Expression profile analysis of 9 heat shock protein genes throughout the life cycle and under abiotic stress in rice

Plant heat shock proteins (Hsps) facilitate protein folding or assembly under diverse developmental and adverse environmental conditions. Nine OsHsps were identified in our previous study from a proteomic analysis of rice cv. IRAT 109 leaf samples at the seedling stage under drought stress. To obtain additional information on the 9 OsHsp genes, this study focused on an expression profile analysis at different development stages throughout the life cycle of rice, and under different abiotic stresses and phyto-hormone treatments. The 9 genes exhibited distinctive expression patterns in different organs or development stages. Five of the genes (OsHsp72.90, OsHsp72.57, OsHsp71.18, OsHsp24.15 and OsHsp18.03) showed high expression in the endosperm, indicating that OsHsp genes may play important roles in rice seed development. All 9 OsHsps were up-regulated under heat, polyethylene glycol, and abscisic acid treatment, whereas salt stress caused up-regulation of 6 genes (OsHsp93.04, OsHsp71.10, OsHsp71.18, OsHsp72.57, OsHsp24.15 and OsHsp18.03) and cold stress resulted in down-regulation of OsHsp93.04 and OsHsp72.57. These diverse expression profiles imply potential functional diversity of the Hsp gene family in rice.     

Tracing the location of powdery mildew resistance-related gene Stpk-V by FISH with a TAC clone in Triticum aestivum-Haynaldia villosa alien chromosome lines

Bacterial artificial chromosomes(BACs)or yeast artificial chromosomes(YACs)containing large inserts as probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)have been used in the physical mapping of specific DNA sequences,especially for single-or low-copy sequences.Our earlier study identified Stpk-V,a powdery mildew resistance-related gene located on the 6VS chromosome arm of the wild grass Haynaldia villosa(tribe Triticeae),and obtained several Triticum aestivum–H.villosa alien chromosome lines carrying the Stpk-V gene.However,the precise physical location of the Stpk-V gene on chromosome 6VS is not known.In this study,we used TAC-FISH with TAC15 as the probe coupled with sequential genomic in situ hybridization(GISH)to determine the physical location of the Stpk-V gene in different T.aestivum–H.villosa 6V alien chromosome lines,including addition,substitution and translocation lines.The result indicated that the fraction length of the Stpk-V locus is 0.575±0.035 on the 6V chromosome short arm and this was confirmed by FISH using TAC15 as the probe for tracing the Stpk-V gene in other genetic stocks.The cytological mapping strategies used in this study will be of benefit for tracing the alien gene location in the course of introducing desirable traits from wild species.