Identification of grapevine aquaporins and expression analysis in developing berries

Abstract

Aquaporins are membrane water channels that play critical roles in controlling the water content of cells and tissues. In this work, nine full-length cDNAs encoding putative aquaporins were isolated from grape berry cDNA libraries. A phylogenetic analysis conducted with 28 aquaporin genes identified in the grapevine genome and previously characterized aquaporins from Arabidopsis indicates that three cDNAs encode putative tonoplast aquaporins (TIPs) whereas six cDNAs belong to the plasma membrane aquaporin subfamily (PIPs). Specific probes designed on the 3' untranslated regions of each cDNA were used for the preparation of cDNA macroarray filters and in situ hybridization experiments. Macroarray data indicate that expression levels of most TIP and PIP genes depend on grape berry developmental stages and point out to a global decrease of aquaporin gene expression during berry ripening. In young berries, high expression of aquaporin genes was preferentially observed in dividing and elongating cells and in cells involved in water and solutes transport. Taken together, the data provided in this paper indicate that aquaporins are implicated in various physiological aspects of grape berry development.

The Grapevine Root-Specific Aquaporin VvPIP2;4N Controls Root Hydraulic Conductance and Leaf Gas Exchange under Well-Watered Conditions But Not under Water Stress

“…Eighty-three sequences annotated as aquaporins, belonging to different Vitis species, are present in GenBank, and 28 putative aquaporin genes have been identified in the grapevine genome (Fouquet et al, 2008;Shelden et al, 2009). Expression of some of these genes, belonging to the PIP and Tonoplast Intrinsic Protein subfamilies, has been studied in grape berry (Picaud et al, 2003;Fouquet et al, 2008;Choat et al, 2009) and vegetative tissues (Baiges et al, 2001;Vandeleur et al, 2009).…”

“…Expression of some of these genes, belonging to the PIP and Tonoplast Intrinsic Protein subfamilies, has been studied in grape berry (Picaud et al, 2003;Fouquet et al, 2008;Choat et al, 2009) and vegetative tissues (Baiges et al, 2001;Vandeleur et al, 2009). The results of these studies suggest that aquaporins have important roles in facilitating water redistribution within the growing berry (Picaud et al, 2003;Fouquet et al, 2008;Choat et al, 2009) and in regulating adaptation to water stress (Vandeleur et al, 2009). However, these results, being based on correlations between the expression of aquaporin genes and morphological and physiological observations, lack reliable in vivo functional evidence.…”

Isolation of a fruit ripening-related tonoplast aquaporin (GjTIP) gene from Gardenia jasminoides

“…The water channel expression pattern during ripening has been studied in grape berry, 3 putative tonoplast aquaporins and 6 plasma membrane aquaporins were found to be preferentially expressed in dividing and elongating cells and in cells involved in water and solutes transport, and have a global decrease gene expression during berry ripening. And in young berries, in dividing and elongating cells and in cells involved in water and solutes transport, aquaporin genes were highly expressed (Fouquet et al 2008). Gene expressions of two strawberry aquaporins FaPIP1 and FaPIP2 in fruit increase in W (white) or 25 % R (25 % red) developmental stages in two cultivars, coincidently with the main firmness decrease that occurs at the early ripening stages, the aquaporins had a contribution to the loss of cell turgor (Villarreal et al 2008).…”

“…Aquaporin gene expression during fruit ripening might be associated with the main mechanisms involved in cell division and cell expansion, and fruit softening is also an important feature (Fouquet et al 2008;Mut et al 2008). The water channel expression pattern during ripening has been studied in grape berry, 3 putative tonoplast aquaporins and 6 plasma membrane aquaporins were found to be preferentially expressed in dividing and elongating cells and in cells involved in water and solutes transport, and have a global decrease gene expression during berry ripening.…”

“…There were 35 aquaporins genes in Arabidopsis genome (Johanson et al 2001), 33 aquaporins genes in rice (Sakurai et al 2005), 28 aquaporins genes in grape (Fouquet et al 2008), 71 aquaporins genes in upland cotton, the cotton aquaporins consist of 28 PIP, 23 TIP,12NIP 7SIP members and one XIP member (Park et al 2010). Analysis of the AQP family of maize based on complete sequences of the cDNAs obtained after sequencing a set of unique expressed sequence tags (ESTs) show that there are 31 aquaporins genes in maize (Chaumont et al 2001).…”