Overexpression of the Small Heat Shock Protein, PtsHSP19.3 from Marine Red Algae, Pyropia tenera (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) Enhances Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Chlamydomonas

Water temperature is one of the major factors that impacts the growth and life cycle of Pyropia tenera, one of the most valuable and cultivated marine red algae belonging to Bangiales (Rhodophytes). We analyzed transcriptome from gametophyte of P. tenera under normal and high temperature conditions, and identified four small heat shock proteins (sHSPs). They have no significant amino acid sequence homology with known proteins in public databases except PhsHSP22 from Pyropia haitanensis. PtsHSP19.3 gene responded to high temperature but slightly or not to desiccation, freezing or high salt condition. When the PtsHSP19.3 gene was overexpressed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, transformed Chlamydomonas lines revealed much higher growth rate than that of control cells under heat stress condition. Transformed cells also grew well in those of the control cell onto the medium containing high salt or H2O2. When the PtsHSP19.3 was fused to GFP and introduced into tobacco protoplast, fluorescence was detected at several spots. Results indicate that PtsHSP19.3 may form super-molecular assembles and be involved in tolerance to heat stress.