Overexpression of Arabidopsis NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase C (AtNTRC) confers freezing and cold shock tolerance to plants

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2015 Aug 7;463(4):1225-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.06.089. Epub 2015 Jun 15.

Abstract

Overexpression of AtNTRC (AtNTRC(OE)) in Arabidopsis thaliana led to a freezing and cold stress tolerance, whereas a knockout mutant (atntrc) showed a stress-sensitive phenotype. Biochemical analyses showed that the recombinant AtNTRC proteins exhibited a cryoprotective activity for malate dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase. Furthermore, conclusive evidence of its interaction with nucleic acids in vitro is provided here on the basis of gel shift and electron microscopy analysis. Recombinant AtNTRC efficiently protected RNA and DNA from RNase A and metal catalyzed oxidation damage, respectively. The C-terminal thioredoxin domain is required for the nucleic acid-protein complex formation. From these results, it can be hypothesized that AtNTRC, which is known to be an electron donor of peroxiredoxin, contributes the stability of macromolecules under cold stress.

Keywords: Cryoprotective activity; DNA binding; NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase; Peroxiredoxin; Thioredoxin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological*
  • Arabidopsis / enzymology
  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Freezing*
  • NADP / metabolism*
  • Nucleic Acids / metabolism
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Protein Binding
  • Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase / metabolism*

Substances

  • Nucleic Acids
  • NADP
  • Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase