Effect of K-/S- segments on subcellular localization and dimerization of wheat dehydrin WZY1-2

Dehydrins (DHNs) belong to group Ⅱ late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins which perform multiple functions in plants during stress conditions. Both K- and S-segments are conserved domains in the dehydrin protein family; however, there are only a few in vivo functional studies for these two conserved segments. In this study, the DHN gene wzy1-2 was isolated from Triticum aestivum and its K-/S-segment-truncated derivatives were generated. In order to explore the biological function of these two conserved fragments, subcellular localization and dimerization detection assays were performed for the K-/S-segment-truncated derivatives. Results of GFP fusion and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays indicated that WZY1-2 localized to nucleus as a homologous dimer. The S-segment partially regulated the nuclear localization of WZY1-2 but did not affect its dimerization, while the K-segment influenced neither the dimer formation nor the subcellular localization.