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© 2015 An et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) latex, the source of natural rubber, is synthesised in the cytoplasm of laticifers. Efficient water inflow into laticifers is crucial for latex flow and production since it is the determinant of the total solid content of latex and its fluidity after tapping. As the mature laticifer vessel rings are devoid of plasmodesmata, water exchange between laticifers and surrounding cells is believed to be governed by plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs). To identify the most important PIP aquaporin in the water balance of laticifers, the transcriptional profiles of ten-latex-expressed PIPs were analysed. One of the most abundant transcripts, designated HbPIP2;3, was characterised in this study. When tested in Xenopus laevis oocytes HbPIP2;3 showed a high efficiency in increasing plasmalemma water conductance. Expression analysis indicated that the HbPIP2;3 gene was preferentially expressed in latex, and the transcripts were up-regulated by both wounding and exogenously applied Ethrel (a commonly-used ethylene releaser). Although regular tapping up-regulated the expression of HbPIP2;3 during the first few tappings of the virginal rubber trees, the transcriptional kinetics of HbPIP2;3 to Ethrel stimulation in the regularly tapped tree exhibited a similar pattern to that of the previously reported HbPIP2;1 in the virginal rubber trees. Furthermore, the mRNA level of HbPIP2;3 was associated with clonal yield potential and the Ethrel stimulation response. Together, these results have revealed the central regulatory role of HbPIP2;3 in laticifer water balance and ethylene stimulation of latex production in Hevea.

Details

Title
Regulation of HbPIP2;3, a Latex-Abundant Water Transporter, Is Associated with Latex Dilution and Yield in the Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.)
Author
An, Feng; Zou, Zhi; Cai, Xiuqing; Wang, Jin; Rookes, James; Lin, Weifu; Cahill, David; Kong, Lingxue
First page
e0125595
Section
Research Article
Publication year
2015
Publication date
Apr 2015
Publisher
Public Library of Science
e-ISSN
19326203
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1677376292
Copyright
© 2015 An et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.