Isolation of Rh-TIP1;1, an aquaporin gene and its expression in rose flowers in response to ethylene and water deficit

• Published in: Postharvest biology and technology Vol. 51; no. 3; pp. 407 - 413
• Main Authors: Xue, Jingqi, Yang, Feng, Gao, Junping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01.03.2009; Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier; Elsevier
• Subjects: 1-methylcyclopropene; amino acid sequences; Aquaporin; aquaporins; Biological and medical sciences; cell membranes; cut flowers; Cut roses; Ethylene; floriculture crops; Flower opening; flowering; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gene expression; gene expression regulation; messenger RNA; molecular sequence data; molecular weight; nucleotide sequences; plant growth substances; postharvest physiology; postharvest treatment; protein synthesis; Rh-TIP1 ;1; Rosa; temporal variation; Water deficit; water stress; Rh-TIP1 ;1; Flower opening; Cut roses; Water deficit; Aquaporin; Ethylene; Rosaceae; Rose; Gene expression; Rosa; Plant part; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plant growth substance; Isolation; Spermatophyta; Cut flower; Rh-TIP1;1
• ISSN: 0925-5214; 1873-2356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2008.08.011

Flower opening is a process that involves water uptake by petal cells, during which aquaporins serve as the channels for water transport across the cell membranes. In this study, we isolated a TIP type aquaporin gene, Rh-TIP1;1, from rose ( Rosa hybrida cv. Samantha). The Rh-TIP1;1 transcript is 1142 bp in length and encodes a deduced protein of 253 amino acids. Through a prokaryotic expression system, we obtained a predominant ∼32 kDa protein band which is consistent with the predicted molecular weight of Rh-TIP1;1. Rh-TIP1;1 was mainly expressed in petals among all floral tissues at the fully opened bud stage. Its expression was maintained at a high level during rapid flower opening, and decreased when the flowers were fully opened. Ethylene and water deficit both decreased the expression of Rh-TIP1;1. Flowers treated with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an ethylene action inhibitor, maintained the transcript at a high level for longer than untreated controls. These results indicated that the effects of ethylene and water deficit on flower opening may be related to their influence on the expression of the Rh-TIP1;1 gene.