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Title: CLONING BLUEBERRY DEHYDRINS AND THEIR EXPRESSION UNDER DROUGHT AND COLD STRESS

Author
item PANTA, GANESH - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Rowland, Lisa
item RIEGER, MARK - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: Panta, G.R., Rowland, L.J., Rieger, M.W. 1999. Cloning blueberry dehydrins and their expression under drought and cold stress. Plant Physiology.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Dehydrins are major plant proteins which increase with cold or drought stress. Previously three dehydrins of 65, 60, and 14 kD were identified as the predominant proteins present in cold acclimated blueberry floral buds. Levels were shown to increase with cold acclimation and decrease with deacclimation and resumption of growth. In this study, a previously characterized 2.0 kb blueberry dehydrin cDNA was used to isolate additional dehydrin clones. In addition, experiments were conducted to determine effect of drought and cold treatment on dehydrin gene expression in several blueberry cultivars. Besides previously characterized 65, 60 and 14 kDa dehydrins in floral buds, additional less abundant dehydrins were observed in stem and root tissues. Both drought and cold stress induced the same major dehydrins. Higher levels of dehydrins were present in the more cold and drought tolerant cultivars than in the cold and drought sensitive cultivars. In addition, photoperiod was observed to affect dehydrin expression. Dehydrins were induced to a higher level in cold treated plants kept in total dark than in plants kept at a short photoperiod of 10 hours of light/14 hours dark.