A calmodulin-like CmCML13 from Cucumis melo improved transgenic Arabidopsis salt tolerance through reduced shoot's Na⁺ and also improved drought resistance

The calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs) are a large family involved in plant biological processes. A calmodulin-like gene CmCML13 (GenBank accession number: MT340534) from melon (Cucumis melo L.) was isolated and functionally analyzed. CmCML13 was predicted to possess 3 EF-hands in which only the first EF-hand could bind with Ca-2(+). Subcellular localization assay revealed that CmCML13 was localized in nucleus, cell membrane, vacuolar membrane and cytoplasmic strand. The transcript level of CmCML13 was temporally and spatially regulated under salt stress. Constitutive expression of CmCML13 in the Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced salt tolerance at seeds germination. CmCML13 improved the transgenic Arabidopsis plants salt tolerance by significantly reducing Na+ content of shoots, which was unrelated to HKT1-involving pathway. Moreover, overexpressing of CmCML13 in Arabidopsis showed stronger drought tolerance. This study demonstrates that the CmCML13 is an important multifunctional protein associated with salt and drought stress, which may play a key role in stress signaling pathway.