Changes in the level of chloroplast transcripts in pumpkin cotyledons during heat shock

• Published in: FEBS letters 1993-04, Vol.321 (2), p.189-193
• Main Authors: Kusnetsov, V.V., Mikulovich, T.P., Kukina, I.M., Cherepneva, G.N., Herrmann, R.G., Kulaeva, O.N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chloroplasts - physiology; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Genes, Plant; Heat shock protein; Heat-Shock Proteins - biosynthesis; Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics; Heat-Shock Proteins - isolation & purification; Hot Temperature; HS, heat shock; HSP, heat shock protein; Kinetics; LS, large subunit of Rubisco; Molecular Weight; MS, Murashige and Skoog medium; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plants - genetics; Plastid gene expression; Pumpkin cotyledon; RNA - genetics; RNA - isolation & purification; RNA Probes; Rubisco, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase; SDS-PAAG, SDS-polyacrylamide gel; SS, small subunit of Rubisco; Thermodynamics; Transcription, Genetic
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-5793(93)80105-4

The levels of plastid gene transcripts are shown to be controlled by temperature in isolated pumpkin cotyledons. The temperature at which maximum transcript accumulation occurs varies between 38 and 42°C for the genes studied ( rbcL, psaA, psbA, psbB, psbC, psbD, psbE, atpA). Heat shock-induced transcript accumulation is transitory with a maximum after an approximately 3 h exposure at high temperatures. On the other hand, the accumulation of rbcL transcript was only moderately thermosensitive. A temperature increase to 46–48°C induces a sharp decrease of transcript levels which correlates with damage to the plant. Relatively little correlation has been noted between RNA and protein patterns. However, there is a remarkable coincidence between temperature dependence of the accumulation of transcripts and the temperature dependence (28–46°C) of the synthesis of chloroplast-located heat shock proteins indicating that both processes may be related.