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Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2005; 7(3): 315-320
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-865653
Short Research Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

Is the Rehydrin TrDr3 from Tortula ruralis Associated with Tolerance to Cold, Salinity, and Reduced pH? Physiological Evaluation of the TrDr3-Orthologue, HdeD from Escherichia coli in Response to Abiotic Stress

C. A. Peng1 , M. J. Oliver2 , A. J. Wood1
  • 1Department of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901-6509, USA
  • 2Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 3810 4th St, Lubbock, TX 79407, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Received: December 1, 2004

Accepted: April 19, 2005

Publication Date:
23 May 2005 (online)

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Abstract

We have employed EST analysis in the resurrection moss Tortula ruralis to discover genes that control vegetative desiccation tolerance and describe the characterization of the EST-derived cDNA TrDr3 (T ortula r uralis desiccation-stress related). The deduced polypeptide TRDR3 has a predicted molecular mass of 25.5 kDa, predicted pI of 6.7, and six transmembrane helical domains. Preliminary expression analyses demonstrate that the TrDr3 transcript ratio increases in response to slow desiccation relative to the hydrated control in both total and polysomal mRNA (mRNP fraction), which classifies TrDr3 as a rehydrin. Bioinformatic searches of the electronic databases reveal that Tortula TRDR3 shares significant similarities to the hdeD gene product (HNS-dependent expression) from Escherichia coli. The function of the HdeD protein in E. coli is unknown, but it is postulated to be involved in a mechanism of acid stress defence. To establish the role of E. coli HdeD in abiotic stress tolerance, we determined the log survival percentage from shaking cultures of wild-type bacteria and the isogenic hdeD deletion strain (ΔhdeD) in the presence of low temperature (28 °C), elevated NaCl (5 % (w/v)), or decreased pH (4.5), or all treatments simultaneously. The ΔhdeD deletion strain was less sensitive, as compared to wild-type E. coli, in response to decreased pH (p > 0.009), and the combination of all three stresses (p > 0.0001).

Key words

Desiccation - membrane protein - moss.

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A. J. Wood

Department of Plant Biology
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL 62901-6509

USA

Email: wood@plant.siu.edu

Guest Editor: R. Reski