Overexpression of Arabidopsis CBF1 gene in transgenic tobacco alleviates photoinhibition of PSII and PSI during chilling stress under low irradiance

A known arabidopsis cDNA clone, the CRT/DRE binding factor 1 (CBF1), was isolated and introduced into tobacco plants. It has been reported that CBF1 is one member of CBF gene family related to low temperature and enhancing low temperature tolerance of plants. In the present work, the transcripts could be detected in the transgenic lines. The photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) and the photo-oxidizable P700 in the transgenic lines overexpressing CBF1 were higher than that in the wild type plants during the chilling stress under low irradiance. Similarly, the higher NPQ, higher qf, lower ΦNF, higher activity of SOD, and lower content of MDA were also detected in the transgenic tobacco lines. Additionally, higher expression levels of Nicotiana tabacum copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) were also detected in the transgenic lines. These results suggest that CBF1 protein plays an important role in protection of PSII and PSI during the chilling stress under low irradiance.