A novel cold-regulated gene from Phlox subulata, PsCor413im1, enhances low temperature tolerance in Arabidopsis

Low temperature stress adversely affects plant growth, development, and crop productivity. Analysis of the function of genes in the response of plants to low temperature stress is essential for understanding the mechanism of chilling and freezing tolerance. In this study, PsCor413im1, a novel cold-regulated gene isolated from Phlox subulata, was transferred to Arabidopsis to investigate its function under low temperature stress. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that PsCor413iml expression was induced by cold and abscisic acid. Subcellular localization revealed that PsCor413iml-GFP fusion protein was localized to the periphery of the chloroplast, consistent with the localization of chloroplast inner membrane protein AtCor413iml, indicating that PsCor413iml is a chloroplast membrane protein. Furthermore, the N-terminal of PsCor413iml was determined to be necessary for its localization. Compared to the wild-type plants, transgenic plants showed higher germination and survival rates under cold and freezing stress. Moreover, the expression of AtCor15 in transgenic plants was higher than that in the wild-type plants under cold stress. Taken together, our results suggest that the overexpression of PsCor413iml enhances low temperature tolerance in Arabidopsis. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.