Expression profiling and bioinformatic analyses of a novel stress-regulated multispanning transmembrane protein family from cereals and Arabidopsis

• Published in: Plant physiology (Bethesda) Vol. 132; no. 1; pp. 64 - 74
• Main Authors: Breton, G, Danyluk, J, Charron, J.B.F, Sarhan, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rockville, MD American Society of Plant Biologists 01.05.2003; American Society of Plant Physiologists
• Subjects: abiotic stress; Acclimatization; Acclimatization - genetics; Acclimatization - physiology; Adaptation to environment and cultivation conditions; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Amino acids; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis thaliana; Avena sativa; barley; binding sites; Bioinformatics; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cell membranes; cereal proteins; cold stress; Cold Temperature; Computational Biology; COR413 protein; corn; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - radiation effects; Genes. Genome; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; glycosylation; Glycosylphosphatidylinositols - genetics; Glycosylphosphatidylinositols - metabolism; Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics; Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; Hordeum vulgare; Light; Membrane proteins; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Multigene Family - genetics; oats; Oryza sativa; phosphatidylinositols; Phosphorylation; plant proteins; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; plant stress; Plants; plasma membrane; Proteins; Rice; rye; Secale cereale; spring wheat; thylakoids; Thylakoids - metabolism; tissue distribution; transmembrane proteins; Triticum - genetics; Triticum aestivum; Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims; Zea mays; Monocotyledones; Environmental factor; Thylakoid; Structure function relationship; Water stress; Cereal crop; Arabidopsis thaliana; Regulation(control); Gene; Cruciferae; Gramineae; Dicotyledones; Sesquiterpenes; Light; Angiospermae; Abscisic acid; Plant growth substance; Intraspecific comparison; Mechanism of action; Bioinformatics; Adaptation; Transmembrane protein; Interspecific comparison; Gene expression; Plasma membrane; Spermatophyta; Experimental plant; Triticum aestivum; Frost resistance
• ISSN: 0032-0889; 1532-2548
• DOI: 10.1104/pp.102.015255

Cold acclimation is a multigenic trait that allows hardy plants to develop efficient tolerance mechanisms needed for winter survival. To determine the genetic nature of these mechanisms, several cold-responsive genes of unknown function were identified from cold-acclimated wheat (Triticum aestivum). To identify the putative functions and structural features of these new genes, integrated genomic approaches of data mining, expression profiling, and bioinformatic predictions were used. The analyses revealed that one of these genes is a member of a small family that encodes two distinct groups of multispanning transmembrane proteins. The cold-regulated (COR)413-plasma membrane and COR413-thylakoid membrane groups are potentially targeted to the plasma membrane and thylakoid membrane, respectively. Further sequence analysis of the two groups from different plant species revealed the presence of a highly conserved phosphorylation site and a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchoring site at the C-terminal end. No homologous sequences were found in other organisms suggesting that this family is specific to the plant kingdom. Intraspecies and interspecies comparative gene expression profiling shows that the expression of this gene family is correlated with the development of freezing tolerance in cereals and Arabidopsis. In addition, several members of the family are regulated by water stress, light, and abscisic acid. Structure predictions and comparative genome analyses allow us to propose that the cor413 genes encode putative G-protein-coupled receptors.