Transcriptional regulation of abscisic acid signal core components during cucumber seed germination and under Cu2+, Zn2+, NaCl and simulated acid rain stresses

• Published in: Plant physiology and biochemistry Vol. 76; pp. 67 - 76
• Main Authors: Wang, Yanping, Wang, Ya, Kai, Wenbin, Zhao, Bo, Chen, Pei, Sun, Liang, Ji, Kai, Li, Qian, Dai, Shengjie, Sun, Yufei, Wang, Yidong, Pei, Yuelin, Leng, Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Elsevier Masson SAS 01.03.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: ABA signal transduction; Abscisic Acid - metabolism; Acid Rain; Biological and medical sciences; Copper - chemistry; Cu2; Cucumber seed germination; Cucumis sativus - drug effects; Cucumis sativus - physiology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Expression analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Germination; NaCl; Plant physiology and development; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Seeds - physiology; Signal Transduction; Simulated acid rain; Sodium Chloride - chemistry; Stress, Physiological; Zinc - chemistry; Zn2; ABA signal transduction; ABA; Cu2; HI; PYL; RCAR; Simulated acid rain; Cucumber seed germination; PYR1; Expression analysis; PP2C; NaCl; SnRK2; Zn2; Seeds; Transcription; Acid rain; Signal transduction; Cu; Zn; Dicotyledones; Sesquiterpenes; Angiospermae; Abscisic acid; Plant growth substance; Transcription factor; Zinc II Ions; Germination; Cucurbitaceae; Cucumis sativus; Sodium chloride; Stress; Vegetable crop; Simulation; Plant physiology; Analysis; Spermatophyta; Cu(2+); Zn(2+)
• ISSN: 0981-9428; 1873-2690
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2014.01.003

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone that regulates lots of physiological and biochemical processes in plant life cycle, especially in seed germination and stress responses. For exploring the transcriptional regulation of ABA signal transduction during cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seed germination and under Cu2+, Zn2+, NaCl and simulated acid rain stresses, nine CsPYLs, three group A CsPP2Cs and two subclass III CsSnRK2s were identified from cucumber genome, which respectively showed high sequence similarities and highly conserved domains with homologous genes in Arabidopsis. Based on Real-time PCR analysis, most of the tested genes' expression decreased during cucumber seed germination, which was in accordance with the ABA level variation. In addition, according to the absolute expression, CsPYL1, CsPYL3, CsPP2C5, CsABI1, CsSnRK2.3 and CsSnRK2.4 were highly expressed, indicating that they may play more important roles in ABA signaling during cucumber seed germination. Moreover, most of these highly expressed genes, except CsPYL3, were up-regulated by ABA treatment. Meanwhile, most of the tested genes' expression dramatically changed at the initial water uptake phase, indicating that this period may be critical in the regulation of ABA on seed germination. Under Cu2+, Zn2+, NaCl and simulated acid rain stresses, cucumber seed germination percentage decreased and ABA content increased. Meanwhile, the expression of ABA signal transduction core components genes showed specific response to a particular stress and was not always consist with ABA variation. Generally, the expression of CsPYL1, CsPYL3, CsABI1, CsSnRK2.3 and CsSnRK2.4 was sensitive to 120 mM NaCl and 0.5 mM Cu2+ treatments. •Most of ABA signaling genes' expression decreased during cucumber seed germination.•ABA content decreased during cucumber seed germination.•Initial water uptake phase may be critical in ABA regulation on seed germination.•Genes involved in ABA signaling had specific response to a particular stress.•ABA signaling genes were generally sensitive to 120 mM NaCl and 0.5 mM Cu2+.