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Genetic Transformation of Tobacco with the Trehalose Synthase Gene from Grifola frondosa Fr. Enhances the Resistance to Drought and Salt in Tobacco
Author(s) -
ZHANG ShuZhen,
YANG BenPeng,
FENG CuiLian,
TANG HuoLong
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of integrative plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.734
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1744-7909
pISSN - 1672-9072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7909.2005.00046.x
Subject(s) - trehalose , transgene , nicotiana tabacum , agrobacterium tumefaciens , biology , genetically modified crops , transformation (genetics) , abiotic stress , agrobacterium , gene , atp synthase , botany , biochemistry
Trehalose is a non‐reducing disaccharide of glucose that functions as a protectant in the stabilization of biological structures and enhances the tolerance of organisms to abiotic stress. In the present study, we report on the expression of the Grifola frondosa Fr. trehalose synthase ( TSase) gene for manipulating abiotic stress tolerance in tobacco ( Nicotiana tabaccum L.). The expression of the transgene was under the control of two tandem copies of the CaMV3 5 S promoter and was transferred into tobacco by Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105. Compared with non‐transgenic plants, transgenic plants were able to accumulate high levels of products of trehalose, which were increased up to 2.126–2.556 mg/g FW, although levels were undetectable in non‐transgenic plants. This level of trehalose in transgenic plants was 400‐fold higher than that of transgenic tobacco plants cotransformed with Escherichia coli TPS and TPP on independent expression cassettes, twofold higher than that of transgenic rice plants transformed with a bi functional fusion gene ( TPSP) of the trehalose‐6‐phosphate (T‐6‐P) synthase (TPS) and T‐6‐P phosphatase (TPP) of E. coli , and 12‐fold higher than that of transgenic tobacco plants transformed the yeast TPS1 gene. It has been reported that transgenic plants with E. coli TPS and/or TPP were severely stunted and had morphological alterations of their roots. Interestingly, our transgenic plants have obvious morphological changes, including thick and deep‐coloured leaves, but show no growth inhibition; moreover, these morphological changes can restore to normal type in T 2 progenies. Trehalose accumulation in 35S–35S:TSase plants resulted in increased tolerance to drought and salt, as shown by the results of tests on drought, salt tolerance, and drought physiological indices, such as water content in excised leaves, malondialdehyde content, chlorophyll a and b contents, and the activity of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in excised leaves. These results suggest that transgenic plants transformed with the TSase gene can accumulate high levels of trehalose and have enhanced tolerance to drought and salt. (Managing editor: Li‐Hui ZHAO)