COR-Like Gene Is Involved in Induced-Expression Response to Multiple Abiotic Stresses in Grape Vine (<i>Vitis amurensis</i>) Tissues

Abstract

Cold stress, which causes dehydration damage to plants, is one of the most common abiotic stresses that limit plant distributions and affect crop growth and development. To improve their cold tolerance, plants often upregulate the expression of some cold-related genes. In this study, a cold-regulated (COR) gene was isolated from Vitis amurensis and designated as VaCOR . RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that VaCOR was expressed at high levels in the roots, stems, leaves, and petioles under low temperature, but it was not detected under normal temperatures. Further analysis revealed that salinity and the application of exogenous abscisic acid and salicylic acid significantly induced VaCOR transcription, with apparent differences in its expression in different organs. The data also showed that COR gene expression was higher in cold-resistant wild V. amurensis than in cold-sensitive Vitis vinifera “Manicure Finger” under low temperature. These results suggest that the VaCOR gene in V. amurensis grapes is involved in multiple stresses and plays a central role in stress-induced and stress-tolerance.