The CBF1‐dependent low temperature signalling pathway, regulon and increase in freeze tolerance are conserved in Populus spp.
Open Access
- 21 April 2006
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Plant, Cell & Environment
- Vol. 29 (7), 1259-1272
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3040.2006.01505.x
Abstract
The meristematic tissues of temperate woody perennials must acclimate to freezing temperatures to survive the winter and resume growth the following year. To determine whether the C‐repeat binding factor (CBF) family of transcription factors contributing to this process in annual herbaceous species also functions in woody perennials, we investigated the changes in phenotype and transcript profile of transgenic Populus constitutively expressing CBF1 from Arabidopsis (AtCBF1). Ectopic expression of AtCBF1 was sufficient to significantly increase the freezing tolerance of non‐acclimated leaves and stems relative to wild‐type plants. cDNA microarray experiments identified genes up‐regulated by ectopic AtCBF1 expression in Populus, demonstrated a strong conservation of the CBF regulon between Populus and Arabidopsis and identified differences between leaf and stem regulons. We studied the induction kinetics and tissue specificity of four CBF paralogues identified from the Populus balsamifera subsp. trichocarpa genome sequence (PtCBFs). All four PtCBFs are cold‐inducible in leaves, but only PtCBF1 and PtCBF3 show significant induction in stems. Our results suggest that the central role played by the CBF family of transcriptional activators in cold acclimation of Arabidopsis has been maintained in Populus. However, the differential expression of the PtCBFs and differing clusters of CBF‐responsive genes in annual (leaf) and perennial (stem) tissues suggest that the perennial‐driven evolution of winter dormancy may have given rise to specific roles for these ‘master‐switches’ in the different annual and perennial tissues of woody species.Keywords
This publication has 62 references indexed in Scilit:
- Arabidopsis transcription factors regulating cold acclimationPhysiologia Plantarum, 2006
- Cold acclimation in silver birch (Betula pendula). Development of freezing tolerance in different tissues and climatic ecotypesPhysiologia Plantarum, 2002
- Climatic factors controlling reproduction and growth of Norway spruce in southern NorwayCanadian Journal of Forest Research, 2002
- DNA-Binding Specificity of the ERF/AP2 Domain of Arabidopsis DREBs, Transcription Factors Involved in Dehydration- and Cold-Inducible Gene ExpressionBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2002
- Isolation of genes similar to DREB1/CBF from sweet cherry(Prunus avium L.).Journal of the Japanese Society for Horticultural Science, 2002
- Protein analysis during almond embryo development. Identification and characterization of a late embryogenesis abundant proteinPlant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2000
- Photoperiodic induction of dormancy and freezing tolerance in Betula pubescens. Involvement of ABA and dehydrinsPhysiologia Plantarum, 1997
- Factors Influencing the Tissue Culture and the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of Hybrid Aspen and Poplar ClonesPlant Physiology, 1990
- The Influence of Photoperiod and Temperature on the Development of Frost Hardiness in Seedlings of Pinus silvestris and Picea abiesPhysiologia Plantarum, 1978
- Apical Growth Cessation and Shoot Tip Abscission in SalixPhysiologia Plantarum, 1976