title: Identification and comprehensive analyses of the CBL and CIPK gene families in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Calcineurin B-like (CBL) proteins belong to a unique group of calcium sensors in plant that decode the Ca(2+) signature by interacting with CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs). Although CBL-CIPK complexes have been shown to play important roles in the responses to various stresses in plants, little is known about their functions in wheat.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of seven TaCBL and 20 TaCIPK genes were amplified from bread wheat, Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring. Reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in silico expression analyses showed that TaCBL and TaCIPK genes were expressed at different levels in different tissues, or maintained at nearly constant expression levels during the whole life cycle of the wheat plant. Some TaCBL and TaCIPK genes showed up- or down-regulated expressions during seed germination. Preferential interactions between TaCBLs and TaCIPKs were observed in yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation experiments. Analyses of a deletion series of TaCIPK proteins with amino acid variations at the C-terminus provided new insights into the specificity of the interactions between TaCIPKs and TaCBLs, and indicated that the TaCBL-TaCIPK signaling pathway is very complex in wheat because of its hexaploid genome. The expressions of many TaCBLs and TaCIPKs were responsive to abiotic stresses (salt, cold, and simulated drought) and abscisic acid treatment. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing TaCIPK24 exhibited improved salt tolerance through increased Na(+) efflux and an enhanced reactive oxygen species scavenging capacity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results contribute to our understanding of the functions of CBL-CIPK complexes and provide the basis for selecting appropriate genes for in-depth functional studies of CBL-CIPK in wheat.
authors.affiliation: The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. suntaohust123@163.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. wy875643001wy@163.com.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. 932915391@qq.com.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. 1532975716@163.com.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. phyllisyy@126.com.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. wangxiatiancwz@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiatian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. 17380604@qq.com.
authors.forename: Shuya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. hegy@hust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guangyuan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. ygx@hust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guangxiao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D055864:Droughts; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014908:Triticum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins