The Vitis vinifera C‐repeat binding protein 4 (VvCBF4) transcriptional factor enhances freezing tolerance in wine grape

Abstract

Summary Chilling and freezing can reduce significantly vine survival and fruit set in Vitis vinifera wine grape. To overcome such production losses, a recently identified grapevine C-repeat binding factor (CBF) gene, VvCBF4, was overexpressed in grape vine cv. “Freedom” and found to improve freezing survival and reduced freezing-induced electrolyte leakage by up to 2°C in non-cold-acclimated vines. In addition, overexpression of this transgene caused a reduced growth phenotype similar to that observed for CBF overexpression in Arabidopsis and other species. Both freezing tolerance and reduced growth phenotypes were manifested in a transgene dose-dependent manner. To understand the mechanistic basis of VvCBF4 transgene action, one transgenic line (9–12) was genotyped using microarray-based mRNA expression profiling. Forty-seven and 12 genes were identified in unstressed transgenic shoots with either a greater than 1.5-fold increase or decrease in mRNA abundance, respectively. Comparison of mRNA changes with characterized CBF regulons in woody and herbaceous species revealed partial overlaps suggesting that CBF-mediated cold acclimation responses are widely conserved. Putative VvCBF4-regulon targets included genes with functions in cell wall structure, lipid metabolism, epicuticular wax formation, and stress-responses suggesting that the observed cold tolerance and dwarf phenotypes are the result of a complex network of diverse functional determinants.

Modulating AtDREB1C Expression Improves Drought Tolerance in Salvia miltiorrhiza

“…One important strategy for genetic engineering is to induce a TF gene that regulates several genes involved in abiotic stress (Rehman and Mahmood, 2015). Indeed, overexpressing stress-inducible DREB TF genes activates the expression of many target genes containing DRE elements in their promoters, leading to improved stress tolerance (Morran et al, 2011; Tillett et al, 2012; Guttikonda et al, 2014; Dou et al, 2015; Kidokoro et al, 2015). However, constitutively expressing DREB genes often has various pleiotropic effects on the growth and development of plants, such as growth retardation, dwarfism, and delayed flowering (Sharabi-Schwager et al, 2010; Shavrukov et al, 2015; Yamasaki and Randall, 2016; Wu et al, 2017).…”

Screening Differential Expressions of Defense-related Responses in Cold-treated 'Kyoho' and 'Campbell Early' Grapevines

“…are the most widely cultivated and economically important fruit crop worldwide (Vivier and Pretorius, 2002). Vitis vinifera cultivars grow well in temperate, semi-arid climates that can sometimes experience freezing or subfreezing temperatures during winter (Tillett et al, 2012). One of the most variable environmental factors to which plants are exposed is temperature.…”

Genomics and Functional Genomics of Winter Low Temperature Tolerance in Temperate Fruit Crops

“…Analysis of the CBF/DREB1 pathway in grapevines has identified four CBF genes in V. vinifera and V. riparia that are up-regulated in response to low temperature (Tillett et al, 2012;Xiao et al, 2006Xiao et al, , 2008. Overexpression of VvCBF4, in the hybrid grapevine rootstock Freedom, increased freezing tolerance and reduced growth (Tillett, et al, 2012). In contrast to VrCBF1, overexpression of VrCBF4 resulted in sustained expression of all CBFs (days rather than hours) and a greater increase in freezing tolerance and greater drought tolerance (Siddiqua and Nassuth, 2011).…”

“…In Arabidopsis, expression was localized to the nucleus and overexpression of MbDREB1 increased freezing tolerance (Yang et al, 2011). Analysis of the CBF/DREB1 pathway in grapevines has identified four CBF genes in V. vinifera and V. riparia that are up-regulated in response to low temperature (Tillett et al, 2012;Xiao et al, 2006Xiao et al, , 2008. Overexpression of VvCBF4, in the hybrid grapevine rootstock Freedom, increased freezing tolerance and reduced growth (Tillett, et al, 2012).…”

“…In non-acclimated transgenic grapevines overexpressing VvCBF4, 59 transcripts (47 upregulated and 12 downregulated) were differentially expressed in relation to control plants (Tillett et al, 2012). These included transcripts for stress-responses, lipid metabolism and cell wall structure.…”