A mitochondrial complex I defect impairs cold-regulated nuclear gene expression.
To study low-temperature signaling in plants, we previously screened for cold stress response mutants using bioluminescent Arabidopsis plants that express the firefly luciferase reporter gene driven by the stress-responsive RD29A promoter. Here, we report on the characterization and cloning of one mutant, frostbite1 (fro1), which shows reduced luminescence induction by cold. fro1 plants display reduced cold induction of stress-responsive genes such as RD29A, KIN1, COR15A, and COR47. fro1 leaves have a reduced capacity for cold acclimation, appear water-soaked, leak electrolytes, and accumulate reactive oxygen species constitutively. FRO1 was isolated through positional cloning and found to encode a protein with high similarity to the 18-kD Fe-S subunit of complex I (NADH dehydrogenase, EC 1.6.5.3) in the mitochondrial electron transfer chain. Confocal imaging shows that the FRO1:green fluorescent protein fusion protein is localized in mitochondria. These results suggest that cold induction of nuclear gene expression is modulated by mitochondrial function.
Lee
Byeong-ha
BH
Department of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
Lee
Hojoung
H
Xiong
Liming
L
Zhu
Jian-Kang
JK
D000064:Acclimatization; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D017931:DNA Primers; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D007700:Kinetics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D017931:DNA Primers; D010940:Plant Proteins; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I