Abstract
Ethylene (ET) is a gaseous plant hormone that plays essential roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants. However, the role of ET in cold tolerance varies in different species. This study revealed that low temperature promotes the release of ET in grapevine. The treatment of exogenous 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate increased the cold tolerance of grapevine. By contrast, the application of the ET biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinylglycine reduced the cold tolerance of grapevine. This finding suggested that ET positively affected cold stress responses in grapevine. The expression of VaERF057, an ET signaling downstream gene, was strongly induced by low temperature. The overexpression of VaERF057 also enhanced the cold tolerance of Arabidopsis. Under cold treatment, malondialdehyde content was lower and superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activities were higher in transgenic lines than in wild-type plants. RNA-Seq results showed that 32 stress-related genes, such as CBF1-3, were upregulated in VaERF057-overexpressing transgenic line. Yeast one-hybrid results further demonstrated that VaERF057 specifically binds to GCC-box and DRE motifs. Thus, VaERF057 may directly regulate the expression of its target stress-responsive genes by interacting with a GCC-box or a DRE element. Our work confirmed that ET positively regulates cold tolerance in grapevine by modulating the expression of VaERF057.
Highlights
Ethylene (ET) is a gaseous plant hormone that plays essential roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants
To investigate ET production under cold stress in grapevine, we first determined ET biosynthesis in V. amurensis and ‘Muscat Hamburg’ plantlets that were subjected to low temperature (4 °C)
The maximum changes in the two grape species were slightly different (1.7-fold in V. amurensis and 2-fold in ‘Muscat Hamburg’). These results indicated that ET biosynthesis in grapevine was remarkably enhanced at the early period of cold stress
Summary
Ethylene (ET) is a gaseous plant hormone that plays essential roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants. The application of the ET biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinylglycine reduced the cold tolerance of grapevine This finding suggested that ET positively affected cold stress responses in grapevine. VaERF057 may directly regulate the expression of its target stress-responsive genes by interacting with a GCC-box or a DRE element. EIN2 becomes released and activates EIN3/EIN3-Like[1], which positively regulates the expression of ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERF) transcription factors, such as ERF19–11 These ERF transcription factors participate in developmental and stress-related signal pathways by regulating the expression of downstream genes[12]. The ERF overexpression in Arabidopsis, tobacco, and soybean plants positively regulates the expression of several PR genes; as a result, the resistances to bacterial, fungal, or viral pathogens of these plants are enhanced[24,25,26]. Many ERF genes have been identified in different species, the regulatory pathway of the abiotic stress response of the ERF subfamily remains poorly understood
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
