Identification, Expression, and Functional Characterization of ScCaM in Response to Various Stresses in Sugarcane

Calmodulin (CaM), as an important factor in the calcium signaling pathway, is widely involved in plant growth and development regulation and responses to external stimuli. In this study, the full-length sequence of the ScCaM gene (GenBank: GQ246454) was isolated from the leaves of a Saccharum spp. hybrid. Prokaryotic expression showed that ScCaM could be solubly expressed and purified in Escherichia coli BL21. Subcellular localization confirmed that ScCaM was localized in the plasma membrane and nucleus of cells. A quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that ScCaM can be induced by various stresses, including sodium chloride (NaCl), chromium trichloride (CrCl3), salicylic acid (SA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Ectopic expression in Arabidopsis thaliana demonstrated that ScCaM can affect the growth and development of transgenic plants. Moreover, the qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the overexpression of the allogenic ScCaM gene inhibits the expression of AtSTM, leading to the phenomenon of multiple-tillering in transgenic A. thaliana. The present study provided valuable information and facilitates further investigation into the function of ScCaM in the future.

Automated summary

The study identified the important role of the ScCaM gene in plant growth and development, as well as responses to external stresses, by inhibiting the expression of the AtSTM gene which leads to the phenomenon of multiple-tillering in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.