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The CsGPA1-CsAQPs module is essential for salt tolerance of cucumber seedlings

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Abstract

Key message

CsGPA1 interacts with CsTIP1.1 (a member of CsAQPs) and suppression of CsGPA1 results the reverse expression of CsAQPs in leaves and roots, resulting in declining water content of cucumber seedlings under salt stress.

Abstract

Salt stress seriously affects cucumber growth and development. Whether the G-protein alpha subunit functions in cucumber during salt stress and its regulation mechanism remains unknown. We interrogated CsGPA1-RNAi lines to identify the role of CsGPA1 during salt stress. Phenotypically, compared with wild type, leaves were severely withered, and root cells showed signs of senescence under salt stress for RNAi lines. Compared with WT, SOD and CAT activity, soluble protein and proline contents all decreased in RNAi lines, while malondialdehyde and relative electrical conductivity increased. Through screening the yeast two-hybrid library and combined with yeast two-hybrid and GST pull-down, the interaction of CsGPA1 with CsTIP1.1 was found the first time in a plant. Then, the expression of aquaporin (AQP) family genes was detected. The expression of CsAQP genes in leaves and roots was primarily up-regulated in WT under salt stress. However, interference by CsGPA1 resulted in enhanced expression of CsAQPs except for CsTIP3.2 in leaves, but reduced expression of some CsAQPs in roots under salt stress. Furthermore, principal component analysis of CsAQP expression profiles and linear regression analysis between CsGPA1 and CsAQPs revealed that CsGPA1 reversely regulated the expression of CsAQPs in leaves and roots under salt stress. Moreover, the water content in leaves and roots of RNAi seedlings significantly decreased compared with WT under salt stress. Overall, CsGPA1 interacts with CsTIP1.1 and suppression of CsGPA1 results in opposite patterns of expression of CsAQPs in leaves and roots, resulting in declining water content of cucumber under salt stress.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the earmarked fund for The National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFD1000800), National Nature Science Foundation of China (31601796), Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund (No.IVF-BRF2020010) and Science and Technology Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-ASTIP-IVFCAAS) and the support by the Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, China. We thank Shelley Robison, PhD, from Liwen Bianji, Edanz Editing China (www.liwenbianji.cn/ac) for editing the English text of a draft of this manuscript.

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  1. Yan Yan and Mintao Sun contributed equally to this work.

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  1. The Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Haidian District, Zhongguancun South St, Beijing, 100081, China

    Yan Yan, Mintao Sun, Yansu Li, Jun Wang, Chaoxing He & Xianchang Yu

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  1. Yan Yan
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  3. Yansu Li
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Contributions

XCY, CXH and YY designed the experiments. YY and MTS performed the experiments. MTS and YY wrote the paper. YY and MTS analyzed the data. XCY, CXH, YY, MTS, YSL and JW revised the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Chaoxing He or Xianchang Yu.

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Yan, Y., Sun, M., Li, Y. et al. The CsGPA1-CsAQPs module is essential for salt tolerance of cucumber seedlings. Plant Cell Rep 39, 1301–1316 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-020-02565-5

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