Journal
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
Volume 56, Issue 7, Pages 1339-1354Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcv052
Keywords
Abiotic stresses; Alkane; CsWAX2; Cucumber; Pollen fertility; Wax biosynthesis
Categories
Funding
- National science & technology research projects of China [2013BAD20B01]
- National high technology research and development program (863) of China [2012AA100103]
- National public service sectors (agriculture) project of China [201203003]
- Innovational Team Program of Beijing Industrial Technology System for Fruit-vegetables [GCTDZJ2014033008]
- Scientific & Technological Research Project of Beijing [D131100000713001]
- Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation [2014M561094]
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Cuticular waxes play an important part in protecting plant aerial organs from biotic and abiotic stresses. In previous studies, the biosynthetic pathway of cuticular waxes and relative functional genes has been researched and understood; however, little is known in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). In this study, we cloned and characterized an AtWAX2 homolog, CsWAX2, in cucumber and found that it is highly expressed in the epidermis, where waxes are synthesized, while subcellular localization showed that CsWAX2 protein is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The transcriptional expression of CsWAX2 was found to be induced by low temperature, drought, salt stress and ABA, while the ectopic expression of CsWAX2 in an Arabidopsis wax2 mutant could partially complement the glossy stem phenotype. Abnormal expression of CsWAX2 in transgenic cucumbers specifically affected both very long chain (VLC) alkanes and cutin biosynthesis. Furthermore, transgenic cucumber plants of CsWAX2 showed significant changes in pollen viability and fruit resistance to water loss and pathogens compared with the wild type. Collectively, these results indicated that CsWAX2 plays a pivotal role in wax biosynthesis, influencing pollen fertility and the plant's response to biotic and abiotic stresses.
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