Abstract:To investigate the types and functions of dehydrin in tea plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O.Kuntze],we studied the expression profiling of tea dehydrin protein family in different seasons and wintering period by Western-blot.The results showed that:(1)the phenol-methanol/ammonium acetate precipitation method was suitable for total protein extraction from tea leaves,and met the requirements for Western-blot analysis,together with short time,high concentration,clear electrophoretic bands,and no contaminated background in SDS-PAGE.Nine kinds of dehydrin-like prteins in tea plant with the molecular weights ranging from 14-95 kD,were found in different seasons and during overwintering.The expressions levels were relatively stable in the 6 kinds of dehydrin-like proteins (molecular weights 95,65,48,37,34 and 14 kD).The 58 kD dehydrin occurred only in winter,and showed a continuous expression in overwintering period,which achieved the highest expression in February.The highest expression of 28 kD dehydrin was found in winter,whose variation pattern was in accordance with the cold resistance for tea plant.The 21 kD dehydrin expression level was higher in summer and the later period of overwintering.It provided that the three dehydrins (58,28 and 21 kD) might play important roles in stress tolerance for tea plants.