Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play various stress-protective roles in plants. In this study, three
HSP genes were isolated from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library of
Ginkgo biloba leaves treated with cold stress. Based on the molecular weight, the three genes were
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Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play various stress-protective roles in plants. In this study, three
HSP genes were isolated from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library of
Ginkgo biloba leaves treated with cold stress. Based on the molecular weight, the three genes were designated
GbHSP16.8,
GbHSP17 and
GbHSP70. The full length of the three genes were predicted to encode three polypeptide chains containing 149 amino acids (Aa), 152 Aa, and 657 Aa, and their corresponding molecular weights were predicted as follows: 16.67 kDa, 17.39 kDa, and 71.81 kDa respectively. The three genes exhibited distinctive expression patterns in different organs or development stages.
GbHSP16.8 and
GbHSP70 showed high expression levels in leaves and a low level in gynoecia,
GbHSP17 showed a higher transcription in stamens and lower level in fruit. This result indicates that
GbHSP16.8 and
GbHSP70 may play important roles in
Ginkgo leaf development and photosynthesis, and
GbHSP17 may play a positive role in pollen maturation. All three
GbHSPs were up-regulated under cold stress, whereas extreme heat stress only caused up-regulation of
GbHSP70, UV-B treatment resulted in up-regulation of
GbHSP16.8 and
GbHSP17, wounding treatment resulted in up-regulation of
GbHSP16.8 and
GbHSP70, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment caused up-regulation of
GbHSP70 primarily.
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