Proceedings of the XLVII Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Verona, Italy - 24/27 September, 2003

ISBN 88-900622-4-X

Poster Abstract - 1.18

A CLUSTER OF CBF GENES ON CHROMOSOME 5H REGULATES THE ACCUMULATION OF THE COR14b AND TMC-Ap3 COLD-INDUCED PROTEINS AND FROST TOLERANCE IN BARLEY

E. FRANCIA*, D. BARABASCHI*, A. APRILE*, A. TONDELLI*, C. CROSATTI*, A.M. STANCA*, G. GALIBA**, P.M. HAYES***, N. PECCHIONI****

*) Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, I-29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda, Italy

**) Agricultural Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-2462 Martonvásár, Hungary

***) Department of Crop and Soil Science and Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University 97331 Corvallis, Oregon USA

****) Università di Modena e Reggio, Facoltà di Agraria, Via Kennedy 17, I-42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy

barley, CBF, COR protein, Low temperature tolerance, QTL

Low temperature stresses limit crop productivity. A better understanding of low temperature tolerance mechanisms could significantly improve the yield of fall-sown cereals. Barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare) is an economically important diploid model for the Triticeae. We developed a new resource for genetic analysis of winter hardiness-related traits, the ‘Nure’ x ‘Tremois’ linkage map, based on a doubled-haploid population that is segregating for low-temperature tolerance and vernalization requirement. Three measures of low-temperature tolerance and one measure of vernalization requirement were used and, for all traits, QTLs were mapped to the long arm of chromosome 5H. QTLs for three measures of low temperature tolerance are coincident, and we report for the first time segregation of two low temperature QTLs on a group 5 chromosome of the Triticeae.

Using Composite Interval Mapping, a first, distal set of coincident QTLs for low temperature tolerance and vernalization requirement was identified at the VrnH1/Fr1 region. A second, proximal set, of coincident QTLs for low temperature tolerance was identified and was coincident with the QTLs regulating the accumulation of two different and well characterized COR proteins (COR14b and TMC-Ap3). Several barley genes with the CBF transcription factor signature have been mapped in cluster in this region, and are the candidate genes underlying this QTL. A CRT/DRE recognition site in the promoter of the cor14b gene with which a CBF protein could interact has been found. These results support the hypothesis that highly conserved regulatory factors, such as members of the CBF gene family, may regulate the stress responses of a wide range of plant species. Moreover, these findings will be of immediate utility to researchers interested in marker-assisted selection for low temperature tolerance and in the genetic dissection of low temperature regulons.