At-HSP17.6A, encoding a small heat-shock protein in Arabidopsis, can enhance osmotolerance upon overexpression.
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.
Sun
W
W
Vakgroep Moleculaire Genetica, Departement Plantengenetica, Vlaams Interuniversitair Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Universiteit Gent, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
Bernard
C
C
van de Cotte
B
B
Van Montagu
M
M
Verbruggen
N
N
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
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C439568:HSP17.6 protein, Arabidopsis; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins