Distinct expression patterns of two Arabidopsis phytocystatin genes, AtCYS1 and AtCYS2, during development and abiotic stresses

• Published in: Plant cell reports Vol. 29; no. 8; pp. 905 - 915
• Main Authors: Hwang, Jung Eun, Hong, Joon Ki, Lim, Chan Ju, Chen, Huan, Je, Jihyun, Yang, Kyung Ae, Kim, Dool Yi, Choi, Young Ju, Lee, Sang Yeol, Lim, Chae Oh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-08-2010; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - growth & development; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Cystatins - genetics; Cystatins - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; High temperature; Hot Temperature; Life Sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Multigene Family; Original Paper; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Sciences; Plant tissues; Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified - growth & development; Promoter Regions, Genetic; RNA, Plant - genetics; Stress, Physiological; Transgenic plants; Promoter; Transgenic plant; Cysteine protease inhibitor; Gene expression; Abiotic stress; GUS staining; Vegetals; Enzyme; Cysteine endopeptidases; Staining; Environmental factor; Stress; Abiotic factor; Arabidopsis thaliana; Peptidases; Gene; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Development; Hydrolases; Spermatophyta; Protease inhibitor
• ISSN: 0721-7714; 1432-203X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00299-010-0876-y

The phytocystatins of plants are members of the cystatin superfamily of proteins, which are potent inhibitors of cysteine proteases. The
Arabidopsis
genome encodes seven phytocystatin isoforms (AtCYSs) in two distantly related
AtCYS
gene clusters. We selected
AtCYS1
and
AtCYS2
as representatives for each cluster and then generated transgenic plants expressing the
GUS
reporter gene under the control of each gene promoter. These plants were used to examine
AtCYS
expression at various stages of plant development and in response to abiotic stresses. Histochemical analysis of
AtCYS1
promoter- and
AtCYS2
promoter-GUS transgenic plants revealed that these genes have similar but distinct spatial and temporal expression patterns during normal development. In particular,
AtCYS1
was preferentially expressed in the vascular tissue of all organs, whereas
AtCYS2
was expressed in trichomes and guard cells in young leaves, caps of roots, and in connecting regions of the immature anthers and filaments and the style and stigma in flowers. In addition, each
AtCYS
gene has a unique expression profile during abiotic stresses. High temperature and wounding stress enhanced the expression of both
AtCYS1
and
AtCYS2
, but the temporal and spatial patterns of induction differed. From these data, we propose that these two
AtCYS
genes play important, but distinct, roles in plant development and stress responses.