Abstract
Freezing tolerance can be induced in bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss) suspension cultures by exposure to low temperature or by exogenous application of abscisic acid (ABA). To understand the mechanisms of freezing tolerance in bromegrass, we analyzed the genes responsive to low temperature and ABA using rice cDNA microarray.
Ten genes induced by cold and ABA were cloned and sequenced. One of them has homology to a chitinase reported as an antifreeze protein in cold-hardened winter rye plants.
At present, we are constructing transgenic bromegrass in an attempt to identify contribution of the chitinase to antifreeze activity detected in the culture medium of bromegrass exposed to low temperature.
