Effects of abiotic stresses on expression of NtGGPPS family genes and cembratriene-diol contents in tobacco seedlings

To investigate the mechanism of abiotic stresses on the accumulation of cembratriene-diol in tobacco seedlings, four abiotic stress treatments including low temperature, high temperature, drought and salt stresses were set up and followed by the analysis of the expression patterns of key enzyme GGPPS family members in the terpene synthesis pathway and the variation of cembratriene-diol content (mass fraction) in tobacco seedlings under these four abiotic stress conditions. The results showed that the expression of NtGGPPS family genes was significantly down-regulated under both the low and high temperature stresses, with the lowest expression level observed at 42 ℃. Drought stress also inhibited the expression of NtGGPPS family genes, and the expression of NtGGPPS1, NtGGPPS2 and NtGGPPS4 genes was significantly inhibited by salt stress. Conversely, the high temperature, drought and salt stresses induced the expression of the NtCYP71D16 gene. The cembratriene-diol content in tobacco seedlings was significantly increased under the high temperature, drought and salt stresses. In conclusion, the expression patterns of NtGGPPS family members and the cembratriene-diol synthase gene NtCYP71D16 as well as the accumulation of cembratriene-diol in tobacco seedlings were changed under the abiotic stress conditions.