, leading to HSPs transcription. Although plants can modulate their transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome to protect the cellular machinery, HSP chaperones prevent, use, and revert the formation of misfolded proteins, thereby avoiding heat-induced cell death. Remarkably, the HSP20 family is mostly tightly repressed at low temperature, suggesting that a costly mechanism can become detrimental under unnecessary conditions. Here, the role of HSP20s in response to HS and their possible deleterious expression at non-HS temperatures is discussed.

Insights into the Mechanisms of Heat Priming and Thermotolerance in Tobacco Pollen

Global warming leads to a progressive rise in environmental temperature. Plants, as sessile organisms, are threatened by these changes; the male gametophyte is extremely sensitive to high temperature and its ability to preserve its physiological status under heat stress is known as acquired thermotolerance. This latter can be achieved by exposing plant to a sub-lethal temperature (priming) or to a progressive increase in temperature. The present research aims to investigate the effects of heat priming on the functioning of tobacco pollen grains. In addition to evaluating basic physiological parameters (e.g., pollen viability, germination and pollen tube length), several aspects related to a correct pollen functioning were considered. Calcium (Ca2+) level, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and related antioxidant systems were investigated, also to the organization of actin filaments and cytoskeletal protein such as tubulin (including tyrosinated and acetylated isoforms) and actin. We also focused on sucrose synthase (Sus), a key metabolic enzyme and on the content of main soluble sugars, including UDP-glucose. Results here obtained showed that a pre-exposure to sub-lethal temperatures can positively enhance pollen performance by altering its metabolism. This can have a considerable impact, especially from the point of view of breeding strategies aimed at improving crop species.

Protein Analysis of Pollen Tubes after the Treatments of Membrane Trafficking Inhibitors Gains Insights on Molecular Mechanism Underlying Pollen Tube Polar Growth

Pollen tube elongation is characterized by a highly-polarized tip growth process dependent on an efficient vesicular transport system and largely mobilized by actin cytoskeleton. Pollen tubes are an ideal model system to study exocytosis, endocytosis, membrane recycling, and signaling network coordinating cellular processes, structural organization and vesicular trafficking activities required for tip growth. Proteomic analysis was applied to identify Nicotiana tabacum Differentially Abundant Proteins (DAPs) after in vitro pollen tube treatment with membrane trafficking inhibitors Brefeldin A, Ikarugamycin and Wortmannin. Among roughly 360 proteins separated in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, a total of 40 spots visibly changing between treated and control samples were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. The identified proteins were classified according to biological processes, and most proteins were related to pollen tube energy metabolism, including ammino acid synthesis and lipid metabolism, structural features of pollen tube growth as well modification and actin cytoskeleton organization, stress response, and protein degradation. In-depth analysis of proteins corresponding to energy-related pathways revealed the male gametophyte to be a reliable model of energy reservoir and dynamics.

Humic acid enhances heat stress tolerance via transcriptional activation of Heat-Shock Proteins in Arabidopsis

Humic acid (HA) is composed of a complex supramolecular association and is produced by humification of organic matters in soil environments. HA not only improves soil fertility, but also stimulates plant growth. Although numerous bioactivities of HA have been reported, the molecular evidences have not yet been elucidated. Here, we performed transcriptomic analysis to identify the HA-prompted molecular mechanisms in Arabidopsis. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that HA up-regulates diverse genes involved in the response to stress, especially to heat. Heat stress causes dramatic induction in unique gene families such as Heat-Shock Protein (HSP) coding genes including HSP101, HSP81.1, HSP26.5, HSP23.6, and HSP17.6A. HSPs mainly function as molecular chaperones to protect against thermal denaturation of substrates and facilitate refolding of denatured substrates. Interestingly, wild-type plants grown in HA were heat-tolerant compared to those grown in the absence of HA, whereas Arabidopsis HSP101 null mutant (hot1) was insensitive to HA. We also validated that HA accelerates the transcriptional expression of HSPs. Overall, these results suggest that HSP101 is a molecular target of HA promoting heat-stress tolerance in Arabidopsis. Our transcriptome information contributes to understanding the acquired genetic and agronomic traits by HA conferring tolerance to environmental stresses in plants.

Molecular genetic analyses of abiotic stress responses during plant reproductive development

Plant responses to abiotic stresses during vegetative growth have been extensively studied for many years. Daily environmental fluctuations can have dramatic effects on plant vegetative growth at multiple levels, resulting in molecular, cellular, physiological, and morphological changes. Plants are even more sensitive to environmental changes during reproductive stages. However, much less is known about how plants respond to abiotic stresses during reproduction. Fortunately, recent advances in this field have begun to provide clues about these important processes, which promise further understanding and a potential contribution to maximize crop yield under adverse environments. Here we summarize information from several plants, focusing on the possible mechanisms that plants use to cope with different types of abiotic stresses during reproductive development, and present a tentative molecular portrait of plant acclimation during reproductive stages. Additionally, we discuss strategies that plants use to balance between survival and productivity, with some comparison among different plants that have adapted to distinct environments.

AsHSP26.8a, a creeping bentgrass small heat shock protein integrates different signaling pathways to modulate plant abiotic stress response

BACKGROUND

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are critical for plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses, especially heat stress. They have also been implicated in various aspects of plant development. However, the acting mechanisms of the sHSPs in plants, especially in perennial grass species, remain largely elusive.

RESULTS

In this study, AsHSP26.8a, a novel chloroplast-localized sHSP gene from creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) was cloned and its role in plant response to environmental stress was studied. AsHSP26.8a encodes a protein of 26.8 kDa. Its expression was strongly induced in both leaf and root tissues by heat stress. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing AsHSP26.8a displayed reduced tolerance to heat stress. Furthermore, overexpression of AsHSP26.8a resulted in hypersensitivity to hormone ABA and salinity stress. Global gene expression analysis revealed AsHSP26.8a-modulated expression of heat-shock transcription factor gene, and the involvement of AsHSP26.8a in ABA-dependent and -independent as well as other stress signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that AsHSP26.8a may negatively regulate plant response to various abiotic stresses through modulating ABA and other stress signaling pathways.

A class I cytosolic HSP20 of rice enhances heat and salt tolerance in different organisms

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) have been thought to function as chaperones, protecting their targets from denaturation and aggregation when organisms are subjected to various biotic and abiotic stresses. We previously reported an sHSP from Oryza sativa (OsHSP20) that homodimerizes and forms granules within the cytoplasm but its function was unclear. We now show that OsHSP20 transcripts were significantly up-regulated by heat shock and high salinity but not by drought. A recombinant protein was purified and shown to inhibit the thermal aggregation of the mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (MDH) enzyme in vitro, and this molecular chaperone activity suggested that OsHSP20 might be involved in stress resistance. Heterologous expression of OsHSP20 in Escherichia coli or Pichia pastoris cells enhanced heat and salt stress tolerance when compared with the control cultures. Transgenic rice plants constitutively overexpressing OsHSP20 and exposed to heat and salt treatments had longer roots and higher germination rates than those of control plants. A series of assays using its truncated mutants showed that its N-terminal arm plus the ACD domain was crucial for its homodimerization, molecular chaperone activity in vitro, and stress tolerance in vivo. The results supported the viewpoint that OsHSP20 could confer heat and salt tolerance by its molecular chaperone activity in different organisms and also provided a more thorough characterization of HSP20-mediated stress tolerance in O. sativa.

Silencing of class I small heat shock proteins affects seed-related attributes and thermotolerance in rice seedlings

MAIN CONCLUSION

Silencing of CI-sHsps by RNAi negatively affected the seed germination process and heat stress response of rice seedlings. Seed size of RNAiCI-sHsp was reduced as compared to wild-type plants. Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are the ATP-independent chaperones ubiquitously expressed in response to diverse environmental and developmental cues. Cytosolic sHsps constitute the major repertoire of sHsp family. Rice cytosolic class I (CI)-sHsps consists of seven members (Hsp16.9A, Hsp16.9B, Hsp16.9C, Hsp17.4, Hsp17.7, Hsp17.9A and Hsp18). Purified OsHsp17.4 and OsHsp17.9A proteins exhibited chaperone activity by preventing formation of large aggregates with model substrate citrate synthase. OsHsp16.9A and OsHsp17.4 showed nucleo-cytoplasmic localization, while the localization of OsHsp17.9A was preferentially in the nucleus. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing OsHsp17.4 and OsHsp17.9A proteins and Arabidopsis plants ectopically expressing OsHsp17.4 protein showed improved thermotolerance to the respective trans-hosts during the post-stress recovery process. Single hairpin construct was designed to generate all CI-sHsp silenced (RNAiCI-sHsp) rice lines. The major vegetative and reproductive attributes of the RNAiCI-sHsp plants were comparable to the wild-type rice plants. Basal and acquired thermotolerance response of RNAiCI-sHsp seedlings of rice was mildly affected. The seed length of RNAiCI-sHsp rice plants was significantly reduced. The seed germination process was delayed and seed thermotolerance of RNAiCI-sHsp was negatively affected than the non-transgenic seeds. We, thus, implicate that sHsp genes are critical in seedling thermotolerance and seed physiology.

Comparative Analysis of Proteomics and Transcriptomics during Fertility Transition in a Two-Line Hybrid Rice Line Wuxiang S

The two-line hybrid rice is an important factor of a global crop, but its fertility transition mechanism is unclear. Here, a comparative proteomics and transcriptomics analysis was completed on the two-line hybrid rice line Wuxiang S (WXS) to explore its molecular mechanism and protein regulation during fertility transition. A total of 340 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified using iTRAQ between the pollen mother cell formation stage (P2) and the meiosis stage (P3). There were 3541 and 4247 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in P2 and P3 between WXS (Sterile, S)-WXS(S) and WXS (Fertile, F)-WXS(F), respectively, of which 92 and 71 DEGs had corresponding DAPs. Among the DAPs and DEGs, 65 (SP2 vs. FP2) and 55 (SP3 vs. FP3) corresponding DEGs and DAPs (cor-DEGs-DAPs) showed the same expression trend, indicating the cor-DEGs-DAPs genes might play vital roles in WXS fertility transition. Further analysis indicated that cor-DEGs-DAPs proteins were related to energy metabolism-related proteins in anther development and were accompanied by the activation of the stress response pathway and modifications to the cell wall, which ultimately affected the fertility transition of the PTGMS rice line WXS.

Transcriptional Analysis of the Early Ripening of 'Kyoho' Grape in Response to the Treatment of Riboflavin

Previous study has demonstrated that the riboflavin treatment promoted the early ripening of the ‘Kyoho’ grape berry. However, the molecular mechanism causing this was unclear. In order to reveal the regulation mechanism of riboflavin treatment on grape berry development and ripening, the different berry developmental stages of the ‘Kyoho’ berry treated with 0.5 mmol/L of riboflavin was sampled for transcriptome profiling. RNA-seq revealed that 1526 and 430 genes were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively, for the comparisons of the treatment to the control. TCseq analysis showed that the expression patterns of most of the genes were similar between the treatment and the control, except for some genes that were related to the chlorophyll metabolism, photosynthesis–antenna proteins, and photosynthesis, which were revealed by the enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). The differentially expressed genes and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) analysis identified some significantly differentially expressed genes and some hub genes, including up-regulation of the photosynthesis-related ELIP1 and growth and development-related GDSL; and down-regulation of the oxidative stress-related ATHSP22 and berry softening-related XTH32 and GH9B15. The results suggested that the riboflavin treatment resulted in the variations of the expression levels of these genes, and then led to the early ripening of the ‘Kyoho’ berry.

The coupling of transcriptome and proteome adaptation during development and heat stress response of tomato pollen

BACKGROUND

Pollen development is central for plant reproduction and is assisted by changes of the transcriptome and proteome. At the same time, pollen development and viability is largely sensitive to stress, particularly to elevated temperatures. The transcriptomic and proteomic changes during pollen development and of different stages in response to elevated temperature was targeted to define the underlying molecular principles.

RESULTS

The analysis of the transcriptome and proteome of Solanum lycopersicum pollen at tetrad, post-meiotic and mature stage before and after heat stress yielded a decline of the transcriptome but an increase of the proteome size throughout pollen development. Comparison of the transcriptome and proteome led to the discovery of two modes defined as direct and delayed translation. Here, genes of distinct functional processes are under the control of direct and delayed translation. The response of pollen to elevated temperature occurs rather at proteome, but not as drastic at the transcriptome level. Heat shock proteins, proteasome subunits, ribosomal proteins and eukaryotic initiation factors are most affected. On the example of heat shock proteins we demonstrate a decoupling of transcript and protein levels as well as a distinct regulation between the developmental stages.

CONCLUSIONS

The transcriptome and proteome of developing pollen undergo drastic changes in composition and quantity. Changes at the proteome level are a result of two modes assigned as direct and delayed translation. The response of pollen to elevated temperature is mainly regulated at the proteome level, whereby proteins related to synthesis and degradation of proteins are most responsive and might play a central role in the heat stress response of pollen.

Melatonin Alleviates High Temperature-Induced Pollen Abortion in Solanum lycopersicum

Melatonin is a pleiotropic signal molecule that plays critical roles in regulating plant growth and development, as well as providing physiological protections against various environmental stresses. Nonetheless, the mechanisms for melatonin-mediated pollen thermotolerance remain largely unknown. In this study, we report that irrigation treatment with melatonin (20 µM) effectively ameliorated high temperature-induced inactivation of pollen and inhibition of pollen germination in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants. Melatonin alleviated reactive oxygen species production in tomato anthers under high temperature by the up-regulation of the transcription and activities of several antioxidant enzymes. Transmission electron micrograph results showed that high temperature-induced pollen abortion is associated with a premature degeneration of the tapetum cells and the formation of defective pollen grains with degenerated nuclei at the early uninuclear microspore stage, whilst melatonin protected degradation of organelles by enhancing the expression of heat shock protein genes to refold unfolded proteins and the expression of autophagy-related genes and formation of autophagosomes to degrade denatured proteins. These findings suggest a novel function of melatonin to protect pollen activity under high temperature and support the potential effects of melatonin on reproductive development of plants.

The Rice Phytochrome Genes, PHYA and PHYB, Have Synergistic Effects on Anther Development and Pollen Viability

Phytochromes are the main plant photoreceptors regulating multiple developmental processes. However, the regulatory network of phytochrome-mediated plant reproduction has remained largely unexplored. There are three phytochromes in rice, phyA, phyB and phyC. No changes in fertility are observed in the single mutants, whereas the seed-setting rate of the phyA phyB double mutant is significantly reduced. Histological and cytological analyses showed that the reduced fertility of the phyA phyB mutant was due to defects in both anther and pollen development. The four anther lobes in the phyA phyB mutant were developed at different stages with fewer pollen grains, most of which were aborted. At the mature stage, more than one lobe in the double mutant was just consisted of several cell layers. To identify genes involved in phytochrome-mediated anther development, anther transcriptomes of phyA, phyB and phyA phyB mutants were compared to that of wild-type rice respectively. Analysis of 2,241 double-mutant-specific differentially expressed transcripts revealed that the metabolic profiles, especially carbohydrate metabolism, were altered greatly, and heat-shock responses were activated in the double mutant. This study firstly provides valuable insight into the complex regulatory networks underlying phytochrome-mediated anther and pollen development in plants, and offers novel clues for hybrid rice breeding.

The CsHSP17.2 molecular chaperone is essential for thermotolerance in Camellia sinensis

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) play important roles in responses to heat stress. However, the functions of sHSPs in tea plants (Camellia sinensis) remain uncharacterized. A novel sHSP gene, designated CsHSP17.2, was isolated from tea plants. Subcellular localization analyses indicated that the CsHSP17.2 protein was present in the cytosol and the nucleus. CsHSP17.2 expression was significantly up-regulated by heat stress but was unaffected by low temperature. The CsHSP17.2 transcript levels increased following salt and polyethylene glycol 6000 treatments but decreased in the presence of abscisic acid. The molecular chaperone activity of CsHSP17.2 was demonstrated in vitro. Transgenic Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris expressing CsHSP17.2 exhibited enhanced thermotolerance. The transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana exhibited higher maximum photochemical efficiencies, greater soluble protein proline contents, higher germination rates and higher hypocotyl elongation length than the wild-type controls. The expression levels of several HS-responsive genes increased in transgenic A. thaliana plants. Additionally, the CsHSP17.2 promoter is highly responsive to high-temperature stress in A. thaliana. Our results suggest that CsHSP17.2 may act as a molecular chaperone to mediate heat tolerance by maintaining maximum photochemical efficiency and protein synthesis, enhancing the scavenging of reactive oxygen species and inducing the expression of HS-responsive genes.

Small heat shock proteins and the postharvest chilling tolerance of tomato fruit

Plants have the largest number of small heat shock proteins (sHsps) (15-42 kDa) among eukaryotes, but little is known about their function in vivo. They accumulate in response to different stresses, and specific sHsps are also expressed during developmental processes such as seed development, germination, and ripening. The presence of organelle-specific sHsps appears to be unique to plants. The sHsps expression is regulated by heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs). In this work, it was explored the role of sHsps in the chilling injury of tomato fruit. The level of transcripts and proteins of cytoplasmic and organellar sHsps was monitored in fruit during ripening and after cold storage (4 weeks at 4°C). Expression of HsfA1, HsfA2, HsfA3, and HsfB1 was also examined. Two cultivars of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) contrasting in chilling tolerance were assayed: Micro-Tom (chilling-tolerant) and Minitomato (chilling-sensitive). Results showed that sHsps were induced during ripening in fruit from both cultivars. However, sHsps were induced in Micro-Tom fruit but not in Minitomato fruit after storage at a low temperature. In particular, sHsp 17.4-CII and sHsp23.8-M transcripts strongly accumulated in Micro-Tom fruit and HsfA3 transcript diminished after cold storage. These data suggest that sHsps may be involved in the protection mechanisms against chilling stress and substantiate the hypothesis that sHsps may participate in the mechanism of tomato genotype chilling tolerance.

AsHSP17, a creeping bentgrass small heat shock protein modulates plant photosynthesis and ABA-dependent and independent signalling to attenuate plant response to abiotic stress

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are molecular chaperones that accumulate in response to heat and other abiotic stressors. Small HSPs (sHSPs) belong to the most ubiquitous HSP subgroup with molecular weights ranging from 12 to 42 kDa. We have cloned a new sHSP gene, AsHSP17 from creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and studied its role in plant response to environmental stress. AsHSP17 encodes a protein of 17 kDa. Its expression was strongly induced by heat in both leaf and root tissues, and by salt and abscisic acid (ABA) in roots. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants constitutively expressing AsHSP17 exhibited enhanced sensitivity to heat and salt stress accompanied by reduced leaf chlorophyll content and decreased photosynthesis under both normal and stressed conditions compared to wild type. Overexpression of AsHSP17 also led to hypersensitivity to exogenous ABA and salinity during germination and post-germinative growth. Gene expression analysis indicated that AsHSP17 modulates expression of photosynthesis-related genes and regulates ABA biosynthesis, metabolism and ABA signalling as well as ABA-independent stress signalling. Our results suggest that AsHSP17 may function as a protein chaperone to negatively regulate plant responses to adverse environmental stresses through modulating photosynthesis and ABA-dependent and independent signalling pathways.

Acclimation to high temperature during pollen development

KEY MESSAGE

Pollen heat acclimation. As a consequence of global warming, plants have to face more severe and more frequently occurring periods of high temperature stress. While this affects the whole plant, development of the male gametophyte, the pollen, seems to be the most sensitive process. Given the great importance of functioning pollen for the plant life cycle and for agricultural production, it is necessary to understand this sensitivity. While changes in temperature affect different components of all cells and require a cellular response and acclimation, high temperature effects and responses in developing pollen are distinct from vegetative tissues at several points. This could be related to specific physiological characteristics of developing pollen and supporting tissues which make them vulnerable to high temperature, or its derived effects such as ROS accumulation and carbohydrate starvation. But also expression of heat stress-responsive genes shows unique patterns in developing pollen when compared to vegetative tissues that might explain the failure to withstand high temperatures. As an alternative to viewing pollen failure under high temperature as a result of inherent sensitivity of a specific developmental process, we end by discussing whether it might actually be an adaptation.

Proteomic analysis and candidate allergenic proteins in Populus deltoides CL. "2KEN8" mature pollen

Proteomic analysis was used to generate a map of Populus deltoides CL. "2KEN8" mature pollen proteins. By applying 2-D electrophoresis, we resolved 403 protein spots from mature pollen. Using the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time time-of-flight/time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry method, we identified 178 distinct proteins from 218 protein spots expressed in mature pollen. Moreover, out of these, 28 proteins were identified as putative allergens. The expression patterns of these putative allergen genes indicate that several of these genes are highly expressed in pollen. In addition, the members of profilin allergen family were analyzed and their expression patterns were compared with their homologous genes in Arabidopsis and rice. Knowledge of these identified allergens has the potential to improve specific diagnosis and allergen immunotherapy treatment for patients with poplar pollen allergy.

Small heat shock proteins: recent developments

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are abundantly present in many different organisms at elevated temperatures. Members of the subgroup of alpha crystallin domain (ACD)-type sHSPs belong to the large family of protein chaperones. They bind non-native proteins in an ATP-independent manner, thereby holding the incorporated clients soluble for subsequent refolding by other molecular chaperoning systems. sHSPs do not actively refold incorporated peptides therefore they are sometimes referred to as holdases. Varying numbers of sHSPs have been documented in the different domains of life and dependent on the analyzed organism. Generally, diverse sHSPs possess more sequence similarities in the conserved ACD, whereas the N- and C-terminal extensions are less conserved. Despite their designation as sHSPs, they are not solely present during heat stress. sHSPs presumably help to protect cells under various stresses, but they were also found during development, e.g., in embryonic development of higher plants which is associated with ongoing seed desiccation. The functional and physiological relevance of several different sHSPs in one organism remains still unclear, especially in plants where several highly similar sHSPs are present in the same compartment. The wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses that induce the expression of multiple sHSP genes makes it challenging to define the physiological relevance of each of these versatile proteins.

Enhancement of reproductive heat tolerance in plants

Comparison of average crop yields with reported record yields has shown that major crops exhibit annual average yields three- to seven-fold lower than record yields because of unfavorable environments. The current study investigated the enhancement of pollen heat tolerance through expressing an Arabidopsis thaliana heat shock protein 101 (AtHSP101) that is not normally expressed in pollen but reported to play a crucial role in vegetative thermotolerance. The AtHSP101 construct under the control of the constitutive ocs/mas 'superpromoter' was transformed into cotton Coker 312 and tobacco SRI lines via Agrobacterium mediated transformation. Thermotolerance of pollen was evaluated by in vitro pollen germination studies. Comparing with those of wild type and transgenic null lines, pollen from AtHSP101 transgenic tobacco and cotton lines exhibited significantly higher germination rate and much greater pollen tube elongation under elevated temperatures or after a heat exposure. In addition, significant increases in boll set and seed numbers were also observed in transgenic cotton lines exposed to elevated day and night temperatures in both greenhouse and field studies. The results of this study suggest that enhancing heat tolerance of reproductive tissues in plant holds promise in the development of crops with improved yield production and yield sustainability in unfavorable environments.

Differentially expressed seed aging responsive heat shock protein OsHSP18.2 implicates in seed vigor, longevity and improves germination and seedling establishment under abiotic stress

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are a diverse group of proteins and are highly abundant in plant species. Although majority of these sHSPs were shown to express specifically in seed, their potential function in seed physiology remains to be fully explored. Our proteomic analysis revealed that OsHSP18.2, a class II cytosolic HSP is an aging responsive protein as its abundance significantly increased after artificial aging in rice seeds. OsHSP18.2 transcript was found to markedly increase at the late maturation stage being highly abundant in dry seeds and sharply decreased after germination. Our biochemical study clearly demonstrated that OsHSP18.2 forms homooligomeric complex and is dodecameric in nature and functions as a molecular chaperone. OsHSP18.2 displayed chaperone activity as it was effective in preventing thermal inactivation of Citrate Synthase. Further, to analyze the function of this protein in seed physiology, seed specific Arabidopsis overexpression lines for OsHSP18.2 were generated. Our subsequent functional analysis clearly demonstrated that OsHSP18.2 has ability to improve seed vigor and longevity by reducing deleterious ROS accumulation in seeds. In addition, transformed Arabidopsis seeds also displayed better performance in germination and cotyledon emergence under adverse conditions. Collectively, our work demonstrates that OsHSP18.2 is an aging responsive protein which functions as a molecular chaperone and possibly protect and stabilize the cellular proteins from irreversible damage particularly during maturation drying, desiccation and aging in seeds by restricting ROS accumulation and thereby improves seed vigor, longevity and seedling establishment.

Comparative analysis of zygospore transcripts during early germination in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has a haplontic life cycle, and forms diploid zygotes for reproduction. The zygospore, a sporulating zygote, begins germination in response to light signals, generating haploid progenies and inducing several cell-biological events; e.g., DNA synthesis and meiotic division, successively. Their regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown, so we focused on the early stages of germination and analyzed the dynamics of gene expression associated with the germination process. The gene expression levels of zygospores at 1 and 6h after light exposure were analyzed by a next-generation sequencing platform, the 454 GS Junior. At 6h, the photosynthesis pathway, including its antenna proteins and two methionine metabolism-related genes (methionine synthase and sulfite reductase), were up-regulated compared to 1h after light exposure. Meanwhile, three uncharacterized genes that contained an antibiotic biosynthesis monooxygenase domain and an HSP20/alpha crystallin family protein were specifically expressed at 1h after light exposure. These gene expressions were also verified by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. These results suggest that the photosynthesis and methionine synthesis pathways, both of which occur in the chloroplast, are activated in zygospores at around 6h after light exposure, and that some polyketides and/or a small heat shock protein may be related to the initiation of zygospore germination.

A new link between stress response and nucleolar function during pollen development in Arabidopsis mediated by AtREN1 protein

Heat shock transcription factors (Hsfs) are involved in multiple aspects of stress response and plant growth. However, their role during male gametophyte development is largely unknown, although the generative phase is the most sensitive and critical period in the plant life cycle. Based on a wide screen of T-DNA mutant lines, we identified the atren1 mutation (restricted to nucleolus1) in early male gametophytic gene At1g77570, which has the closest homology to HSFA5 gene, the member of a heat shock transcription factor (HSF) gene family. The mutation causes multiple defects in male gametophyte development in both structure and function. Because the mutation disrupts an early acting (AtREN1) gene, these pollen phenotype abnormalities appear from bicellular pollen stage to pollen maturation. Moreover, the consequent progamic phase is compromised as well as documented by pollen germination defects and limited transmission via male gametophyte. In addition, atren1/- plants are defective in heat stress (HS) response and produce notably higher proportion of aberrant pollen grains. AtREN1 protein is targeted specifically to the nucleolus that, together with the increased size of the nucleolus in atren1 pollen, suggests that it is likely to be involved in ribosomal RNA biogenesis or other nucleolar functions.

Overexpression of small heat shock protein LimHSP16.45 in Arabidopsis enhances tolerance to abiotic stresses

Small heat shock proteins (smHSPs) play important and extensive roles in plant defenses against abiotic stresses. We cloned a gene for a smHSP from the David Lily (Lilium davidii (E. H. Wilson) Raffill var. Willmottiae), which we named LimHSP16.45 based on its protein molecular weight. Its expression was induced by many kinds of abiotic stresses in both the lily and transgenic plants of Arabidopsis. Heterologous expression enhanced cell viability of the latter under high temperatures, high salt, and oxidative stress, and heat shock granules (HSGs) formed under heat or salinity treatment. Assays of enzymes showed that LimHSP16.45 overexpression was related to greater activity by superoxide dismutase and catalase in transgenic lines. Therefore, we conclude that heterologous expression can protect plants against abiotic stresses by preventing irreversible protein aggregation, and by scavenging cellular reactive oxygen species.

Ensuring Reproduction at High Temperatures: The Heat Stress Response during Anther and Pollen Development

Sexual reproduction in flowering plants is very sensitive to environmental stresses, particularly to thermal insults which frequently occur when plants grow in field conditions in the warm season. Although abnormalities in both male and female reproductive organs due to high temperatures have been described in several crops, the failure to set fruits has mainly been attributed to the high sensitivity of developing anthers and pollen grains, particularly at certain developmental stages. A global view of the molecular mechanisms involved in the response to high temperatures in the male reproductive organs will be presented in this review. In addition, transcriptome and proteomic data, currently available, will be discussed in the light of physiological and metabolic changes occurring during anther and pollen development. A deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the stress response to high temperatures in flowers and, particularly, in the male reproductive organs will be a major step towards development of effective breeding strategies for high and stable production in crop plants.

Wheat chloroplast targeted sHSP26 promoter confers heat and abiotic stress inducible expression in transgenic Arabidopsis Plants

The small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) have been found to play a critical role in physiological stress conditions in protecting proteins from irreversible aggregation. To characterize the hloroplast targeted sHSP26 promoter in detail, deletion analysis of the promoter is carried out and analysed via transgenics in Arabidopsis. In the present study, complete assessment of the importance of CCAAT-box elements along with Heat shock elements (HSEs) in the promoter of sHSP26 was performed. Moreover, the importance of 5' untranslated region (UTR) has also been established in the promoter via Arabidopsis transgenics. An intense GUS expression was observed after heat stress in the transgenics harbouring a full-length promoter, confirming the heat-stress inducibility of the promoter. Transgenic plants without UTR showed reduced GUS expression when compared to transgenic plants with UTR as was confirmed at the RNA and protein levels by qRT-PCR and GUS histochemical assays, thus suggesting the possible involvement of some regulatory elements present in the UTR in heat-stress inducibility of the promoter. Promoter activity was also checked under different abiotic stresses and revealed differential expression in different deletion constructs. Promoter analysis based on histochemical assay, real-time qPCR and fluorimetric analysis revealed that HSEs alone could not transcribe GUS gene significantly in sHSP26 promoter and CCAAT box elements contribute synergistically to the transcription. Our results also provide insight into the importance of 5`UTR of sHsp26 promoter thus emphasizing the probable role of imperfect CCAAT-box element or some novel cis-element with respect to heat stress.

The evolution, function, structure, and expression of the plant sHSPs

Small heat shock proteins are a diverse, ancient, and important family of proteins. All organisms possess small heat shock proteins (sHSPs), indicating that these proteins evolved very early in the history of life prior to the divergence of the three domains of life (Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya). Comparing the structures of sHSPs from diverse organisms across these three domains reveals that despite considerable amino acid divergence, many structural features are conserved. Comparisons of the sHSPs from diverse organisms reveal conserved structural features including an oligomeric form with a β-sandwich that forms a hollow ball. This conservation occurs despite significant divergence in primary sequences. It is well established that sHSPs are molecular chaperones that prevent misfolding and irreversible aggregation of their client proteins. Most notably, the sHSPs are extremely diverse and variable in plants. Some plants have >30 individual sHSPs. Land plants, unlike other groups, possess distinct sHSP subfamilies. Most are highly up-regulated in response to heat and other stressors. Others are selectively expressed in seeds and pollen, and a few are constitutively expressed. As a family, sHSPs have a clear role in thermotolerance, but attributing specific effects to individual proteins has proved challenging. Considerable progress has been made during the last 15 years in understanding the sHSPs. However, answers to many important questions remain elusive, suggesting that the next 15 years will be at least equally rewarding.

Analysis of gene sequences indicates that quantity not quality of chloroplast small HSPs improves thermotolerance in C4 and CAM plants

Chloroplast-localized small heat-shock proteins (Cp-sHSP) protect Photosystem II and thylakoid membranes during heat and other stresses, and Cp-sHSP production levels are related to plant thermotolerance. However, to date, a paucity of Cp-sHSP sequences from C4 or CAM species, or from other extremely heat-tolerant species, has precluded an examination to determine if Cp-sHSP genes or proteins might differ among plants with photosynthetic pathways or between heat-sensitive and heat-tolerant species. To investigate this, we isolated and characterized novel Cp-sHSP genes in four plant species: two moderately heat-tolerant C4 species, Spartina alterniflora (monocot) and Amaranthus retroflexus (eudicot), and two very heat-tolerant CAM species, Agave americana (monocot) and Ferocactus wislizenii (eudicot) (respective genes: SasHSP27.12, ArsHSP26.43, AasHSP26.85 and FwsHSP27.52) by PCR-based genome walking and cDNA RACE. Analysis of these Cp-sHSPs has confirmed the presence of conserved domains common to previously examined species. As expected, the transit peptide was found to be the most variable part of these proteins. Promoter analysis of these genes revealed differences in CAM versus C3 and C4 species that were independent of a general difference between monocots and eudicots observed for the entire protein. Heat-induced gene and protein expression indicated that Cp-sHSP protein levels were correlated with thermotolerance of photosynthetic electron transport, and that in most cases protein and transcript levels were correlated. Thus, available evidence indicates little variation in the amino acid sequence of Cp-sHSP mature proteins between heat-sensitive and -tolerant species, but that variation in Cp-sHSP protein production is related to heat tolerance or photosynthetic pathway (CAM vs. C3 and C4) and is driven by promoter differences. Key message We isolated and characterized four novel Cp-sHSP genes with promoters from wild plants, analysis has shown qualitative and quantitative interspecific variations in Cp-sHSPs of C3, C4, and CAM plant thermotolerance.

The Opuntia streptacantha OpsHSP18 gene confers salt and osmotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abiotic stress limits seed germination, plant growth, flowering and fruit quality, causing economic decrease. Small Heat Shock Proteins (sHSPs) are chaperons with roles in stress tolerance. Herein, we report the functional characterization of a cytosolic class CI sHSP (OpsHSP18) from Opuntia streptacantha during seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic lines subjected to different stress and hormone treatments. The over-expression of the OpsHSP18 gene in A. thaliana increased the seed germination rate under salt (NaCl) and osmotic (glucose and mannitol) stress, and in ABA treatments, compared with WT. On the other hand, the over-expression of the OpsHSP18 gene enhanced tolerance to salt (150 mM NaCl) and osmotic (274 mM mannitol) stress in Arabidopsis seedlings treated during 14 and 21 days, respectively. These plants showed increased survival rates (52.00 and 73.33%, respectively) with respect to the WT (18.75 and 53.75%, respectively). Thus, our results show that OpsHSP18 gene might have an important role in abiotic stress tolerance, in particular in seed germination and survival rate of Arabidopsis plants under unfavorable conditions.

Water status and associated processes mark critical stages in pollen development and functioning

BACKGROUND

The male gametophyte developmental programme can be divided into five phases which differ in relation to the environment and pollen hydration state: (1) pollen develops inside the anther immersed in locular fluid, which conveys substances from the mother plant--the microsporogenesis phase; (2) locular fluid disappears by reabsorption and/or evaporation before the anther opens and the maturing pollen grains undergo dehydration--the dehydration phase; (3) the anther opens and pollen may be dispersed immediately, or be held by, for example, pollenkitt (as occurs in almost all entomophilous species) for later dispersion--the presentation phase; (4) pollen is dispersed by different agents, remaining exposed to the environment for different periods--the dispersal phase; and (5) pollen lands on a stigma and, in the case of a compatible stigma and suitable conditions, undergoes rehydration and starts germination--the pollen-stigma interaction phase.

SCOPE

This review highlights the issue of pollen water status and indicates the various mechanisms used by pollen grains during their five developmental phases to adjust to changes in water content and maintain internal stability.

CONCLUSIONS

Pollen water status is co-ordinated through structural, physiological and molecular mechanisms. The structural components participating in regulation of the pollen water level, during both dehydration and rehydration, include the exine (the outer wall of the pollen grain) and the vacuole. Recent data suggest the involvement of water channels in pollen water transport and the existence of several molecular mechanisms for pollen osmoregulation and to protect cellular components (proteins and membranes) under water stress. It is suggested that pollen grains will use these mechanisms, which have a developmental role, to cope with environmental stress conditions.

Expression of selected Ginkgo biloba heat shock protein genes after cold treatment could be induced by other abiotic stress

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play various stress-protective roles in plants. In this study, three HSP genes were isolated from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library of Ginkgo biloba leaves treated with cold stress. Based on the molecular weight, the three genes were designated GbHSP16.8, GbHSP17 and GbHSP70. The full length of the three genes were predicted to encode three polypeptide chains containing 149 amino acids (Aa), 152 Aa, and 657 Aa, and their corresponding molecular weights were predicted as follows: 16.67 kDa, 17.39 kDa, and 71.81 kDa respectively. The three genes exhibited distinctive expression patterns in different organs or development stages. GbHSP16.8 and GbHSP70 showed high expression levels in leaves and a low level in gynoecia, GbHSP17 showed a higher transcription in stamens and lower level in fruit. This result indicates that GbHSP16.8 and GbHSP70 may play important roles in Ginkgo leaf development and photosynthesis, and GbHSP17 may play a positive role in pollen maturation. All three GbHSPs were up-regulated under cold stress, whereas extreme heat stress only caused up-regulation of GbHSP70, UV-B treatment resulted in up-regulation of GbHSP16.8 and GbHSP17, wounding treatment resulted in up-regulation of GbHSP16.8 and GbHSP70, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment caused up-regulation of GbHSP70 primarily.

Small heat shock protein expression and functions during development

The expression of small heat shock proteins is tightly regulated during development in multiple organisms. As housekeeping proteins, small heat shock proteins help protect cells from apoptosis, stabilize the cytoskeleton and contribute to proteostasis. Consistently, depletion of one small heat shock protein is usually not detrimental due to a certain level of redundancy between the functions of each small heat shock protein. However, while their stress-induced expression is regulated by heat shock factors, their constitutive expression is under the control of other specific transcription factors, suggesting the existence of very specialized functions. This review focuses on the expression patterns and functions of small heat shock proteins in various organisms during development. This article is part of a Directed Issue entitled: Small HSPs in physiology and pathology.

Features of a unique intronless cluster of class I small heat shock protein genes in tandem with box C/D snoRNA genes on chromosome 6 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Physical clustering of genes has been shown in plants; however, little is known about gene clusters that have different functions, particularly those expressed in the tomato fruit. A class I 17.6 small heat shock protein (Sl17.6 shsp) gene was cloned and used as a probe to screen a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) genomic library. An 8.3-kb genomic fragment was isolated and its DNA sequence determined. Analysis of the genomic fragment identified intronless open reading frames of three class I shsp genes (Sl17.6, Sl20.0, and Sl20.1), the Sl17.6 gene flanked by Sl20.1 and Sl20.0, with complete 5' and 3' UTRs. Upstream of the Sl20.0 shsp, and within the shsp gene cluster, resides a box C/D snoRNA cluster made of SlsnoR12.1 and SlU24a. Characteristic C and D, and C' and D', boxes are conserved in SlsnoR12.1 and SlU24a while the upstream flanking region of SlsnoR12.1 carries TATA box 1, homol-E and homol-D box-like cis sequences, TM6 promoter, and an uncharacterized tomato EST. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that this particular arrangement of shsps is conserved in tomato genome but is distinct from other species. The intronless genomic sequence is decorated with cis elements previously shown to be responsive to cues from plant hormones, dehydration, cold, heat, and MYC/MYB and WRKY71 transcription factors. Chromosomal mapping localized the tomato genomic sequence on the short arm of chromosome 6 in the introgression line (IL) 6-3. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of gene cluster members revealed differential expression during ripening of tomato fruit, and relatively different abundances in other plant parts.

NnHSP17.5, a cytosolic class II small heat shock protein gene from Nelumbo nucifera, contributes to seed germination vigor and seedling thermotolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

In plants, small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are unusually abundant and diverse proteins involved in various abiotic stresses, but their functions in seed vigor remain to be fully explored. In this study, we report the isolation and functional characterization of a sHSP gene, NnHSP17.5, from sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) in seed germination vigor and seedling thermotolerance. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicate that NnHSP17.5 is a cytosolic class II sHSP, which was further supported by the cytosolic localization of the NnHSP17.5-YFP fusion protein. NnHSP17.5 was specifically expressed in seeds under normal conditions, and was strongly up-regulated in germinating seeds upon heat and oxidative stresses. Transgenic Arabidopsis seeds ectopically expressing NnHSP17.5 displayed enhanced seed germination vigor and exhibited increased superoxide dismutase activity after accelerated aging treatment. In addition, improved basal thermotolerance was also observed in the transgenic seedlings. Taken together, this work highlights the importance of a plant cytosolic class II sHSP both in seed germination vigor and seedling thermotolerance.

Small heat shock protein LimHSP16.45 protects pollen mother cells and tapetal cells against extreme temperatures during late zygotene to pachytene stages of meiotic prophase I in David Lily

Plant meiotic prophase I is a complicated process involving the late zygotene and pachytene stages, both crucial for completing synapsis and recombination. Using David Lily (Lilium davidii var. Willmottiae) as our research material, we performed suppression subtractive hybridization to construct EST library of anthers at various stages of development by the pollen mother cells. From this library, we identified small heat shock protein LimHSP16.45 was highly expressed during the late zygotene to pachytene stages. Our results also showed that LimHSP16.45 was almost specifically expressed in the anther compared with the root, stem, or leaf, and in situ expression of LimHSP16.45 mRNAs showed strong signals in the pollen mother cells and tapetal cells. LimHSP16.45 could be induced by heat and cold in lily anthers, and its ectopic expression enhanced the viability of E. coli cells under both high and low temperatures. In vitro, it acted as molecular chaperone and could help luciferase refolding after heat shock stress. All of these data suggest that LimHSP16.45, working as molecular chaperone, possibly protects pollen mother cells and tapetal cells against extreme temperatures during late zygotene to pachytene stages of meiotic prophase I in David Lily.

Small heat shock protein Hsp17.8 functions as an AKR2A cofactor in the targeting of chloroplast outer membrane proteins in Arabidopsis

Plastid proteins that are encoded by the nuclear genome and synthesized in the cytosol undergo posttranslational targeting to plastids. Ankyrin repeat protein 2A (AKR2A) and AKR2B were recently shown to be involved in the targeting of proteins to the plastid outer envelope. However, it remains unknown whether other factors are involved in this process. In this study, we investigated a factor involved in AKR2A-mediated protein targeting to chloroplasts in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Hsp17.8, a member of the class I (CI) cytosolic small heat shock proteins (sHsps), was identified in interactions with AKR2A. The interaction between Hsp17.8 and AKR2A was further confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation experiments. The carboxyl-terminal ankyrin repeat domain of AKR2A was responsible for AKR2A binding to Hsp17.8. Other CI cytosolic sHsps also interact with AKR2A to varying degrees. Additionally, Hsp17.8 binds to chloroplasts in vitro and enhances AKR2A binding to chloroplasts. HSP17.8 was expressed under normal growth conditions, and its expression increased after heat shock. Hsp17.8 exists as a dimer under normal physiological conditions, and it is converted to high oligomeric complexes, ranging from 240 kD to greater than 480 kD, after heat shock. High levels of Hsp17.8 together with AKR2A resulted in increased plastid targeting of Outer Envelope Protein7 (OEP7), a plastid outer envelope protein expressed as a green fluorescent protein fusion protein. In contrast, artificial microRNA suppression of HSP17.8 and closely related CI cytosolic sHSPs in protoplasts resulted in a reduction of OEP7:green fluorescent protein targeting to plastids. Based on these data, we propose that Hsp17.8 functions as an AKR2A cofactor in targeting membrane proteins to plastid outer membranes under normal physiological conditions.

Isolation of heat shock-induced Nicotiana tabacum transcription promoters and their potential as a tool for plant research and biotechnology

Transcription promoters of heat shock protein (HSP) genes have been used to control the expression of heterologous proteins in plants and plant cells. To obtain a strong HSP promoter that is functionally active in Nicotiana tabacum BY-2 cells, we set out to identify a promoter of an endogenous gene showing high activation of expression by heat. An N. tabacum BY-2 cell culture was treated for 8 h at 37°C and the cell protein extract analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis. A major spot was identified by mass spectrometry as belonging to the small HSP family. The promoter regions and the 5' and 3' untranslated regions of two genes, NtHSP3A and NtHSP3B, with sequences fitting the protein identified were cloned and fused to a hybrid reporter gene coding for β-glucuronidase (GUS) and a yellow fluorescent protein. These constructs were introduced into N. tabacum BY2 cells by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Both promoters conferred similar heat-induced GUS expression. In the best heat shock condition, GUS activity was increased 200 fold and reached 285 pmol min(-1) μg protein(-1). Up-scaling in a 4-l bioreactor resulted in similar heat-induced expression. The NtHSP3A promoter was then used to drive the expression of NtPDR1, a plasma membrane transporter belonging to the pleiotropic drug resistance family. No expression was observed at 25°C, while, at 37°C, expression was similar to that obtained using a strong constitutive promoter. These data show that the HSP promoters isolated are useful for high heat-induced expression in N. tabacum BY-2 cells.

Stable internal reference genes for normalization of real-time RT-PCR in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) during development and abiotic stress

Real-time RT-PCR is a powerful technique for the measurement of gene expression, but its accuracy depends on the stability of the internal reference gene(s) used for data normalization. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is an important model in studies of plant gene expression, but stable reference genes have not been well-studied in the tobacco system. We address this problem by analysing the expression stability of eight potential tobacco reference genes. Primers targeting each gene (18S rRNA, EF-1alpha, Ntubc2, alpha- and beta-tubulin, PP2A, L25 and actin) were developed and optimized. The expression of each gene was then measured by real-time PCR in a diverse set of 22 tobacco cDNA samples derived from developmentally distinct tissues and from plants exposed to several abiotic stresses. L25 and EF-1alpha demonstrated the highest expression stability, followed by Ntubc2. Measurement of L25 and EF-1alpha was sufficient for accurate normalization in either the developmental or stress-treated samples, but Ntubc2 was also required when considering the entire sample set. Analysis of a tobacco circadian gene (NTCP-23) verified these reference genes in an additional context, and all techniques were optimized to enable a high-throughput approach. These results provide a foundation for the more accurate and widespread use of real-time RT-PCR in tobacco.