Molecular cloning and functional characterization of MdSOS2 reveals its involvement in salt tolerance in apple callus and Arabidopsis

Plants respond to various environmental stresses by activating stress genes. CIPKs (CBL-interacting protein kinases) family genes play an important role in the process of stress response. In this study, a CIPK gene MdSOS2 was isolated from apple (Malus x Domestica). Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that it is highly similar with Arabidopsis AtSOS2 and contained the conserved domains and motifs. Expression analysis demonstrated that MdSOS2 expressed in all tested organs at different levels, and positively in response to salt stress. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of MdSOS2 complemented the function of Arabidopsis sos2 mutant, and conferred enhanced salt tolerance to the transgenic Arabidopsis. Yeast two-hybrid assay indicated that the N-terminal of MdSOS2 protein physically interacted with MdSOS3 and AtSOS3, respectively, suggesting that SOS pathway operates in apple tree. Finally, MdSOS2 overexpression enhanced, while its suppression reduced the tolerance to salt in transgenic apple calluses, indicating that MdSOS2 acts as a positive regulator in response to salt stress in apple.