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Identification and expression of C2H2 transcription factor genes in Carica papaya under abiotic and biotic stresses

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Abstract

C2H2 proteins belong to a group of transcription factors (TFs) existing as a superfamily that plays important roles in defense responses and various other physiological processes in plants. The present study aimed to screen for and identify C2H2 proteins associated with defense responses to abiotic and biotic stresses in Carica papaya L. Data were collected for 47,483 papaya-expressed sequence tags (ESTs). The full-length cDNA nucleotide sequences of 87 C2H2 proteins were predicated by BioEdit. All 91 C2H2 proteins were aligned, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed using DNAman. The expression levels of 42 C2H2 were analyzed under conditions of salt stress by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Methyl jasmonate treatment rapidly upregulated ZF 23.4 and ZF 30,912.1 by 18.6- and 21.7-fold, respectively. ZF 1.3, ZF 138.44, ZF 94.49, ZF29.160, and ZF 20.206 were found to be downregulated after low temperature treatment at very significant levels (p < 0.01). ZF 23.4, ZF 161.1, and ZF 30,912.1 were upregulated while ZF1.3, ZF 158.1, ZF 249.5, ZF 138.44, ZF 94.49, ZF 29.160, and ZF20.206 were significantly downregulated by Spermine treatment. ZF 23.4 was upregulated while ZF 1.3, ZF 249.5, ZF94.94, ZF 29.160, ZF 138.44, and ZF 20.206 were significantly repressed after SA treatment. ZF 23.4 and ZF 30,912.1 were significantly upregulated after sap inoculation with papaya ringspot virus pathogen. ZF 30,912.1 was subcellularly localized in the nucleus by a transgenic fusion of pBS–ZF 30,912.1–GFP into the protoplast of papaya. The results of the present study showed that ZF 30,912.1 could be an important TF that mediates responses to abiotic and biotic stresses in papaya.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

SA:

Salicylic acid

C2H2:

Cys2/His2 finger protein

EAR:

ERF associated amphiphilic repression

GFP:

Green fluorescent protein

MeJA:

Methyl-jasmonate

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

RNAi:

RNA interference

Spm:

Spermine

TF:

Transcription factor

TFPs:

Transcription factor proteins

VIGS:

Virus induced gene silencing

ZF:

Zinc finger

ZFP:

Zinc finger protein

qRT-PCR:

Real-time quantitative PCR

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Acknowledgment

The project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants No. 30771477 and No. 30571277).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of the Department of Horticulture and Forestry of Huazhong Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, National Indoor Conservation Center of Virus-free Gemplasms of Fruit Crops, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China

    Ling Jiang & Lin-jie Pan

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Correspondence to Ling Jiang.

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Supplementary material 1 (JPEG 294 kb)

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Supplementary Data Fig. 1 Phylogenetic unrooted tree analysis of C2H2 proteins in papaya. (JPEG 301 kb)

11033_2012_1542_MOESM6_ESM.jpg

Supplementary Data Fig. 2 (a) Nucleotide sequence of ZF30912.1 and its amino acid sequence. (b) Comparison of the amino acid sequence of ZF30912.1. The gene sequence of ZF 30912.1 was compared with 12 ZF with known functions; their accession numbers are as follows: Capsicum annuu CAZFP1 (AT196704.1), Glycine max SCOF1 (GMU68763), Petunia ZPT2-1 (X60700), Arabidopsis thaliana AZF1 (NM126145), Brassica rapa BCZFP1 (AAB53261), Petunia × hybrida ZPT3-3 (AB035133), Petunia × hybrida ZPT2-10 (BAA96070), Arabidopsis thaliana AZF3 (NM-123683), Arabidopsis thaliana AZF1 (NM-001125191), Petunia ZPT2-2 (D26038), Oryza sativa Japanica Group OSZFP34 (AAPA2273), Silene latifolia ZPT3-2 (DQ017765), and Carica papaya ZF30912.1 (gb|ABIM01030863.1|). (JPEG 182 kb)

Supplementary material 7 (JPEG 447 kb)

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Jiang, L., Pan, Lj. Identification and expression of C2H2 transcription factor genes in Carica papaya under abiotic and biotic stresses. Mol Biol Rep 39, 7105–7115 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-012-1542-y

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