AtNHX5基因过量表达对拟南芥耐盐性的影响

为了研究AtNHX5基因在植物耐盐中的作用,构建了植物过量表达载体pROKⅡ-AtNHX5,并转化拟南芥。结果显示:(1)RT-PCR检测表明,转基因拟南芥中AtNHX5基因的表达大幅提高。(2)对转基因纯合株系进行耐盐性分析显示,AtNHX5过量表达提高了植株在种子萌发和苗期的耐盐性。(3)转基因植株在盐处理下的干重、鲜重以及地上部分Na+、K+含量均高于野生型对照。在200mmol/L NaCl处理下,以转基因株系a1-4为例,其地上部分单株鲜重、单株干重、K+含量分别是野生型的1.27、1.54、1.16倍,较野生型显著升高。研究表明,过量表达AtNHX5基因促进了盐胁迫下转基因植株对K+的吸收,转基因拟南芥的耐盐性明显提高。     

转拟南芥P5CS1基因增强羽衣甘蓝的耐旱性

为提高羽衣甘蓝的耐旱性,本文将拟南芥Δ1-吡咯啉-5-羧酸合成酶（P5CS1）基因经农杆菌介导转入羽衣甘蓝植株中,检测转基因株系与野生型植株在干旱胁迫下P5CS1 mRNA表达量、幼苗脯氨酸含量、株系根系性状、整株干重、鲜重和整株存活率。结果表明,在15%PEG6000渗透胁迫下,转基因植株的P5CS1基因mRNA表达量明显增加,转基因植株脯氨酸含量是野生型的2.4倍;主根长、最长侧根长、侧根数目、整株干重和鲜重均高于野生型,干重/鲜重则低于野生型,转基因植株的平均存活率为78%,极显著高于野生型。数据显示,AtP5CS1基因在羽衣甘蓝中的表达明显改善了转基因植株的耐旱性。     

蒙古冰草MwMYB4基因功能鉴定

MwMYB4基因是从蒙古冰草中克隆得到的MYB类转录因子家族成员之一。该研究以转MwMYB4基因的拟南芥后代为材料,通过在干旱和低温胁迫下对转基因植株进行表型分析、理化指标测试和分子鉴定,分析并验证MwMYB4基因的功能。结果显示:(1)蒙古冰草MwMYB4基因已成功整合到转基因拟南芥T_1代的基因组中并实现转录水平的表达。(2)转基因拟南芥T_2代植株在干旱胁迫条件下,转基因植株叶片枯黄程度较轻,相对电导率较野生型变化幅度低,脯氨酸含量明显高于野生型对照,且MwMYB4基因的表达量随干旱胁迫时间延长而增加。(3)在低温胁迫条件下,转基因拟南芥叶片的枯白程度明显低于野生型,且MwMYB4基因的表达量随低温胁迫时间增加而增加。研究表明,过量表达蒙古冰草MwMYB4基因能够提高转基因拟南芥对干旱和低温的耐受性,该基因可能在干旱胁迫和低温胁迫调控机制中发挥调控作用,可作为改良农作物和其他牧草抗旱、抗寒性的重要候选基因。     

超表达AVP1基因提高甜菜的耐低磷和耐盐抗旱性

为探讨H⁺-焦磷酸酶编码基因对甜菜磷吸收和抗性的影响，实现优良基因在甜菜基因工程中的利用，研究在甜菜中超表达拟南芥液泡膜H⁺-焦磷酸酶编码基因AVP1,对转基因甜菜分析其耐低磷、耐盐性和抗旱性。结果显示，AVP1基因在甜菜植株的叶片和块根中表达，且在逆境胁迫下增强表达量响应胁迫；低磷处理条件下，转基因甜菜与野生型甜菜相比具有更高的含磷量，可提高甜菜对磷的吸收利用效率；干旱、盐胁迫处理条件下，AVP1基因在转基因甜菜中显著上升，在盐胁迫或干旱处理条件下，转基因植株的生长受抑程度相对较轻。随着盐和干旱胁迫的加剧，转基因植株体内MDA含量与野生型植株相比较低而脯氨酸含量显著增加，AVP1基因可通过减轻逆境对甜菜细胞膜的损伤及提高甜菜细胞的渗透调节能力，进而增强甜菜对高盐和干旱胁迫的抗性。     

转ZjAPX基因拟南芥对NaCl、干旱胁迫的耐性研究

旨在探讨枣树抗坏血酸过氧化物酶基因ZjAPX在植物渗透胁迫中的作用。将ZjAPX基因转入到模式植物拟南芥,以野生型(WT)、转ZjAPX拟南芥株系T2为试材,进行不同浓度NaCl胁迫和干旱胁迫。结果表明,转基因株系的种子萌发、植株生长均优于野生型株系;荧光定量PCR检测转基因拟南芥植株在干旱和盐胁迫处理10 d后目的基因ZjAPX的表达量显著高于野生拟南芥,表明ZjAPX的高表达明显提高了植株的抗旱和耐盐性。     

过量表达棉花GaSus3基因增强拟南芥的耐盐性

构建了植物过量表达载体p35S：：GaSus3,通过花序浸染法成功获得转GaSus3基因拟南芥植株。利用NaCl模拟盐胁迫处理,证实转基因拟南芥与野生型相比耐盐性明显增强。在盐胁迫下,转基因拟南芥受到的影响较小,而野生型则受盐害影响严重：转基因拟南芥具有更好的萌发率和主根长度,以保证植株正常生长;盐胁迫下转基因拟南芥能保持较多的绿色叶片,而野生型则过早黄化死亡。研究还发现,转基因拟南芥的过氧化氢酶活性在胁迫前后都高于野生型,这说明转GaSus3基因能够提高拟南芥抗氧化胁迫的能力。研究结果为进一步探讨GaSus3基因在棉花耐盐方面的功能奠定了基础。     

过量表达星星草PtSOS_1提高拟南芥的耐盐性

将星星草中分离的质膜型Na+/H+逆向转运蛋白基因PtSOS1(GenBank登录号EF440291)构建到pGWB2植物表达载体上,转化拟南芥,获得抗卡那霉素的抗性植株.PCR和Northern检测表明,PtSOS1已整合到拟南芥基因组中并过量表达.耐盐性实验表明,PtSOS1过量表达提高了拟南芥植株的耐盐性.盐分测定表明,盐胁迫下PtSOS1转基因植株中Na+积累低于野生型的,K+含量则高于野生型的,转基因植株中K+/Na+比值高于野生型.     

过量表达星星革PtSOS1提高拟南芥的耐盐性

将星星草中分离的质膜型Na^＋／H^＋逆向转运蛋白基因PtSOSJ（GenBank登录号EF440291）构建到pGWB2植物表达载体上,转化拟南芥,获得抗卡那霉素的抗性植株。PCR和Northem检测表明,PtSOS1已整合到拟南芥基因组中并过量表达。耐盐性实验表明,PtSOS1过量表达提高了拟南芥植株的耐盐性。盐分测定表明,盐胁迫下PtSOS1转基因植株中Na^＋积累低于野生型的,K^＋含量则高于野生型的,转基因植株中K^＋／Na^＋比值高于野生型。     

拟南芥热激转录因子耐高温功能分析

从拟南芥基因组中克隆了热激转录因子(At Hsf A6a),构建了过量表达(over-expression,OE)和反义(anti-sense,AS)植物表达载体并转化拟南芥,获得了拟南芥纯合转基因株系。对其进行耐高温处理,结果显示:43℃处理2 h,过量表达转基因植株存活率(86%)远高于野生型(59%);而反义转基因植株存活率则只有43%,显著低于野生型。43℃处理0.5 h,过量表达转基因植株的离子渗漏水平显著低于野生型,而反义转基因植株则大幅度升高。基因表达分析证明,AtHsfA6a的表达受热胁迫诱导,并且Hsp70是受AtHsfA6a调控的下游靶基因。上述结果表明,拟南芥AtHsfA6a可能通过调节Hsp70表达,提高植物耐受高温胁迫的能力。     

大豆转录因子GmC2H2基因转化拟南芥效果分析

GmC2H2转录因子基因是本实验室获得的一个编码172个氨基酸携带516bp核苷酸的转录因子,属于经典C2H2型锌指蛋白.通过构建植物表达载体GmC2H2-pCAMBIA1304,借助优化的Floral-dip法转化模式植物拟南芥,经潮霉素Hygromycine( 45-50 mg/L)抗性筛选获得转基因拟南芥植株.GUS组织染色分析表明,GmC2H2基因在生长12d的转基因拟南芥幼苗中,表达部位主要集中在根部.对转基因拟南芥进行了低温(1℃)和脱落酸(200 μmol/L)胁迫处理,测定其生理生化指标,通过real-time qPCR确定目的基因在转基因拟南芥中的表达情况.结果表明,携带GmC2H2目的基因的转基因拟南芥中脯氨酸和可溶性糖水平要高于野生型植株,而丙二醛水平要低于野生型,在抗逆性方面明显优于野生型拟南芥植株;并且胁迫处理下的转基因拟南芥中GmC2H2基因的表达量要高于未胁迫处理的转基因植株,说明GmC2H2基因的表达受低温和ABA的诱导,初步明确了该转录因子基因的功能.     

Ectopic expression of ABSCISIC ACID 2/GLUCOSE INSENSITIVE 1 in Arabidopsis promotes seed dormancy and stress tolerance

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone that plays a critical role in seed development, dormancy, and stress tolerance. 9-cis-Epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase is the key enzyme controlling ABA biosynthesis and stress tolerance. In this study, we investigated the effect of ectopic expression of another ABA biosynthesis gene, ABA2 (or GLUCOSE INSENSITIVE 1 [GIN1]) encoding a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We show that ABA2-overexpressing transgenic plants with elevated ABA levels exhibited seed germination delay and more tolerance to salinity than wild type when grown on agar plates and/or in soil. However, the germination delay was abolished in transgenic plants showing ABA levels over 2-fold higher than that of wild type grown on 250 mm NaCl. The data suggest that there are distinct mechanisms underlying ABA-mediated inhibition of seed germination under diverse stress. The ABA-deficient mutant aba2, with a shorter primary root, can be restored to normal root growth by exogenous application of ABA, whereas transgenic plants overexpressing ABA2 showed normal root growth. The data reflect that the basal levels of ABA are essential for maintaining normal primary root elongation. Furthermore, analysis of ABA2 promoter activity with ABA2::beta-glucuronidase transgenic plants revealed that the promoter activity was enhanced by multiple prolonged stresses, such as drought, salinity, cold, and flooding, but not by short-term stress treatments. Coincidently, prolonged drought stress treatment led to the up-regulation of ABA biosynthetic and sugar-related genes. Thus, the data support ABA2 as a late expression gene that might have a fine-tuning function in mediating ABA biosynthesis through primary metabolic changes in response to stress.     

The putative plasma membrane Na(+)/H(+) antiporter SOS1 controls long-distance Na(+) transport in plants

The salt tolerance locus SOS1 from Arabidopsis has been shown to encode a putative plasma membrane Na(+)/H(+) antiporter. In this study, we examined the tissue-specific pattern of gene expression as well as the Na(+) transport activity and subcellular localization of SOS1. When expressed in a yeast mutant deficient in endogenous Na(+) transporters, SOS1 was able to reduce Na(+) accumulation and improve salt tolerance of the mutant cells. Confocal imaging of a SOS1-green fluorescent protein fusion protein in transgenic Arabidopsis plants indicated that SOS1 is localized in the plasma membrane. Analysis of SOS1 promoter-beta-glucuronidase transgenic Arabidopsis plants revealed preferential expression of SOS1 in epidermal cells at the root tip and in parenchyma cells at the xylem/symplast boundary of roots, stems, and leaves. Under mild salt stress (25 mM NaCl), sos1 mutant shoot accumulated less Na(+) than did the wild-type shoot. However, under severe salt stress (100 mM NaCl), sos1 mutant plants accumulated more Na(+) than did the wild type. There also was greater Na(+) content in the xylem sap of sos1 mutant plants exposed to 100 mM NaCl. These results suggest that SOS1 is critical for controlling long-distance Na(+) transport from root to shoot. We present a model in which SOS1 functions in retrieving Na(+) from the xylem stream under severe salt stress, whereas under mild salt stress it may function in loading Na(+) into the xylem.     

Overexpression of wheat dehydrin DHN-5 enhances tolerance to salt and osmotic stress in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis>

Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins are associated with tolerance to water-related stress. A wheat (Triticum durum) group 2 LEA proteins, known also as dehydrin (DHN-5), has been previously shown to be induced by salt and abscisic acid (ABA). In this report, we analyze the effect of ectopic expression of Dhn-5 cDNA in Arabidopsis thaliana plants and their response to salt and osmotic stress. When compared to wild type plants, the Dhn-5 transgenic plants exhibited stronger growth under high concentrations of NaCl or under water deprivation, and showed a faster recovery from mannitol treatment. Leaf area and seed germination rate decreased much more in wild type than in transgenic plants subjected to salt stress. Moreover, the water potential was more negative in transgenic than in wild type plants. In addition, the transgenic plants have higher proline contents and lower water loss rate under water stress. Also, Na⁺ and K⁺ accumulate to higher contents in the leaves of the transgenic plants. Our data strongly support the hypothesis that Dhn-5, by its protective role, contributes to an improved tolerance to salt and drought stress through osmotic adjustment.     

香蕉MaASR1基因的抗干旱作用

ASR(ABA, stress, ripening induced protein)是一类响应植物干旱胁迫的关键转录因子, 在许多植物中已有报道, 然而尚未见香蕉(Musa acuminata)中ASR与抗旱作用的相关研究。该实验从香蕉果实cDNA文库中筛选出1个ASR基因, 即MaASR1(登录号为AY628102)。干旱胁迫下, 该基因在叶片中的表达量高于根部。将MaASR1转入拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana), Southern检测确定了两株独立表达的转基因株系(命名为L14和L38)。表型观察发现, 此两转基因株系的叶片变小且变厚; Northern和Western检测结果表明, MaASR1在L14和L38中表达。控水处理后, L14和L38的存活率及脯氨酸含量均高于野生型。经干旱胁迫和外源ABA处理后, 对MaASR1转基因株系中ABA/胁迫响应基因的表达分析, 发现MaASR1可增强转基因株系对ABA信号的敏感度, 但不能增强植株依赖于ABA途径的抗旱性。     

Over-expression of Osmotin Induces Proline Accumulation and Confers Tolerance to Osmotic Stress in Transgenic Tobacco

Osmotin has been implicated in conferring tolerance to drought and salt stress in plants. We have over-expressed the osmotin gene under the control of constitutive CaMV 35S promoter in transgenic tobacco, and studied involvement of the protein in imparting tolerance to salinity and drought stress. The transgenic plants exhibited retarded leaf senescence and improved germination on a medium containing 200mM NaCl. Further, the transgenics maintained higher leaf relative water content (RWC), leaf photosynthesis and free proline content than the wild type plants during water stress and after recovery from stress. When subjected to salt stress (200mM NaCl), the transgenic plants accumulated significantly more proline than the wild type plants. These results suggest the involvement of the osmotin-induced increase in proline in imparting tolerance to salinity and drought stress in transgenic plants over-expressing the osmotin gene.     

Transgenic Plants of Creeping Bent Grass Harboring the Stress Inducible Gene, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, are Highly Tolerant to Drought and NaCl Stress

Transgenic lines of creeping bent grass were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with the VuNCED1 which was cloned from cow pea has a homology to 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, which is supposed to be involved in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. ABA, a cleavage product of carotenoids, is involved in stress responses in plants. The limiting step of ABA biosynthesis in plants is presumably the cleavage of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoids, the first committed step of ABA biosynthesis. Molecular analyses of transgenic lines as performed by Southern hybridization genomic DNA-PCR revealed integration of the VuNCED1. Challenge studies performed with transgenic plants by exposure to salt stress (up to 10 dS m⁻¹) and water stress (up to 75%) for 10 weeks, revealed that more than 50% of the transgenic plants could survive NaCl and drought stress whereas wild-type was not. ABA levels were measured under drought and normal conditions, endogenous ABA was dramatically increased by drought and NaCl stress in transgenic plants. These results indicate that it is possible to manipulate ABA levels in plants by over expressing the key regulatory gene in ABA biosynthesis and that stress tolerance can be improved by increasing ABA levels. Chenna Reddy Aswath and Sun Hyung Kim - First two authors contributed equally to this work