The expression of temperature-stress proteins in a desert cactus (Opuntia ficus indica)

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Abstract
Opuntia ficus indica roots grown hydroponically at 20 or 30 °C were subjected to a range of heat-shock temperatures as high as 50 °C for 2 h. Roots grown at 30 °C sustained a greater level of total protein synthesis than did 20 °C-grown roots following heat-shock treatments ≥ 45 °C. The 30 °C-grown roots synthesized 31 families of heat-shock proteins between 38 and 47 °C in comparison with 20 °C-grown roots, which synthesized 19 families of heat-shock proteins at 45 °C. In both groups of roots, the heat-shock response was dominated equally by the 71–75 and a 62 kDa heat-shock protein families. In addition, the 20 °C-grown roots expressed 11 families of cold-shock proteins following 2 h at 4 °C, five of which had similar relative molecular masses to heat-shock protein families. There were numerous qualitative differences in the heat shock protein profiles between the roots grown at 20 and 30 °C; the 30 °C-grown roots expressed several unique heat shock protein families.Key words: heat-shock protein(s), cactus, thermal stress, acclimation.

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