Expression of an active tobacco mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase enhances freezing tolerance in transgenic maize

Cold acclimation is the major process that prepares plants for freezing tolerance. In addition to extensive transcription regulation by cold-inducible master transcription factors, oxidative stress signaling has been postulated to play a role in freezing tolerance. Activation of oxidative signaling...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2004-03, Vol.101 (9), p.3298-3303
Main Authors: Shou, H, Bordallo, P, Fan, J.B, Yeakley, J.M, Bibikova, M, Sheen, J, Wang, K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acclimatization
Biological Sciences
Biology
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Corn
Electrolytes - metabolism
Enzymes
Flowers & plants
Freezing
Gene expression
hydrogen peroxide
MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases - genetics
MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases - metabolism
Nicotiana - enzymology
Nicotiana - genetics
Nicotiana tabacum
Oxidative stress
Plants
Plants, Genetically Modified - enzymology
Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics
Proteins
Seedlings
Siblings
Stress
Transgenes
Transgenic plants
Zea mays
Zea mays - enzymology
Zea mays - genetics
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Summary:Cold acclimation is the major process that prepares plants for freezing tolerance. In addition to extensive transcription regulation by cold-inducible master transcription factors, oxidative stress signaling has been postulated to play a role in freezing tolerance. Activation of oxidative signaling through the expression of an active mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase provided benefits in transgenic tobacco at freezing temperature bypassing cold acclimation. Because involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade in oxidative stress signaling is evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes from yeast to mammals, we tested the effect of expressing a heterologous tobacco mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (Nicotiana PK1), which can mimic H2O2signaling, in a major cereal crop. We demonstrate that low-level but constitutive expression of the Nicotiana PK1 gene enhances freezing tolerance in transgenic maize plants that are normally frost sensitive. Our results suggest that a new molecular approach can be designed to genetically enhance freezing tolerance in important crops.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.0308095100