Full-length cloning and characterization of abiotic stress responsive CIPK31-like gene from finger millet, a drought-tolerant crop

摘要

Regulatory proteins such as protein kinases are known to play a crucial role in plant stress acclimation pathways. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of an abiotic stress responsive protein kinase called CBL Interacting Protein Kinase (EcCIPK31-like) from finger millet, a drought-tolerant crop. PCR-based approach was followed to clone 1350 bp coding region that encodes a 449 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 50.69 kDa. The conserved domain analysis revealed the presence of CIPK domain with 90% sequence similarity with fox tail millet SiCIPK31-like gene. We also report its upregulation under salinity, desiccation, oxidative and temperature stresses at seedling level in finger millet. Drought stress at whole-plant level significantly induced the expression of EcCIPK31-like, indicating that the gene is linked to drought signalling pathways. The stress-responsive nature of EcCIPK31-like to diverse stresses indicates that the gene could regulate multiple cellular tolerance traits and its further functional validation can highlight the relevance in abiotic stress acclimation in plants.