标题：Heterologous Expression of Camellia sinensis Late Embryogenesis Abundant Protein Gene 1 ( CsLEA1) Confers Cold Stress Tolerance in Escherichia coli and Yeast
摘要：AbstractLate embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins play an important role in plant growth and development, as well as in the plant response to various abiotic stresses. In this study,CsLEA1, a novel gene encoding a LEA_3 subfamily protein, was successfully cloned from a tea plant [Camellia sinensis(L.) O. Kuntze]. Bioinformatics analysis and prokaryotic expression assays showed that CsLEA1 is a typical hydrophilic protein with a molecular weight of approximately 10.4 kD. Expression analyses revealed that the transcription ofCsLEA1inC. sinensisleaves was significantly induced by cold stress. In addition, the heterologous expression ofCsLEA1increased the tolerance ofEscherichia coliand yeast to cold stress, which might be closely related to the low molecular weight and high hydrophilicity of the CsLEA1. Taken together, our results suggest thatCsLEA1might have an important function in the toleranceof C. sinensisto cold stress, thus providing a potential application in molecular breeding to enhance the cold stress tolerance of tea plants.
