title: At-HSP17.6A, encoding a small heat-shock protein in Arabidopsis, can enhance osmotolerance upon overexpression.
abstract: Owing to their sessile lifestyle, it is crucial for plants to acquire stress tolerance. The function of heat-shock proteins, including small heat-shock proteins (smHSPs), in stress tolerance is not fully explored. To gain further knowledge about the smHSPs, the gene that encoded the cytosolic class II smHSP in Arabidopsis thaliana (At-HSP17.6A) was characterized. The At-HSP17.6A expression was induced by heat and osmotic stress, as well as during seed development. Accumulation of At-HSP17.6A proteins could be detected with heat and at a late stage of seed development, but not with osmotic stress, suggesting stress-induced post-transcriptional regulation of At-HSP17.6A expression. Overproduction of At-HSP17.6A could increase salt and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. The chaperone activity of At-HSP17.6A was demonstrated in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Vakgroep Moleculaire Genetica, Departement Plantengenetica, Vlaams Interuniversitair Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Universiteit Gent, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van de Cotte
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Montagu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verbruggen
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000502:physiology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D003600:Cytosol; D003890:Desiccation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000502:physiology*; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012639:Seeds / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C439568:HSP17.6 protein, Arabidopsis; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins