Functional Validation of Different Alternative Splicing Variants of the Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium ClNUM1 Gene in Tobacco

TL;DR

This study identifies and validates different splice variants of the ClNUM1 gene in chrysanthemum, showing their roles in improving tobacco's tolerance to salt and low-temperature stress.

Contribution

The functional validation of ClNUM1 splice variants in transgenic tobacco provides new insights into abiotic stress resistance in plants.

Findings

ClNUM1.1 and ClNUM1.2 enhance salt and low-temperature tolerance in tobacco seedlings.

ClNUM1.3 improves low-temperature tolerance in both seedlings and mature tobacco plants.

Different splice variants of ClNUM1 show stage-specific and variant-specific stress resistance effects.

Abstract

The Asteraceae are widely distributed throughout the world, with diverse functions and large genomes. Many of these genes remain undiscovered and unstudied. In this study, we discovered a new gene ClNUM1 in Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium and studied its function. In this study, bioinformatics, RT-qPCR, paraffin sectioning, and tobacco transgenics were utilized to bioinformatically analyze and functionally study the three variable splice variants of the unknown gene ClNUM1 cloned from C. lavandulifolium. The results showed that ClNUM1.1 and ClNUM1.2 had selective 3′ splicing and selective 5′ splicing, and ClNUM1.3 had selective 5′ splicing. When the corresponding transgenic tobacco plants were subjected to abiotic stress treatment, in the tobacco seedlings, the ClNUM1.1 gene and the ClNUM1.2 gene enhanced salt and low-temperature tolerance and the ClNUM1.3 gene enhanced low-temperature tolerance; in mature tobacco plants, the ClNUM1.1 gene was able to enhance salt and low-temperature tolerance, and the ClNUM1.2 and ClNUM1.3 genes were able to enhance low-temperature tolerance. In summary, there are differences in the functions of the different splice variants and the different seedling stages of transgenic tobacco, but all of them enhanced the resistance of tobacco to a certain extent. The analysis and functional characterization of the ClNUM1 gene provided new potential genes and research directions for abiotic resistance breeding in Chrysanthemum.

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