25-kDa dehydrin associated with genotype- and age-dependent leaf freezing-tolerance in Rhododendron: a genetic marker for cold hardiness?

Dehydrins are plant proteins that may play a critical role in stabilizing cell functions during freezing and other dehydrative stresses. This study examines whether dehydrin expression in leaves is associated with varying levels of freezing-tolerance among F(2) segregants, species, and cultivars of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theoretical and applied genetics 1999-09, Vol.99 (5), p.912-920
Main Authors: Lim, C.C, Krebs, S.L, Arora, R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acclimation
Age
age differences
Biological and medical sciences
Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids
cold
Cultivars
Dilleniidae
Flowers & plants
freezing
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genetic aspects
Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution
Hardiness
hybrids
interspecific hybridization
juvenility
Leaves
Physiology
Plant genetics
Plant proteins
Plants
Proteins
Pteridophyta, spermatophyta
Rhododendron
Rhododendron catawbiense
rhododendron fortunei
Soil sciences
species differences
tolerance
Vegetals
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Summary:Dehydrins are plant proteins that may play a critical role in stabilizing cell functions during freezing and other dehydrative stresses. This study examines whether dehydrin expression in leaves is associated with varying levels of freezing-tolerance among F(2) segregants, species, and cultivars of evergreen Rhododendron. Experiments were also conducted to determine whether physiological and chronological aging affects freezing-tolerance and dehydrin accumulation in Rhododendron leaf tissues. Our results indicate that in cold-acclimated F(2) populations, levels of a 25-kDa dehydrin were closely associated with differences in leaf freezing-tolerance (LFT) among segregants. Studies of wild and cultivated plants indicated that LFT increased with both chronological age and developmental phase-change (juvenile to mature plants) and that this trend was accompanied by increased accumulation of the 25-kDa dehydrin. It is suggested that presence or absence of the 25-kDa dehydrin could serve as a genetic marker to distinguish between super cold-hardy and less cold-hardy rhododendron genotypes. Similarly, the relative level of this protein within a genotype can serve as a physiological indicator of freezing-tolerance status under a range of phenological (acclimation) or developmental (age) conditions.
ISSN:0040-5752
1432-2242
DOI:10.1007/s001220051312