title: Overexpression of a tomato flavanone 3-hydroxylase-like protein gene improves chilling tolerance in tobacco.
abstract: Flavonoids are secondary metabolites found in plants with a wide range of biological functions, such as stress protection. This study investigated the functions of a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) flavanone 3-hydroxylase-like protein gene SlF3HL by using transgenic tobacco. The expression of the gene was up-regulated under chilling (4 °C), heat (42 °C), salt (NaCl) and oxidative (H2O2) stresses. The transgenic plants that displayed high SlF3HL mRNA and protein levels showed higher flavonoid content than the WT plants. Moreover, the expression of three flavonoid biosynthesis-related structural genes, namely, chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI) and flavonol synthase (FLS) was also higher in the transgenic plants than in the WT plants. Under chilling stress, the transgenic plants showed not only faster seed germination, better survival and growth, but also lower malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, relative electrical conductivity (REC) and H2O2 and O2(·-) levels compared with WT plants. These results suggested that SlF3HL stimulated flavonoid biosynthesis in response to chilling stress.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Plant Cell Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Street, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cotton Breeding and Cultivation in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Ministry of Agricultural, Cotton Research Centre, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, Jinan 250100, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Street, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Street, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China. Electronic address: fykong@sdau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Fan-Ying
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003080:Cold Temperature; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018525:Germination; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010802:Phylogeny; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C048797:flavanone 3-dioxygenase
keywords: Chilling stress; Flavanone 3-hydroxylase-like protein; Flavonoids; Reactive oxygen species; Tomato; Transgenic tobacco