The expression of several Cbf genes at the Fr-A2 locus is linked to frost resistance in wheat

Abstract

The C-repeat binding factor (Cbf) gene family has been shown to have a critical role in the regulation of low-temperature stress response in Arabidopsis. In Triticum monococcum, a locus carrying a family of Cbflike genes, orthologs of Arabidopsis Cbf genes, is tightly linked to the frost tolerance locus Fr-A m 2, representing candidates for the differences in frost tolerance mapped at this locus. In this work we show that several Cbf genes have dramatically different levels of induction after cold exposure in hexaploid wheat. The Cbf-transcription levels differ between substitution and single chromosome recombinant lines carrying different 5A chromosomes or chromosome segments of the chromosome 5A from frost-tolerant and frost-sensitive wheat varieties. When the expression of eight Cbf genes, previously mapped at the Fr-A2 locus was investigated with gene specific primers using real-time RT-PCR, three Cbf sequences (Cbf1A, Cbf1C, Cbf7) showed a significantly higher relative transcription level (more than fourfold change) in lines differing for the Fr-A2 region. Differences in Cbf expression were also associated with a variation in frost tolerance. These results suggest that the amount of some Cbf mRNAs might be a critical factor for determining the level of frost tolerance in wheat.

Large deletions in the CBF gene cluster at the Fr-B2 locus are associated with reduced frost tolerance in wheat

“…The impact of the chromosome substitutions on frost tolerance was later found to be associated with the presence of the vernalization gene VRN-1 and the frost tolerance locus Fr-2, which were mapped ~30 cM apart on the long arms of homoeologous group 5 chromosomes (Vágújfalvi et al 2005;Vágújfalvi et al 2000;Vágújfalvi et al 2003). It was initially thought that an additional frost tolerance locus existed which was closely linked to VRN-1 (Fr-1), but it is now generally accepted that this is a pleiotropic effect of the earlier initiation of flowering caused by the dominant VRN-1 alleles .…”

“…One such gene, TmCBF3, was mapped to the same region as the QTL for differential COR14b expressiondesignated the Fr-2 (Frost-resistance-2) locus -suggesting that the strong effect this locus has on cold tolerance can be attributed to the CBF genes (Vágújfalvi et al 2003). Furthermore, several different CBF genes which also map to the Fr-2 locus were shown to exhibit significantly higher expression in cold-hardy plants than cold-sensitive ones (Vágújfalvi et al 2005). …”

The Role of Dreb Transcription Factors in Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Plants

“…in the same way, several cBFs (cBF1, cBF2, cBF3 and cBF4) were isolated from Arabidopsis (19,21,43). Several cBF homologs have also been reported from a wide range of plants including barley (12,59), canola (30), Bell pepper (24), soybean (37), tobacco (49), tomato (30) and wheat (66). typically the DReB1 and DReB2 genes are induced by cold and dehydration stress, respectively.…”

4th Conference of Cereal Biotechnology and Breeding (CBB4), November 6–9, 2017, Budapest, Hungary – Book of Abstracts

“…It was proved in earlier experiments, that two CBF transcription factors (namely CBF14 and CBF15) have outstanding role in the development of frost tolerance in wheat (Vágújfalvi et al 2005, Knox et al 2008). The genes encoding these transcription factors were isolated from winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L ssp aestivum cv.…”