Abstract
To explore the contribution of ω-3 fatty acid desaturases (FADs) to cold stress response in a special cryophyte, Chorispora bungeana (C. bungeana), two plastidial ω-3 FAD genes (CbFAD7 and CbFAD8) were cloned and verified in a Arabidopsis fad7fad8 mutant, before being compared with the microsomal ω-3 FAD gene (CbFAD3) on expression profile. Though these genes were expressed in all tested tissues of C. bungeana, CbFAD7 and CbFAD8 have the highest expression in leaves, while CbFAD3 was mostly expressed in non-green tissues. Low temperatures (4, 0 and -4 ℃) resulted in significant increases in trienoic fatty acids (TAs, mainly C18:3), which were consistent with the non-redundant expression of CbFAD3 and CbFAD8 in suspension-cultured cells, and the coordination of CbFAD7 and CbFAD8 in leaves. Furthermore, the contribution of CbFAD8 increased as temperature decrease in the two tissues. Our data revealed that jasmonie acid and brassinosteroids participated in the cold-responsive expression of these genes in both tissues, and the pyhtohormone regulation in leaves was more complicated with the participation of abscisic acid and gibberellin. These results point to the hormone-regulated non-redundant contribution of ω-3 CbFADs to maintain appropriate level of TAs under low temperatures, which help C. bungeana survive in cold environments.
Phytohormones Regulate the Non-Redundant Response of ω-3 Fatty Acid Desaturases to Low Temperatures in Chorispora Bungeana