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Journal of Experimental Botany 2007 58(13):3731-3742; doi:10.1093/jxb/erm223
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© 2007 The Author(s).
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This paper is available online free of all access charges (see http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/open_access.html for further details)

RESEARCH PAPER

Gene expression associated with increased supercooling capability in xylem parenchyma cells of larch (Larix kaempferi)

Naoki Takata1 *, Jun Kasuga1, Daisuke Takezawa2, Keita Arakawa1 and Seizo Fujikawa1,{dagger}

1Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
2Department of Regulation-Biology, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan

{dagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sfuji{at}for.agr.hokudai.ac.jp

Xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) in larch adapt to subfreezing temperatures by deep supercooling, while cortical parenchyma cells (CPCs) undergo extracellular freezing. The temperature limits of supercooling in XPCs changed seasonally from –30 °C during summer to –60 °C during winter as measured by freezing resistance. Artificial deacclimation of larch twigs collected in winter reduced the supercooling capability from –60 °C to –30 °C. As an approach to clarify the mechanisms underlying the change in supercooling capability of larch XPCs, genes expressed in association with increased supercooling capability were examined. By differential screening and differential display analysis, 30 genes were found to be expressed in association with increased supercooling capability in XPCs. These 30 genes were categorized into several groups according to their functions: signal transduction factors, metabolic enzymes, late embryogenesis abundant proteins, heat shock proteins, protein synthesis and chromatin constructed proteins, defence response proteins, membrane transporters, metal-binding proteins, and functionally unknown proteins. All of these genes were expressed most abundantly during winter, and their expression was reduced or disappeared during summer. The expression of all of the genes was significantly reduced or disappeared with deacclimation of winter twigs. Interestingly, all but one of the genes were expressed more abundantly in the xylem than in the cortex. Eleven of the 30 genes were thought to be novel cold-induced genes. The results suggest that change in the supercooling capability of XPCs is associated with expression of genes, including genes whose functions have not been identified, and also indicate that gene products that have been thought to play a role in dehydration tolerance by extracellular freezing also have a function by deep supercooling.

Key words: Cold acclimation, deep supercooling, gene expression, larch (Larix kaempferi), xylem parenchyma cells

* Present address: United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, Morioka 020-8550, Japan

Received 21 May 2007; Revised 20 August 2007 Accepted 22 August 2007


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