Enhanced drought resistance in fructan-producing sugar beet

Fructans are soluble polymers of fructose that are produced by approximately 15 % of the flowering plant species. Production of bacterial fructans in tobacco has been shown previously to lead to improved biomass production under polyethylene glycol-mediated drought stress. Here, we used the same SacB gene from Bacillus subtilis to produce bacterial fructans in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). The transgenic sugar beets accumulated fructans to low levels (max. 0.5 % of dry weight) in both roots and shoots. Two independent transgenic lines of fructan-producing sugar beets showed significantly better growth under drought stress than untransformed beets. Drought stressed fructan-producing plants attained higher total dry weights (+25–35 %) than wildtype sugar beet, due to higher biomass production of leaves (+30–33 %), storage roots (+16–33 %) and fibrous roots (+37–60 %). Under well-watered conditions, no significant differences were observed between the transgenic and wildtype beets. In conclusion, the introduction of fructan biosynthesis in transgenic plants is a promising approach to improve crop productivity under drought stress.     

油菜素内酯合成酶基因DAS5促进杨树生长及提高抗旱性的作用

以河北杨(Populus hopeiensis)为材料, 研究拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)油菜素内酯(BR)生物合成酶基因DAS5对其生长表型、生物量及抗旱性的影响。结果表明: (1) 转DAS5基因河北杨植株的根长、地径、叶柄及叶片长度均显著大于野生型植株, 且地上、地下部分干重及根冠比显著高于野生型, 其拥有发达的根系; (2) 在干旱胁迫下, 转DAS5基因河北杨植株失水褪绿速度较野生型植株缓慢, 在复水后转基因植株能够较早较好地恢复活力, 萌发较多的新幼芽且长势良好; (3)控水期间, 转基因河北杨的相对生长率显著高于野生型, 且随着干旱胁迫程度的加剧, 其可溶性糖含量、游离脯氨酸含量、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性均显著高于野生型。实验结果表明, 与野生型相比, 转基因植株具有较高的生长量与较强的抗干旱胁迫能力, 说明来自拟南芥的BR生物合成酶基因DAS5可以显著增加河北杨的生长量并在抵御干旱胁迫机制中发挥重要作用。     

过表达胡杨XTH基因能够提高烟草抗旱性

胡杨是典型的抗旱树种。挖掘和鉴定胡杨的耐旱基因对于提高植物抗旱性具有重要意义。木葡聚糖内转糖苷酶/水解酶（XTH）是植物细胞壁重构过程中的关键酶,在植物逆境胁迫响应中发挥重要作用。我们前期已从胡杨叶片中克隆了PeXTH基因。本文利用Real-time PCR检测PeXTH基因在干旱胁迫下的表达水平。在此基础上,构建植物表达载体pMDC85-PeXTH,通过农杆菌介导法将PeXTH基因转入烟草,分析过表达PeXTH基因烟草的抗旱性。研究发现,胡杨叶片中PeXTH基因的表达受干旱胁迫诱导。干旱处理后,转PeXTH基因烟草的萌发率明显高于野生型烟草;与野生型植株相比,转基因植株的叶片失水速率明显降低。干旱胁迫下,转基因烟草的气孔开度仅为野生型烟草的51.2%～53.6%。结果表明,过表达PeXTH基因能够提高烟草的抗旱性。本研究丰富了对胡杨PeXTH基因功能的认识,为植物抗旱分子育种提供了重要的基因资源。     

转彩色马铃薯StAN1基因的烟草幼苗耐旱性分析

该研究以转彩色马铃薯StAN1基因烟草为材料、野生型烟草(WT)为对照,测定分析转StAN1基因烟草在种子萌发期、幼苗期和苗期对干旱(甘露醇)处理的耐受情况,并对苗期旱热共同胁迫的耐受情况进行测定分析,以探讨彩色马铃薯StAN1基因的功能,为耐旱彩色马铃薯育种提供新路径。结果显示:(1)转StAN1基因烟草鉴定显示,阳性率为82.6%,且转基因烟草的叶片明显变紫,花青素含量极显著高于野生型烟草。(2)在培养基甘露醇浓度为150 mmol/L时,点播在培养基上的转基因烟草种子第5天时的萌发率达到了7%,是野生型烟草萌发率的2.3倍。(3)在甘露醇浓度为0和100 mmol/L的培养基上竖直培养时,转基因烟草的根长分别是野生型烟草的1.46和1.30倍,根长比野生型烟草显著增长。(4)在干旱胁迫下,转基因烟草幼苗叶片中的脯氨酸含量以及超氧化物歧化酶活性均显著高于野生型烟草,丙二醛含量均显著低于野生型烟草。(5)转基因烟草LEA基因和ERF基因在干旱和旱热处理中的相对表达量均高于野生型烟草。研究表明,StAN1基因在提高植物花青素含量的同时也提高了植物的耐旱性。     

天山雪莲冷调节蛋白基因siCOR转化烟草植株的抗旱性分析

冷调节蛋白(cold regulated proteins, CORPs)是植物在冷驯化下产生的特异性蛋白, 与植物的抗寒性密切相关。然而, 大量研究表明, 绝大多数植物冷诱导基因同样会响应水分胁迫。采用半定量RT-PCR分析天山雪莲(Sasussured involucrata)冷调节蛋白基因siCOR的表达, 结果表明siCOR是一个受干旱胁迫诱导表达的基因。为研究siCOR基因是否与抗旱性相关, 以siCOR转基因烟草为研究材料, 利用水分胁迫处理进行抗旱性分析。结果表明与野生型(wild-type, WT)相比, 转siCOR植株叶片萎蔫较迟且程度较轻, 复水后恢复快且较完全; 其叶片相对含水量和PSII相对量子产率的降低幅度、相对电导率和丙二醛含量的升高幅度均低于野生型烟草植株。采用PEG6000模拟干旱胁迫, 发现转siCOR植株T3代种子的萌发率较高, 主根生长的受抑制程度较野生型轻。以上结果表明, siCOR基因在植物对干旱胁迫的响应中起重要作用。     

Effects of drought, transgenic expression of a fructan synthesizing enzyme and of mycorrhizal symbiosis on growth and soluble carbohydrate pools in tobacco plants

The effects of three conditions likely to affect soluble carbohydrate pools, namely drought, expression of barley sucrose: fructan 6-fructosyl transferase (6-SFT, EC 2.4.1.10) and the establishment of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis with Glomus mosseae were studied in a multifactorial experiment using tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ). Tobacco, a plant naturally unable to form fructan, accumulated fructan in leaves, and to a larger extent in the roots, when transformed with 6-SFT. Under drought conditions, growth was considerably reduced, but neither expression of 6-SFT nor mycorrhiza formation had an effect on growth rate. However, in response to drought, carbon partitioning was significantly altered towards accumulation of soluble sugars. In plants exposed to drought, pools of sucrose were greater than those of unstressed plants, particularly in their roots. In the transgenic plants expressing 6-SFT, there were also increased contents of the products of 6-SFT, namely fructan, most probably because of the increased availability of the substrate, sucrose. These effects were the same in the presence or absence of mycorrhiza. Hexoses (glucose and fructose) also increased in response to drought, primarily in the leaves. This effect of drought was little affected by the expression of 6-SFT, except that it slightly enhanced drought-induced glucose accumulation in roots. However, the presence of mycorrhiza led to a considerable reduction in drought-induced accumulation of hexoses in the leaves. The content of the fungal disaccharide trehalose was greatly increased in the roots of all mycorrhizal plants upon exposure to drought, particularly in some of the transgenic plants expressing 6-SFT.     

Salinity and drought tolerance of mannitol-accumulating transgenic tobacco

Tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were transformed with a mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase gene resulting in mannitol accumulation. Experiments were conducted to determine whether mannitol provides salt and/or drought stress protection through osmotic adjustment. Non-stressed transgenic plants were 20–25% smaller than non-stressed, non-transformed (wild-type) plants in both salinity and drought experiments. However, salt stress reduced dry weight in wild-type plants by 44%, but did not reduce the dry weight of transgenic plants. Transgenic plants adjusted osmotically by 0.57 MPa, whereas wild-type plants did not adjust osmotically in response to salt stress. Calculations of solute contribution to osmotic adjustment showed that mannitol contributed only 0-003-0-004 MPa to the 0.2 MPa difference in full turgor osmotic potential (π_o) between salt-stressed transgenic and wild-type plants. Assuming a cytoplasmic location for mannitol and that the cytoplasm constituted 5% of the total water volume, mannitol accounted for only 30–40% of the change in π_o of the cytoplasm. Inositol, a naturally occurring polyol in tobacco, accumulated in response to salt stress in both transgenic and wild-type plants, and was 3-fold more abundant than mannitol in transgenic plants. Drought stress reduced the leaf relative water content, leaf expansion, and dry weight of transgenic and wild-type plants. However, π_o was not significantly reduced by drought stress in transgenic or wild-type plants, despite an increase in non-structural carbohydrates and mannitol in droughted plants. We conclude that (1) mannitol was a relatively minor osmolyte in transgenic tobacco, but may have indirectly enhanced osmotic adjustment and salt tolerance; (2) inositol cannot substitute for mannitol in this role; (3) slower growth of the transgenic plants, and not the presence of mannitol per se, may have been the cause of greater salt tolerance, and (4) mannitol accumulation was enhanced by drought stress but did not affect π_o or drought tolerance.     

Expression of the Nicotiana protein kinase (NPK1) enhanced drought tolerance in transgenic maize

Drought is one of the most important abiotic stresses affecting the productivity of maize. Previous studies have shown that expression of a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) gene activated an oxidative signal cascade and led to the tolerance of freezing, heat, and salinity stress in transgenic tobacco. To analyse the role of activation of oxidative stress signalling in improving drought tolerance in major crops, a tobacco MAPKKK (NPK1) was expressed constitutively in maize. Results show that NPK1 expression enhanced drought tolerance in transgenic maize. Under drought conditions, transgenic maize plants maintained significantly higher photosynthesis rates than did the non-transgenic control, suggesting that NPK1 induced a mechanism that protected photosynthesis machinery from dehydration damage. In addition, drought-stressed transgenic plants produced kernels with weights similar to those under well-watered conditions, while kernel weights of drought-stressed non-transgenic control plants were significantly reduced when compared with their non-stressed counterparts.     

Overexpression of a plasma membrane aquaporin in transgenic tobacco improves plant vigor under favorable growth conditions but not under drought or salt stress

Most of the symplastic water transport in plants occurs via aquaporins, but the extent to which aquaporins contribute to plant water status under favorable growth conditions and abiotic stress is not clear. To address this issue, we constitutively overexpressed the Arabidopsis plasma membrane aquaporin, PIP1b, in transgenic tobacco plants. Under favorable growth conditions, PIP1b overexpression significantly increased plant growth rate, transpiration rate, stomatal density, and photosynthetic efficiency. By contrast, PIP1b overexpression had no beneficial effect under salt stress, whereas during drought stress it had a negative effect, causing faster wilting. Our results suggest that symplastic water transport via plasma membrane aquaporins represents a limiting factor for plant growth and vigor under favorable conditions and that even fully irrigated plants face limited water transportation. By contrast, enhanced symplastic water transport via plasma membrane aquaporins may not have any beneficial effect under salt stress, and it has a deleterious effect during drought stress.     

Response to mild water stress in transgenic Pssu-ipt tobacco

The response of antioxidant enzymes to cyclic drought was studied in control non-transformed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Petit Havana SR1) and two types of transgenic Pssu-ipt tobacco (grafted on wild rootstock and poorly rooted progeny of F1 generation) grown under different conditions of irradiation (greenhouse, referred as high light, versus growth chamber, referred as low light). Water stress cycles started with plants at two contrasting developmental stages, i.e., at the stage of vegetative growth (young) and at the onset of flowering (old). Drought reduced the growth of SR1 plants compared with transgenic ones, particularly, when treatment started in earlier stage of plant development. Relative leaf water content was significantly lower (below 70%) in all transgenic grafts and plants compared with the wild type, irrespective of age, drought, and growth conditions. The response of antioxidant enzymes was significantly dependent on plant type and plant age; nevertheless, growth conditions and water stress also affected enzyme activities. Contrary to non-transgenic tobacco, where about half of glutathione reductase activity was found in older plants, both transgenic types exhibited unchanged activities throughout plant development and stress treatment. No differences were found in catalase activity, although the growth in the greenhouse caused a moderate increase in all older plants. In contrast to non-transgenic and Pssu-ipt rooted plants, peroxidase activities (ascorbate, guaiacol, and syringaldazine peroxidase) in older Pssu-ipt grafts were up to four times higher, irrespective of growth and stress, nevertheless, the effect seemed to be age-dependent. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was affected particularly by plant age but also by growth conditions. Unlike in older plants, water stress caused an increase of SOD activities in all younger plants. The differences observed in activities of enzymes of intermediary metabolism (i.e., malic enzyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) revealed that transgenic grafts probably compensated differently for a decrease of ATP and NADPH than control and transgenic rooted plants under stress.     

The garlic NF-YC gene, <Emphasis Type="Italic">AsNF-YC8</Emphasis>, positively regulates non-ionic hyperosmotic stress tolerance in tobacco

To investigate the relationship between nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) and stress tolerance in garlic, we cloned a NF-Y family gene AsNF-YC8 from garlic, which was largely upregulated at dehydrate stage. Expression pattern analyses in garlic revealed that AsNF-YC8 is induced through abscisic acid (ABA) and abiotic stresses, such as NaCl and PEG. Compared with wild-type plants, the overexpressing-AsNF-YC8 transgenic tobacco plants showed higher seed germination rates, longer root length and better plant growth under salt and drought stresses. Under drought stress, the transgenic plants maintained higher relative water content (RWC), net photosynthesis, lower levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), and less ion leakage (IL) than wild-type control plants. These results indicate the high tolerance of the transgenic plants to drought stress compared to the WT. The transgenic tobacco lines accumulated less reactive oxygen species (ROS) and exhibited higher antioxidative enzyme activities compared with wild-type (WT) plants under drought stress, which suggested that the overexpression of AsNF-YC8 improves the antioxidant defense system by regulating the activities of these antioxidant enzymes, which in turn protect transgenic lines against drought stress. These results suggest that AsNF-YC8 plays an important role in tolerance to drought and salt stresses.     

Overexpression of a tobacco osmotin gene in carrot (Daucus carota L.) enhances drought tolerance

Osmotin and osmotin-like proteins belong to the PR-5 pathogenesis-related group of proteins and are induced in response to various types of biotic and abiotic stresses in several plant species. Carrot was transformed with a tobacco osmotin gene that encodes a protein lacking the vacuolar-sorting motif that is composed of a 20-amino-acid sequence at the C-terminal end, under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter, using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgene integration and expression were confirmed by Southern and western blot analyses, and three selected transgenic lines were evaluated for their ability to tolerate drought stress. Under drought stress conditions, all transformants exhibited slower rates of wilting compared with the wild-type plants and recovered faster when the drought stress was alleviated. Transformants showed lower levels of hydrogen peroxide accumulation, reduced lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage, and higher leaf water content under drought stress. Our results provide additional evidence for the protective ability of the osmotin protein against drought stress conditions and suggest a possible means to achieve tolerance against this abiotic stress in plants.     

转基因烟草在PEG6000模拟干旱胁迫条件下的生理响应

该研究以转高山离子芥的CbPLDα、CbPLDβ基因烟草为材料,研究了渗透调节物质和保护酶系对PEG6000溶液模拟干旱胁迫的响应机制.结果表明:渗透调节物质脯氨酸、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白分别以各自不同的响应方式在干旱胁迫下增强转基因烟草的抗旱性,且在所有浓度PEG6000模拟的干旱胁迫下,转基因烟草的脯氨酸、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白的含量始终显著高于野生型烟草(P<0.05).说明干旱胁迫下两种转基因烟草的渗透调节能力要强于野生型烟草.保护酶系中,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和过氧化物酶(POD)在减轻干旱胁迫下转基因烟草膜脂过氧化伤害中起到协同互补作用,而过氧化氢酶(CAT)和抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)在干旱胁迫下转基因烟草清除过氧化氢机制中发挥主要作用,说明保护酶系在抵制干旱胁迫和保护转基因烟草免受干旱伤害方面具有重要的生物学功能,这从生理角度揭示了高山离子芥CbPLDα、CbPLDβ响应干旱的生理生态机理.综上,高山离子芥CbPLDα、CbPLDβ基因参与了干旱胁迫下烟草的膜稳定性调节、渗透调节物质的积累和抗氧化酶系的调控.该研究结果为提高植物抗旱性研究及应用提供了新的基因资源,对于加强PLD功能研究、补充植物抗干旱理论及抗低温干旱育种种质资源的开发利用具有重要意义.     

CDPK1 from Ginger Promotes Salinity and Drought Stress Tolerance without Yield Penalty by Improving Growth and Photosynthesis in Nicotiana tabacum

In plants, transient changes in calcium concentrations of cytosol have been observed during stress conditions like high salt, drought, extreme temperature and mechanical disturbances. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) play important roles in relaying these calcium signatures into downstream effects. In this study, a stress-responsive CDPK gene, ZoCDPK1 was isolated from a stress cDNA generated from ginger using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RLM-RACE) – PCR technique and characterized its role in stress tolerance. An important aspect seen during the analysis of the deduced protein is a rare coupling between the presence of a nuclear localization sequence in the junction domain and consensus sequence in the EF-hand loops of calmodulin-like domain. ZoCDPK1 is abundantly expressed in rhizome and is rapidly induced by high-salt stress, drought, and jasmonic acid treatment but not by low temperature stress or abscissic acid treatment. The sub-cellular localization of ZoCDPK1-GFP fusion protein was studied in transgenic tobacco epidermal cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Over-expression of ginger CDPK1 gene in tobacco conferred tolerance to salinity and drought stress as reflected by the high percentage of seed germination, higher relative water content, expression of stress responsive genes, higher leaf chlorophyll content, increased photosynthetic efficiency and other photosynthetic parameters. In addition, transgenic tobacco subjected to salinity/drought stress exhibited 50% more growth during stress conditions as compared to wild type plant during normal conditions. T3 transgenic plants are able to grow to maturity, flowers early and set viable seeds under continuous salinity or drought stress without yield penalty. The ZoCDPK1 up-regulated the expression levels of stress-related genes RD21A and ERD1 in tobacco plants. These results suggest that ZoCDPK1 functions in the positive regulation of the signaling pathways that are involved in the response to salinity and drought stress in ginger and it is likely operating in a DRE/CRT independent manner.     

拟南芥AtCIPK23基因对烟草抗旱能力的影响

为了探索拟南芥AtCIPK23基因对烟草耐旱能力的影响,对3个转AtCIPK23基因阳性纯合株系KA13、KA14和KA44与野生型烟草K326（对照）进行了自然干旱处理,测定离体叶片的失水速率、叶绿素含量、相对电导率、脯氨酸和可溶性糖含量,并分析了转基因及野生型材料对活性氧的清除能力,对活性氧清除基因NtSOD、NtCAT和NtAPX及干旱胁迫相关基因NtDREB、NtLEA5和NtCDPK2的表达量进行检测。结果表明：（1）转基因烟草离体叶片的失水速率明显低于K326;自然干旱7 d后,野生型K326出现了明显的干旱胁迫症状;干旱7 d进行复水后,转基因株系的复水存活率明显高于K326。（2）转基因株系中的叶绿素、脯氨酸及可溶性糖含量比K326显著提高,电导率则明显降低。（3）野生型烟草K326中H₂O₂的积累量明显高于3个转基因株系,转基因株系中ROS清除机制的3个关键基因NtSOD、NtCAT和NtAPX被诱导上调表达。（4）抗旱相关基因NtDREB、NtLEA5和NtCDPK2仅在转基因烟草中受干旱诱导。研究认为,AtCIPK23基因可能具有提高植物抗旱能力的功能。     

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。