Abstract:

The aim was to study the molecular mechanism of rubber tree in stress response. The first wound-induced protein gene in Hevea brasiliensis designated as HbWUN1, was isolated according to assembled sequences of two ESTs (GenBank: GO349116 and EC607122). The complete cDNA of HbWUN1 was 872 bp in size with a 390 bp ORF encoding 129 amino acid. As a predicted hydrophilic protein, no signal peptides and transmembrane structures were predicted within HbWUN1. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that HbWUN1 was clustered together with Arabidopsis thaliana (NP_974279.1). The expression pattern of HbWUN1 was no tissue-specific with high expression in latex. In different developing stages of rubber tree leaves, HbWUN1 showed a variation expression profile and reached the highest level at senescence stage. In addition, low temperature, wounding, high salt, ET and JA treatments regulated the expression of HbWUN1, suggesting that HbWUN1 might play vital roles in stress response of rubber tree.