title: A maize calcium-dependent protein kinase gene, ZmCPK4, positively regulated abscisic acid signaling and enhanced drought stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.
abstract: Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) play essential roles in calcium-mediated signal transductions in plant response to abiotic stress. Several members have been identified to be regulators for plants response to abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Here, we isolated a subgroup I CDPK gene, ZmCPK4, from maize. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that the ZmCPK4 transcripts were induced by various stresses and signal molecules. Transient and stable expression of the ZmCPK4-GFP fusion proteins revealed ZmCPK4 localized to the membrane. Moreover, overexpression of ZmCPK4 in the transgenic Arabidopsis enhanced ABA sensitivity in seed germination, seedling growth and stomatal movement. The transgenic plants also enhanced drought stress tolerance. Taken together, the results suggest that ZmCPK4 might be involved in ABA-mediated regulation of stomatal closure in response to drought stress.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, 61 Dai Zong Street, Tai'an, 271018 Shandong, PR China.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiaowen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiangpei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Dequan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D000040:Abscisic Acid; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
keywords: ABA; Abscisic acid; CaMV; Calcium-dependent protein kinase gene; Drought stress; GFP; LA; MAPKs; MS; Maize; MeJA; Murashige-Skoog; ROS; WT; abscisic acid; cauliflower mosaic virus; green fluorescent protein; linolenic acid; methyl jasmonate; mitogen activated protein kinases; reactive oxygen species; wild-type