The Effect of Abiotic Stress Conditions on Expression of Calmodulin (CaM) and Calmodulin-Like (CML) Genes in Wild-Growing Grapevine Vitis amurensis

Plant calmodulins (CaMs) and calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs) are important plant Ca(2+)-binding proteins that sense and decode changes in the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration arising in response to environmental stimuli. Protein Ca(2+) sensors are presented by complex gene families in plants and perform diverse biological functions. In this study, we cloned, sequenced, and characterized three CaM and 54 CML mRNA transcripts of Vitis amurensis Rupr., a wild-growing grapevine with a remarkable stress tolerance. Using real-time quantitative RT-PCR, we analyzed transcript abundance of the identified VaCaMs and VaCMLs in response to water deficit, high salinity, high mannitol, cold and heat stresses. Expression of VaCaMs and 32 VaCMLs actively responded to the abiotic stresses and exhibited both positive and negative regulation patterns. Other VaCML members showed slight transcriptional regulation, remained essentially unresponsive or responded only after one time interval of the treatments. The substantial alterations in the VaCaM and VaCML transcript levels revealed their involvement in the adaptation of wild-growing grapevine to environmental stresses.