Open AccessCo‐expression of NCED and ALO improves vitamin C level and tolerance to drought and chilling in transgenic tobacco and stylo plants
Author(s) -
Bao Gegen,
Zhuo Chunliu,
Qian Chunmei,
Xiao Ting,
Guo Zhenfei,
Lu Shaoyun
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/pbi.12374
Subject(s) - biology , genetically modified crops , transgene , drought tolerance , ascorbic acid , nicotiana tabacum , abscisic acid , botany , horticulture , gene , biochemistry
Summary Abscisic acid ( ABA ) regulates plant adaptive responses to various environmental stresses, while l ‐ascorbic acid ( A s A ) that is also named vitamin C is an important antioxidant and involves in plant stress tolerance and the immune system in domestic animals. Transgenic tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) and stylo [ Stylosanthes guianensis (Aublet) Swartz], a forage legume, plants co‐expressing stylo 9‐ cis ‐epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (Sg NCED 1) and yeast d ‐arabinono‐1,4‐lactone oxidase ( ALO ) genes were generated in this study, and tolerance to drought and chilling was analysed in comparison with transgenic tobacco overexpressing Sg NCED 1 or ALO and the wild‐type plants. Compared to the Sg NCED 1 or ALO transgenic plants, in which only ABA or AsA levels were increased, both ABA and AsA levels were increased in transgenic tobacco and stylo plants co‐expressing Sg NCED 1 and ALO genes. Compared to the wild type, an enhanced drought tolerance was observed in Sg NCED 1 transgenic tobacco plants with induced expression of drought‐responsive genes, but not in ALO plants, while an enhanced chilling tolerance was observed in ALO transgenic tobaccos with induced expression of cold‐responsive genes, but not in Sg NCED 1 plants. Co‐expression of Sg NCED 1 and ALO genes resulted in elevated tolerance to both drought and chilling in transgenic tobacco and stylo plants with induced expression of both drought and cold‐responsive genes. Our result suggests that co‐expression of Sg NCED 1 and ALO genes is an effective way for use in forage plant improvement for increased tolerance to drought and chilling and nutrition quality.