The Effects of Heat Treatment on the Gene Expression of Several Heat Shock Protein Genes in Two Cultivars of Strawberry

ABSTRACTHeat treatment has been shown to be an effective method for reducing systemic pathogens in strawberry but the process often has adverse effects on plant health. Research has shown that a brief heat treatment of plants at a lower temperature prior to the main heat treatment can induce heat shock proteins, which serve to protect the plant from damage when treated at higher temperatures. The objective of this study was to determine the relative gene expression of two heat shock factors (HSFs) and eight heat shock proteins (HSPs) in two strawberry cultivars (Festival and Ventana) known to have differential tolerance to heat. Strawberry plants were treated at 37 °C for 1 hour to induce the heat shock response. Total RNA was extracted and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to determine the amount of target produced. Relative gene expression was determined using the 2−∆∆ct method. Results showed that transcripts of one HSF and five HSPs were significantly more abundant in c...