StMAPK1 functions as a thermos-tolerant gene in regulating heat stress tolerance in potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Xi Zhu; Huimin Duan; Guodong Zhang; Hui Jin; Chao Xu; Shu Chen; Chuanmeng Zhou; Zhuo Chen; Jinghua Tang; Yu Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1218962

StMAPK1 functions as a thermos-tolerant gene in regulating heat stress tolerance in potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Jun 20:14:1218962. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1218962. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xi Zhu^{1

2}, Huimin Duan¹, Guodong Zhang³, Hui Jin¹, Chao Xu⁴, Shu Chen¹, Chuanmeng Zhou⁵, Zhuo Chen¹, Jinghua Tang¹, Yu Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Tropical Fruit Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China/Key Laboratory of Hainan Province for Postharvest Physiology and Technology of Tropical Horticultural Products, South Subtropical Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang, China.
² National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Sanya Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China.
³ Department of Biology, Xinzhou Normal University, Xinzhou, China.
⁴ Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang, China.
⁵ Grain Crop Research Institute, Yulin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yulin, China.

Abstract

Background and aims: Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) have been reported to respond to various stimuli including heat stress. This research aimed to investigate whether StMAPK1 is implicated in the transduction of the heat stress signal to adapt heat stress as a thermos-tolerant gene.

Materials and methods: Potato plants were cultivated under mild (30°C) and acute (35°C) heat stress conditions to analyze mRNA expression of StMAPKs and physiological indicators. StMAPK1 was up-regulated and down-regulated by transfection. Subcellular localization of StMAPK1 protein was observed by fluorescence microscope. The transgenic potato plants were assayed for physiological indexes, photosynthesis, cellular membrane integrity, and heat stress response gene expression.

Results: Heat stress altered the expression prolife of StMAPKs. StMAPK1 overexpression changed the physiological characteristics and phenotypes of potato plants under heat stresses. StMAPK1 mediates photosynthesis and maintains membrane integrity of potato plants in response to heat stress. Stress response genes (StP5CS, StCAT, StSOD, and StPOD) in potato plants were altered by StMAPK1 dysregulation. mRNA expression of heat stress genes (StHSP90, StHSP70, StHSP20, and StHSFA3) was affected by StMAPK1.

Conclusions: StMAPK1 overexpression increases the heat-tolerant capacity of potato plants at the morphological, physiological, molecular, and genetic levels.

Keywords: heat stress; mitogen-activated protein kinase 1; phenotypes; photosynthesis; potato.

Grants and funding

This Research Program was financially supported by the Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 322MS116, 323MS095), and Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund for Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (No. 1630062023001, 1630062023002).