Molecular Plant
Volume 14, Issue 2, 1 February 2021, Pages 315-329
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Research Article
Transcriptional activation and phosphorylation of OsCNGC9 confer enhanced chilling tolerance in rice

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2020.11.022Get rights and content
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Abstract

Low temperature is a major environmental factor that limits plant growth and productivity. Although transient elevation of cytoplasmic calcium has long been recognized as a critical signal for plant cold tolerance, the calcium channels responsible for this process have remained largely elusive. Here we report that OsCNGC9, a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, positively regulates chilling tolerance by mediating cytoplasmic calcium elevation in rice (Oryza sativa). We showed that the loss-of-function mutant of OsCNGC9 is defective in cold-induced calcium influx and more sensitive to prolonged cold treatment, whereas OsCNGC9 overexpression confers enhanced cold tolerance. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that in response to chilling stress, OsSAPK8, a homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana OST1, phosphorylates and activates OsCNGC9 to trigger Ca2+ influx. Moreover, we found that the transcription of OsCNGC9 is activated by a rice dehydration-responsive element-binding transcription factor, OsDREB1A. Taken together, our results suggest that OsCNGC9 enhances chilling tolerance in rice through regulating cold-induced calcium influx and cytoplasmic calcium elevation.

Key words

OsCNGC9
OsSAPK8
OsDREB1A
cold signaling transduction
chilling tolerance

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Published by the Molecular Plant Shanghai Editorial Office in association with Cell Press, an imprint of Elsevier Inc., on behalf of CSPB and CEMPS, CAS.

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These authors contributed equally to this article.