Complementary DNA Cloning of Poplar Bark Storage Protein and Control of Its Expression by Photoperiod

Abstract

Bark storage proteins accumulate in the bark of many woody plants during autumn and winter. In poplar (Populus de/toides Bartr. ex Marsh), the accumulation of the 32-kilodalton bark storage protein is controlled by photoperiod. We have isolated a full-length cDNA encoding for the poplar 32-kilodalton bark storage protein and determined its nucleotide sequence. The derived amino acid sequence shows that poplar bark storage protein is rich in serine, leucine, phenylalanine, and lysine. Poplar bark storage protein is similar to the poplar wound-induced cDNA clone 4 and clone 16 (TJ Parsons, HD Bradshaw, MP Gordon [1989] Proc NatI Acad Sci USA 86: 7895-7899). DNA gel blot analysis suggests that poplar bark storage protein is encoded by a multigene family of about five genes. Poplar plants grown in long days contained low levels of mRNA for the bark storage protein. Exposure to short days resulted in an increase in bark storage protein mRNA within 7 days. After 21 days of short day exposure, high levels of mRNA were detected. The accumulation of bark storage protein mRNA in response to short days was also observed in plants exposed to natural shortening daylengths. Our results indicate that the accumulation of poplar bark storage protein mRNA is controlled by photoperiod. This finding will provide a useful system for investigating photoperiodism in woody plants.

Poplar Bark Storage Protein and a Related Wound-Induced Gene Are Differentially Induced by Nitrogen

“…During autumn this protein accumulates in protein storage vacuoles of the inner bark parenchyma (Wetzel et al, 1989a(Wetzel et al, , 1989b and xylem ray cells (Sauter et al, 1989). Accumulation of BSP and BSP mRNA is associated with short days (Coleman et al, 1991(Coleman et al, , 1992Langheinrich and Tischner, 1991) and may also be related to nitrogen availability (Wetzel and Greenwood, 1991;van Cleve and Apel, 1993). Degradation of poplar BSP and nitrogen remobilization appear to be related to sink demands from active bud growth .…”

Fluctuation of Vegetative Storage Proteins in the Seedlings of Swietenia macrophylla, Analogous to the Seasonal Changes of Those in the Shoot of the Adult Tree

“…Although VSPs have been identified in the vegetative organs of several temperate trees (van Cleve et al 1988;Wetzel et al 1989;Clausen and Apel 1991;Langheinrich and Tischner 1991;Stepien and Martin 1992;Coleman 2001a, 2001b), their seasonal fluctuation was assumed to be similar to that of the other so-called stored nitrogen compounds as above (Wetzel et al 1989). On the basis of this assumption, external factors such as nitrogen application, low temperature and short days play an important role in regulating VSP accumulation (Clausen and Apel 1991;Langheinrich and Tischner 1991;Coleman et al 1991Coleman et al , 1992Coleman and Chen 1993).…”

“…The external factors, such as low temperature and short days, have been emphasized as key signals in inducing VSP accumulation in trees (Causen and Apel 1991;Langheinrich and Tischner 1991;Coleman et al 1991Coleman et al , 1992Coleman and Chen 1993). Recently, we found that the seasonal fluctuation of VSPs was very similar between the tropical tree S. macrophylla and the temperate tree Populus canadensis, suggesting that this seasonal fluctuation pattern in the whole tree might be an important mechanism by which the trees regulated their growth (Tian et al 2003(Tian et al , 2005.…”

Sequence of a Poplar Bark Storage Protein Gene

“…The accumulation of poplar BSP is associated with short days (Coleman et al, 1991). SD accumulation of poplar BSP is also correlated with a large increase in the steady-state levels of BSP mRNA (Coleman et al, 1992). DNA gel blot analysis suggests that poplar BSP is encoded by a small multigene family.…”

“…A genomic library was prepared in the vector XGem-11 (Promega, Madison, WI) and screened at low stringency (approximately 25OC below Tm) using a poplar BSP cDNA (Coleman et al, 1992). Twelve positive clones were identified and rescreened with different regions of the BSP cDNA at high stringency (approximately 5OC below Tm).…”