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Ma D, Cai J, Ma Q, Wang W, Zhao L, Li J, Su L. Comparative time-course transcriptome analysis of two contrasting alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) genotypes reveals tolerance mechanisms to salt stress. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1070846. [PMID: 36570949 PMCID: PMC9773191 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1070846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Salt stress is a major abiotic stress affecting plant growth and crop yield. For the successful cultivation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), a key legume forage, in saline-affected areas, it's essential to explore genetic modifications to improve salt-tolerance.Transcriptome assay of two comparative alfalfa genotypes, Adina and Zhaodong, following a 4 h and 8 h's 300 mM NaCl treatment was conducted in this study in order to investigate the molecular mechanism in alfalfa under salt stress conditions. Results showed that we obtained 875,023,571 transcripts and 662,765,594 unigenes were abtained from the sequenced libraries, and 520,091 assembled unigenes were annotated in at least one database. Among them, we identified 1,636 differentially expression genes (DEGs) in Adina, of which 1,426 were up-regulated and 210 down-regulated, and 1,295 DEGs in Zhaodong, of which 565 were up-regulated and 730 down-regulated. GO annotations and KEGG pathway enrichments of the DEGs based on RNA-seq data indicated that DEGs were involved in (1) ion and membrane homeostasis, including ABC transporter, CLC, NCX, and NHX; (2) Ca2+ sensing and transduction, including BK channel, EF-hand domain, and calmodulin binding protein; (3) phytohormone signaling and regulation, including TPR, FBP, LRR, and PP2C; (4) transcription factors, including zinc finger proteins, YABBY, and SBP-box; (5) antioxidation process, including GST, PYROX, and ALDH; (6) post-translational modification, including UCH, ubiquitin family, GT, MT and SOT. The functional roles of DEGs could explain the variations in salt tolerance performance observed between the two alfalfa genotypes Adina and Zhaodong. Our study widens the understanding of the sophisticated molecular response and tolerance mechanism to salt stress, providing novel insights on candidate genes and pathways for genetic modification involved in salt stress adaptation in alfalfa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Ma
- Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Modern Molecular Breeding for Dominant and Special Crops in Ningxia, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jinjun Cai
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, China
| | - Qiaoli Ma
- Agricultural College, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Wenjing Wang
- Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Modern Molecular Breeding for Dominant and Special Crops in Ningxia, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Lijuan Zhao
- Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Modern Molecular Breeding for Dominant and Special Crops in Ningxia, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jiawen Li
- Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Modern Molecular Breeding for Dominant and Special Crops in Ningxia, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Lina Su
- Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Modern Molecular Breeding for Dominant and Special Crops in Ningxia, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
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Bhattarai S, Fu YB, Coulman B, Tanino K, Karunakaran C, Biligetu B. Transcriptomic analysis of differentially expressed genes in leaves and roots of two alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars with different salt tolerance. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 21:446. [PMID: 34610811 PMCID: PMC8491396 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-021-03201-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) production decreases under salt stress. Identification of genes associated with salt tolerance in alfalfa is essential for the development of molecular markers used for breeding and genetic improvement. RESULT An RNA-Seq technique was applied to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with salt stress in two alfalfa cultivars: salt tolerant 'Halo' and salt intolerant 'Vernal'. Leaf and root tissues were sampled for RNA extraction at 0 h, 3 h, and 27 h under 12 dS m- 1 salt stress maintained by NaCl. The sequencing generated a total of 381 million clean sequence reads and 84.8% were mapped on to the alfalfa reference genome. A total of 237 DEGs were identified in leaves and 295 DEGs in roots of the two alfalfa cultivars. In leaf tissue, the two cultivars had a similar number of DEGs at 3 h and 27 h of salt stress, with 31 and 49 DEGs for 'Halo', 34 and 50 for 'Vernal', respectively. In root tissue, 'Halo' maintained 55 and 56 DEGs at 3 h and 27 h, respectively, while the number of DEGs decreased from 42 to 10 for 'Vernal'. This differential expression pattern highlights different genetic responses of the two cultivars to salt stress at different time points. Interestingly, 28 (leaf) and 31 (root) salt responsive candidate genes were highly expressed in 'Halo' compared to 'Vernal' under salt stress, of which 13 candidate genes were common for leaf and root tissues. About 60% of DEGs were assigned to known gene ontology (GO) categories. The genes were involved in transmembrane protein function, photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, defense against oxidative damage, cell wall modification and protection against lipid peroxidation. Ion binding was found to be a key molecular activity for salt tolerance in alfalfa under salt stress. CONCLUSION The identified DEGs are significant for understanding the genetic basis of salt tolerance in alfalfa. The generated genomic information is useful for molecular marker development for alfalfa genetic improvement for salt tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surendra Bhattarai
- Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada
| | - Yong-Bi Fu
- Plant Gene Resources of Canada, Saskatoon Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X2, Canada
| | - Bruce Coulman
- Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada
| | - Karen Tanino
- Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada
| | - Chithra Karunakaran
- Canadian Light Source, 44 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 2V3, Canada
| | - Bill Biligetu
- Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada.
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Ma Q, Xu X, Wang W, Zhao L, Ma D, Xie Y. Comparative analysis of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedling transcriptomes reveals genotype-specific drought tolerance mechanisms. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2021; 166:203-214. [PMID: 34118683 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Drought is one of the main abiotic factors that affect alfalfa yield. The identification of genes that control this complex trait can provide important insights for alfalfa breeding. However, little is known about how alfalfa responds and adapts to drought stress, particularly in cultivars of differing drought tolerance. In this study, the drought-tolerant cultivar Dryland 'DT' and the drought-sensitive cultivar WL343HQ 'DS' were used to characterize leaf and root physiological responses and transcriptional changes in response to water deficit. Under drought stress, Dryland roots (DTR) showed more differentially expressed genes than WL343HQ roots (DSR), whereas WL343HQ leaves (DSL) showed more differentially expressed genes than Dryland leaves (DTL). Many of these genes were involved in stress-related pathways, carbohydrate metabolism, and lignin and wax biosynthesis, which may have improved the drought tolerance of alfalfa. We also observed that several genes related to ABA metabolism, root elongation, peroxidase activity, cell membrane stability, ubiquitination, and genetic processing responded to drought stress in alfalfa. We highlighted several candidate genes, including sucrose synthase, xylan 1,4-beta-xylosidase, primary-amine oxidase, and alcohol-forming fatty acyl-CoA reductase, for future studies on drought stress resistance in alfalfa and other plant species. In summary, our results reveal the unique drought adaptation and resistance characteristics of two alfalfa genotypes. These findings, which may be valuable for drought resistance breeding, warrant further gene functional analysis to augment currently available information and to clarify the drought stress regulatory mechanisms of alfalfa and other plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoli Ma
- Agricultural College, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China.
| | - Xing Xu
- Agricultural College, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China.
| | - Wenjing Wang
- Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwest China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China.
| | - Lijuan Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwest China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China.
| | - Dongmei Ma
- Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwest China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China.
| | - Yingzhong Xie
- Agricultural College, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China.
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Lodeyro AF, Krapp AR, Carrillo N. Photosynthesis and chloroplast redox signaling in the age of global warming: stress tolerance, acclimation, and developmental plasticity. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:5919-5937. [PMID: 34111246 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Contemporary climate change is characterized by the increased intensity and frequency of environmental stress events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves, which have a debilitating impact on photosynthesis and growth, compromising the production of food, feed, and biofuels for an expanding population. The need to increase crop productivity in the context of global warming has fueled attempts to improve several key plant features such as photosynthetic performance, assimilate partitioning, and tolerance to environmental stresses. Chloroplast redox metabolism, including photosynthetic electron transport and CO2 reductive assimilation, are primary targets of most stress conditions, leading to excessive excitation pressure, photodamage, and propagation of reactive oxygen species. Alterations in chloroplast redox poise, in turn, provide signals that exit the plastid and modulate plant responses to the environmental conditions. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in these processes could provide novel tools to increase crop yield in suboptimal environments. We describe herein various interventions into chloroplast redox networks that resulted in increased tolerance to multiple sources of environmental stress. They included manipulation of endogenous components and introduction of electron carriers from other organisms, which affected not only stress endurance but also leaf size and longevity. The resulting scenario indicates that chloroplast redox pathways have an important impact on plant growth, development, and defense that goes beyond their roles in primary metabolism. Manipulation of these processes provides additional strategies for the design of crops with improved performance under destabilized climate conditions as foreseen for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabella F Lodeyro
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-UNR/CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Adriana R Krapp
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-UNR/CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Néstor Carrillo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-UNR/CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
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Hrbáčková M, Dvořák P, Takáč T, Tichá M, Luptovčiak I, Šamajová O, Ovečka M, Šamaj J. Biotechnological Perspectives of Omics and Genetic Engineering Methods in Alfalfa. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:592. [PMID: 32508859 PMCID: PMC7253590 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
For several decades, researchers are working to develop improved major crops with better adaptability and tolerance to environmental stresses. Forage legumes have been widely spread in the world due to their great ecological and economic values. Abiotic and biotic stresses are main factors limiting legume production, however, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) shows relatively high level of tolerance to drought and salt stress. Efforts focused on alfalfa improvements have led to the release of cultivars with new traits of agronomic importance such as high yield, better stress tolerance or forage quality. Alfalfa has very high nutritional value due to its efficient symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, while deep root system can help to prevent soil water loss in dry lands. The use of modern biotechnology tools is challenging in alfalfa since full genome, unlike to its close relative barrel medic (Medicago truncatula Gaertn.), was not released yet. Identification, isolation, and improvement of genes involved in abiotic or biotic stress response significantly contributed to the progress of our understanding how crop plants cope with these environmental challenges. In this review, we provide an overview of the progress that has been made in high-throughput sequencing, characterization of genes for abiotic or biotic stress tolerance, gene editing, as well as proteomic and metabolomics techniques bearing biotechnological potential for alfalfa improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jozef Šamaj
- Department of Cell Biology, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czechia
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Nadeem M, Li J, Yahya M, Sher A, Ma C, Wang X, Qiu L. Research Progress and Perspective on Drought Stress in Legumes: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E2541. [PMID: 31126133 PMCID: PMC6567229 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change, food shortage, water scarcity, and population growth are some of the threatening challenges being faced in today's world. Drought stress (DS) poses a constant challenge for agricultural crops and has been considered a severe constraint for global agricultural productivity; its intensity and severity are predicted to increase in the near future. Legumes demonstrate high sensitivity to DS, especially at vegetative and reproductive stages. They are mostly grown in the dry areas and are moderately drought tolerant, but severe DS leads to remarkable production losses. The most prominent effects of DS are reduced germination, stunted growth, serious damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, decrease in net photosynthesis, and a reduction in nutrient uptake. To curb the catastrophic effect of DS in legumes, it is imperative to understand its effects, mechanisms, and the agronomic and genetic basis of drought for sustainable management. This review highlights the impact of DS on legumes, mechanisms, and proposes appropriate management approaches to alleviate the severity of water stress. In our discussion, we outline the influence of water stress on physiological aspects (such as germination, photosynthesis, water and nutrient uptake), growth parameters and yield. Additionally, mechanisms, various management strategies, for instance, agronomic practices (planting time and geometry, nutrient management), plant growth-promoting Rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation, quantitative trait loci (QTLs), functional genomics and advanced strategies (CRISPR-Cas9) are also critically discussed. We propose that the integration of several approaches such as agronomic and biotechnological strategies as well as advanced genome editing tools is needed to develop drought-tolerant legume cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Nadeem
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Jiajia Li
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Muhammad Yahya
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Alam Sher
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Chuanxi Ma
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Lijuan Qiu
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
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El-Esawi MA, Al-Ghamdi AA, Ali HM, Ahmad M. Overexpression of AtWRKY30 Transcription Factor Enhances Heat and Drought Stress Tolerance in Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10020163. [PMID: 30791662 PMCID: PMC6410048 DOI: 10.3390/genes10020163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Drought and heat factors have negative impacts on wheat yield and growth worldwide. Improving wheat tolerance to heat and drought stress is of the utmost importance to maintain crop yield. WRKY transcription factors help improve plant resistance to environmental factors. In this investigation, Arabidopsis WRKY30 (AtWRKY30) transcription factor was cloned and expressed in wheat. Plants growth, biomass, gas-exchange attributes, chlorophyll content, relative water content, prolines content, soluble proteins content, soluble sugars content, and antioxidant enzymes activities (catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) of the AtWRKY30-overexpressing wheat plants were higher than those of the wild type. However, levels of electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide of the AtWRKY30-overexpressing wheat plants were significantly less than those of the wild-type. Additionally, the expression level of antioxidant enzyme-encoding genes and stress-responsive genes (ERF5a, DREB1, DREB3, WRKY19, TIP2, and AQP7) were significantly induced in the transgenic wheat plants in comparison with the wild type. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that AtWRKY30 overexpression promotes heat and drought tolerance in wheat by inducing gas-exchange attributes, antioxidant machinery, osmolytes biosynthesis, and stress-related gene expression. AtWRKY30 could serve as a potential candidate gene for improving stress tolerance in wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A El-Esawi
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt.
| | - Abdullah A Al-Ghamdi
- Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Hayssam M Ali
- Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
- Timber Trees Research Department, Sabahia Horticulture Research Station, Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Alexandria 21526, Egypt.
| | - Margaret Ahmad
- UMR CNRS 8256 (B2A), Université Paris VI, 75005 Paris, France.
- Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH 45207, USA.
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El-Esawi MA, Alayafi AA. Overexpression of StDREB2 Transcription Factor Enhances Drought Stress Tolerance in Cotton ( Gossypium barbadense L.). Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10020142. [PMID: 30769841 PMCID: PMC6409991 DOI: 10.3390/genes10020142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Drought stress significantly restricts plant growth and crop productivity. Cotton is the most important textile fiber and oilseed crop worldwide, and its cultivation is affected by drought stress, particularly in dry regions. Improving cotton tolerance to drought stress using the advanced genetic engineering technologies is a promising strategy to maintain crop production and fiber quality and meet the increasing worldwide fiber and oil demand. Dehydration-responsive element binding (DREB) transcription factors play a main role in regulating stresses-tolerance pathways in plant. This study investigated whether potato DREB2 (StDREB2) overexpression can improve drought tolerance in cotton. StDREB2 transcription factor was isolated and overexpressed in cotton. Plant biomass, boll number, relative water content, soluble sugars content, soluble protein content, chlorophyll content, proline content, gas-exchange parameters, and antioxidants enzymes (POD, CAT, SOD, GST) activity of the StDREB2-overexpressing cotton plants were higher than those of wild type plants. By contrast, the contents of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion of StDREB2-overexpressing transgenic plants were significantly lower than that of the wild type plants. Moreover, the transgenic cotton lines revealed higher expression levels of antioxidant genes (SOD, CAT, POD, GST) and stress-tolerant genes (GhERF2, GhNAC3, GhRD22, GhDREB1A, GhDREB1B, GhDREB1C) compared to wild-type plants. Taken together, these findings showed that StDREB2 overexpression augments drought stress tolerance in cotton by inducing plant biomass, gas-exchange characteristics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, antioxidant enzymes activities, osmolytes accumulation, and expression of stress-related genes. As a result, StDREB2 could be an important candidate gene for drought-tolerant cotton breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A El-Esawi
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt.
| | - Aisha A Alayafi
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 21577, Saudi Arabia.
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Luo D, Zhou Q, Wu Y, Chai X, Liu W, Wang Y, Yang Q, Wang Z, Liu Z. Full-length transcript sequencing and comparative transcriptomic analysis to evaluate the contribution of osmotic and ionic stress components towards salinity tolerance in the roots of cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 19:32. [PMID: 30665358 PMCID: PMC6341612 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-019-1630-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alfalfa is the most extensively cultivated forage legume. Salinity is a major environmental factor that impacts on alfalfa's productivity. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying alfalfa responses to salinity, especially the relative contribution of the two important components of osmotic and ionic stress. RESULTS In this study, we constructed the first full-length transcriptome database for alfalfa root tips under continuous NaCl and mannitol treatments for 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h (three biological replicates for each time points, including the control group) via PacBio Iso-Seq. This resulted in the identification of 52,787 full-length transcripts, with an average length of 2551 bp. Global transcriptional changes in the same 33 stressed samples were then analyzed via BGISEQ-500 RNA-Seq. Totals of 8861 NaCl-regulated and 8016 mannitol-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Metabolic analyses revealed that these DEGs overlapped or diverged in the cascades of molecular networks involved in signal perception, signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, and antioxidative defense. Notably, several well characterized signalling pathways, such as CDPK, MAPK, CIPK, and PYL-PP2C-SnRK2, were shown to be involved in osmotic stress, while the SOS core pathway was activated by ionic stress. Moreover, the physiological shifts of catalase and peroxidase activity, glutathione and proline content were in accordance with dynamic transcript profiles of the relevant genes, indicating that antioxidative defense system plays critical roles in response to salinity stress. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our study provides evidence that the response to salinity stress in alfalfa includes both osmotic and ionic components. The key osmotic and ionic stress-related genes are candidates for future studies as potential targets to improve resistance to salinity stress via genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuguo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xutian Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenxian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanrong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Qingchuan Yang
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zengyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
- Core Research & Transformation, Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK 73401 USA
| | - Zhipeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
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10
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Overexpression of Rice Rab7 Gene Improves Drought and Heat Tolerance and Increases Grain Yield in Rice ( Oryza sativa L.). Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10010056. [PMID: 30658457 PMCID: PMC6357162 DOI: 10.3390/genes10010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Rab family proteins play a crucial role in plant developmental processes and tolerance to environmental stresses. The current study investigated whether rice Rab7 (OsRab7) overexpression could improve rice tolerance to drought and heat stress conditions. The OsRab7 gene was cloned and transformed into rice plants. The survival rate, relative water content, chlorophyll content, gas-exchange characteristics, soluble protein content, soluble sugar content, proline content, and activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, APX, POD) of the transgenic rice lines were significantly higher than that of the wild-type. In contrast, the levels of hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde of the transgenic lines were significantly reduced when compared to wild-type. Furthermore, the expression of four genes encoding reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzymes (OsCATA, OsCATB, OsAPX2, OsSOD-Cu/Zn) and eight genes conferring abiotic stress tolerance (OsLEA3, OsRD29A, OsSNAC1, OsSNAC2, OsDREB2A, OsDREB2B, OsRAB16A, OsRAB16C) was significantly up-regulated in the transformed rice lines as compared to their expression in wild-type. OsRab7 overexpression also increased grain yield in rice. Taken together, the current study indicates that the OsRab7 gene improves grain yield and enhances drought and heat tolerance in transgenic rice by modulating osmolytes, antioxidants and abiotic stress-responsive genes expression. Therefore, OsRab7 gene could be exploited as a promising candidate for improving rice grain yield and stress tolerance.
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Wang Z, Xu W, Kang J, Li M, Huang J, Ke Q, Kim HS, Xu B, Kwak SS. Overexpression of alfalfa Orange gene in tobacco enhances carotenoid accumulation and tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2018; 130:613-622. [PMID: 30121513 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2018.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The multifunctional Orange (Or) protein plays crucial roles in carotenoid homeostasis, photosynthesis stabilization, and antioxidant activity in plants under various abiotic stress conditions. The Or gene has been cloned in several crops but not in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Alfalfa is widely cultivated across the world; however, its cultivation is largely limited by various abiotic stresses, including drought. In this study, we isolated the Or gene from alfalfa (MsOr) cv. Xinjiang Daye. The amino acid sequence of the deduced MsOr protein revealed that the protein contained two trans-membrane domains and a DnaJ cysteine-rich zinc finger domain, and showed a high level of similarity with the Or protein of other plants species. The MsOr protein was localized in leaf chloroplasts of tobacco. The expression of MsOr was the highest in mature leaves and was significantly induced by abiotic stresses, especially drought. To perform functional analysis of the MsOr gene, we overexpressed MsOr gene in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana). Compared with wild-type (WT) plants, transgenic tobacco lines showed higher carotenoid accumulation and increased tolerance to various abiotic stresses, including drought, heat, salt, and methyl viologen-mediated oxidative stress. Additionally, contents of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde were lower in the transgenic lines than in WT plants, suggesting superior membrane stability and antioxidant capacity of TOR lines under multiple abiotic stresses. These results indicate the MsOr gene as a potential target for the development of alfalfa cultivars with enhanced carotenoid content and tolerance to multiple environmental stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Weizhou Xu
- College of Life Science, Yulin University, Yulin, 719000, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiyue Kang
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Min Li
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qingbo Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ho Soo Kim
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Bingcheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Sang-Soo Kwak
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
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Singer SD, Hannoufa A, Acharya S. Molecular improvement of alfalfa for enhanced productivity and adaptability in a changing environment. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2018; 41:1955-1971. [PMID: 29044610 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Due to an expanding world population and increased buying power, the demand for ruminant products such as meat and milk is expected to grow substantially in coming years, and high levels of forage crop production will therefore be a necessity. Unfortunately, urbanization of agricultural land, intensive agricultural practices, and climate change are all predicted to limit crop production in the future, which means that the development of forage cultivars with improved productivity and adaptability will be essential. Because alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most widely cultivated perennial forage crops, it has been the target of much research in this field. In this review, we discuss progress that has been made towards the improvement of productivity, abiotic stress tolerance, and nutrient-use efficiency, as well as disease and pest resistance, in alfalfa using biotechnological techniques. Furthermore, we consider possible future priorities and avenues for attaining further enhancements in this crop as a means of contributing to the realization of food security in a changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy D Singer
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Abdelali Hannoufa
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, Ontario, N5V 4T3, Canada
| | - Surya Acharya
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
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Yu C, Qiao G, Qiu W, Yu D, Zhou S, Shen Y, Yu G, Jiang J, Han X, Liu M, Zhang L, Chen F, Chen Y, Zhuo R. Molecular breeding of water lily: engineering cold stress tolerance into tropical water lily. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2018; 5:73. [PMID: 30564371 PMCID: PMC6265338 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-018-0086-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Water lilies (order Nymphaeales) are rich in both economic and cultural values. They grow into aquatic herbs, and are divided into two ecological types: tropical and hardy. Although tropical water lilies have more ornamental and medicinal values compared to the hardy water lily, the study and utilization of tropical water lilies in both landscaping and pharmaceutical use is greatly hindered due to their limited planting area. Tropical water lilies cannot survive the winter in areas beyond 24.3°N latitude. Here, the transgenic pipeline through the pollen-tube pathway was generated for water lily for the first time. To improve cold stress tolerance of tropical water lilies, a gene encoding choline oxidase (CodA) driven by a cold stress-inducible promoter was transformed into a tropical water lily through the pollen-tube transformation. Six independent transgenic lines were tested for survival rate during two winter seasons from 2015 to 2017 in Hangzhou (30.3°N latitude). PCR and southern blot detection revealed that the CodA gene had been integrated into the genome. Reverse transcription PCR showed that CodA gene was induced after cold stress treatment, and further quantitative real-time PCR revealed different expressions among six 4 lines and line 3 had the highest expression. Multiple physiological experiments showed that after cold stress treatment, both the conductivity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels from transgenic plants were significantly lower than those of non-transgenic plants, whereas the content of betaine and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase were higher than those from non-transgenic plants. These results suggest that expression of exogenous CodA gene significantly improved the cold stress tolerance of tropical water lilies through a wide range of physiological alterations. Our results currently expanded a six-latitude cultivating area of the tropical water lilies. These results not only illuminate the bright future for water lily breeding but will also facilitate the functional genomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiwei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China
- Zhejiang Humanities Landscape Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Tianjing Aquatic Botanical Garden, 310000 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 311400 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Guirong Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 311400 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Wenmin Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 311400 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Dongbei Yu
- Zhejiang Humanities Landscape Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Tianjing Aquatic Botanical Garden, 310000 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Shirong Zhou
- Zhejiang Humanities Landscape Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Tianjing Aquatic Botanical Garden, 310000 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Yan Shen
- Zhejiang Humanities Landscape Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Tianjing Aquatic Botanical Garden, 310000 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Guanchun Yu
- Zhejiang Humanities Landscape Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Tianjing Aquatic Botanical Garden, 310000 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Jing Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 311400 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Xiaojiao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 311400 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Mingying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 311400 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Liangsheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002 Fuzhou, China
| | - Fei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002 Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuchu Chen
- Zhejiang Humanities Landscape Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Tianjing Aquatic Botanical Garden, 310000 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Renying Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 311400 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
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Zheng G, Fan C, Di S, Wang X, Xiang C, Pang Y. Over-Expression of Arabidopsis EDT1 Gene Confers Drought Tolerance in Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:2125. [PMID: 29326737 PMCID: PMC5733502 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.02125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important legume forage crop with great economic value. However, as the growth of alfalfa is seriously affected by an inadequate supply of water, drought is probably the major abiotic environmental factor that most severely affects alfalfa production worldwide. In an effort to enhance alfalfa drought tolerance, we transformed the Arabidopsis Enhanced Drought Tolerance 1 (AtEDT1) gene into alfalfa via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Compared with wild type plants, drought stress treatment resulted in higher survival rates and biomass, but reduced water loss rates in the transgenic plants. Furthermore, transgenic alfalfa plants had increased stomatal size, but reduced stomatal density, and these stomatal changes contributed greatly to reduced water loss from leaves. Importantly, transgenic alfalfa plants exhibited larger root systems with larger root lengths, root weight, and root diameters than wild type plants. The transgenic alfalfa plants had reduced membrane permeability and malondialdehyde content, but higher soluble sugar and proline content, higher superoxide dismutase activity, higher chlorophyll content, enhanced expression of drought-responsive genes, as compared with wild type plants. Notably, transgenic alfalfa plants grew better in a 2-year field trial and showed enhanced growth performance with increased biomass yield. All of our morphological, physiological, and molecular analyses demonstrated that the ectopic expression of AtEDT1 improved growth and enhanced drought tolerance in alfalfa. Our study provides alfalfa germplasm for use in forage improvement programs, and may help to increase alfalfa production in arid lands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cunying Fan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shaokang Di
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuemin Wang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengbin Xiang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yongzhen Pang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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15
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Wang L, Wang S, Chen W, Li H, Deng X. Physiological mechanisms contributing to increased water-use efficiency in winter wheat under organic fertilization. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180205. [PMID: 28662113 PMCID: PMC5491151 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving the efficiency of resource utilization has received increasing research attention in recent years. In this study, we explored the potential physiological mechanisms underlying improved grain yield and water-use efficiency of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) following organic fertilizer application. Two wheat cultivars, ChangHan58 (CH58) and XiNong9871 (XN9871), were grown under the same nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate (urea-N, CK; and manure plus urea-N, M) and under two watering regimes (WW, well-watered; and WS, water stress) imposed after anthesis. The M fertilizer treatment had a higher Pn and lower gs and Tr than CK under both water conditions, in particular, it significantly increased WRC and Ψw, and decreased EWLR and MDA under WS. Also, the M treatment increased post-anthesis N uptake by 81.4 and 16.4% under WS and WW, thus increasing post-anthesis photosynthetic capacity and delaying leaf senescence. Consequently, the M treatment increased post-anthesis DM accumulation under WS and WW by 51.5 and 29.6%, WUEB by 44.5 and 50.9%, grain number per plant by 11.5 and 12.2% and 1000-grain weight by 7.3 and 3.6%, respectively, compared with CK. The grain yield under M treatment increased by 23 and 15%, and water use efficiency (WUEg) by 25 and 23%, respectively. The increased WUE under organic fertilizer treatment was due to elevated photosynthesis and decreased Tr and gs. Our results suggest that the organic fertilizer treatment enabled plants to use water more efficiently under drought stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shiwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Disaster Monitoring and Mechanism Simulating of Shaanxi Province, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hongbing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- * E-mail:
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Wang Z, Su G, Li M, Ke Q, Kim SY, Li H, Huang J, Xu B, Deng XP, Kwak SS. Overexpressing Arabidopsis ABF3 increases tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses and reduces leaf size in alfalfa. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2016; 109:199-208. [PMID: 27721135 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2016.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis ABSCISIC ACID-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT-BINDING FACTOR 3 (ABF3), a bZIP transcription factor, plays an important role in regulating multiple stress responses in plants. Overexpressing AtABF3 increases tolerance to various stresses in several plant species. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), one of the most important perennial forage crops worldwide, has high yields, high nutritional value, and good palatability and is widely distributed in irrigated and semi-arid regions throughout the world. However, drought and salt stress pose major constraints to alfalfa production. In this study, we developed transgenic alfalfa plants (cv. Xinjiang Daye) expressing AtABF3 under the control of the sweetpotato oxidative stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter (referred to as SAF plants) via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. After drought stress treatment, we selected two transgenic lines with high expression of AtABF3, SAF5 and SAF6, for further characterization. Under normal conditions, SAF plants showed smaller leaf size compared to non-transgenic (NT) plants, while no other morphological changes were observed. Moreover, SAF plants exhibited enhanced drought stress tolerance and better growth under drought stress treatment, which was accompanied by a reduced transpiration rate and lower reactive oxygen species contents. In addition, SAF plants showed an increased tolerance to salt and oxidative stress. Therefore, these transgenic AtABF3 alfalfa plants might be useful for breeding forage crops with enhanced tolerance to environmental stress for use in sustainable agriculture on marginal lands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Guoxia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Qingbo Ke
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Young Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongbing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Jin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Bingcheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Xi-Ping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Sang-Soo Kwak
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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Ke Q, Wang Z, Ji CY, Jeong JC, Lee HS, Li H, Xu B, Deng X, Kwak SS. Transgenic poplar expressing codA exhibits enhanced growth and abiotic stress tolerance. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2016; 100:75-84. [PMID: 26795732 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Glycine betaine (GB), a compatible solute, effectively stabilizes the structure and function of macromolecules and enhances abiotic stress tolerance in plants. We generated transgenic poplar plants (Populus alba × Populus glandulosa) expressing a bacterial choline oxidase (codA) gene under the control of the oxidative stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter (referred to as SC plants). Among the 13 SC plants generated, three lines (SC4, SC14 and SC21) were established based on codA transcript levels, tolerance to methyl viologen-mediated oxidative stress and Southern blot analysis. Growth was better in SC plants than in non-transgenic (NT) plants, which was related to elevated transcript levels of auxin-response genes. SC plants accumulated higher levels of GB under oxidative stress compared to the NT plants. In addition, SC plants exhibited increased tolerance to drought and salt stress, which was associated with increased efficiency of photosystem II activity. Finally, SC plants maintained lower levels of ion leakage and reactive oxygen species under cold stress compared to the NT plants. These observations suggest that SC plants might be useful for reforestation on global marginal lands, including desertification and reclaimed areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingbo Ke
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea
| | - Zhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China
| | - Chang Yoon Ji
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea
| | - Jae Cheol Jeong
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea
| | - Haeng-Soon Lee
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea
| | - Hongbing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China
| | - Bingcheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China
| | - Xiping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, PR China
| | - Sang-Soo Kwak
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea.
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Quan W, Liu X, Wang H, Chan Z. Comparative Physiological and Transcriptional Analyses of Two Contrasting Drought Tolerant Alfalfa Varieties. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 6:1256. [PMID: 26793226 PMCID: PMC4709457 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.01256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Drought is one of major environmental determinants of plant growth and productivity. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a legume perennial forage crop native to the arid and semi-arid environment, which is an ideal candidate to study the biochemical and molecular mechanisms conferring drought resistance in plants. In this study, drought stress responses of two alfalfa varieties, Longdong and Algonquin, were comparatively assayed at the physiological, morphological, and transcriptional levels. Under control condition, the drought-tolerant Longdong with smaller leaf size and lower stomata density showed less water loss than the drought-sensitive Algonquin. After exposing to drought stress, Longdong showed less severe cell membrane damage, more proline, and ascorbate (ASC) contents and less accumulation of H2O2 than Algonquin. Moreover, significantly higher antioxidant enzymes activities after drought treatment were found in Longdong when compared with Algonquin. In addition, transcriptional expression analysis showed that Longdong exhibited significantly higher transcripts of drought-responsive genes in leaf and root under drought stress condition. Taken together, these results indicated that Longdong variety was more drought-tolerant than Algonquin variety as evidenced by less leaf firing, more lateral root number, higher relative aboveground/underground biomass per plant and survival rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Quan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden/Sino-Africa Joint Research Center – Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Xun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden/Sino-Africa Joint Research Center – Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Haiqing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology – Chinese Academy of SciencesXining, China
| | - Zhulong Chan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden/Sino-Africa Joint Research Center – Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
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Yang C, Zhou Y, Fan J, Fu Y, Shen L, Yao Y, Li R, Fu S, Duan R, Hu X, Guo J. SpBADH of the halophyte Sesuvium portulacastrum strongly confers drought tolerance through ROS scavenging in transgenic Arabidopsis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2015; 96:377-87. [PMID: 26368017 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2015.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Glycine betaine (GB) accumulation is involved in abiotic stress. However, it is not known whether BADH, the key enzyme of GB synthesis, utilizes the antioxidant system to confer drought stress tolerance. In this study, a novel member of the ALDH10 gene family, SpBADH, was isolated from Sesuvium portulacastrum. The expression of this gene was up-regulated by NaCl, PEG6000, H2O2, ABA and high temperature in S. portulacastrum. SpBADH overexpression in Arabidopsis resulted in higher BADH activity and GB content and might increase tolerance to drought/osmotic stresses, specifically strong tolerance to drought stress. Transgenic lines exhibited lower MDA and H2O2 contents but higher proline, POD, SOD and CAT contents than the wild type under drought and osmotic stresses. SpBADH overexpression in Arabidopsis also enhanced the expression of ROS-related genes including AtSOD, AtPOD, AtCAT, AtAPX and Atpsb under drought and osmotic stresses. Thus, SpBADH increases plant tolerance to drought or osmotic stresses by reducing H2O2, increasing proline, and activating antioxidative enzymes to improve ROS scavenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Yang
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences &Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou 570711, China; Guizhou Institute of Subtropics Crops, Xingyi 562400, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences &Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou 570711, China; College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jie Fan
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences &Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou 570711, China; Agricultural College of Hainan University, 571104 Haikou, China
| | - Yuhua Fu
- Guizhou Institute of Subtropics Crops, Xingyi 562400, China
| | - Longbin Shen
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences &Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou 570711, China
| | - Yuan Yao
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences &Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou 570711, China
| | - Ruimei Li
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences &Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou 570711, China
| | - Shaoping Fu
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences &Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou 570711, China
| | - Ruijun Duan
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences &Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou 570711, China
| | - Xinwen Hu
- Agricultural College of Hainan University, 571104 Haikou, China.
| | - Jianchun Guo
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences &Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou 570711, China.
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Ke Q, Wang Z, Ji CY, Jeong JC, Lee HS, Li H, Xu B, Deng X, Kwak SS. Transgenic poplar expressing Arabidopsis YUCCA6 exhibits auxin-overproduction phenotypes and increased tolerance to abiotic stress. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2015; 94:19-27. [PMID: 25980973 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
YUCCA6, a member of the YUCCA family of flavin monooxygenase-like proteins, is involved in the tryptophan-dependent IAA biosynthesis pathway and responses to environmental cues in Arabidopsis. However, little is known about the role of the YUCCA pathway in auxin biosynthesis in poplar. Here, we generated transgenic poplar (Populus alba × P. glandulosa) expressing the Arabidopsis YUCCA6 gene under the control of the oxidative stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter (referred to as SY plants). Three SY lines (SY7, SY12 and SY20) were selected based on the levels of AtYUCCA6 transcript. SY plants displayed auxin-overproduction morphological phenotypes, such as rapid shoot growth and retarded main root development with increased root hair formation. In addition, SY plants had higher levels of free IAA and early auxin-response gene transcripts. SY plants exhibited tolerance to drought stress, which was associated with reduced levels of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, SY plants showed delayed hormone- and dark-induced senescence in detached leaves due to higher photosystem II efficiency and less membrane permeability. These results suggest that the conserved IAA biosynthesis pathway mediated by YUCCA family members exists in poplar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingbo Ke
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-350, South Korea
| | - Zhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR China
| | - Chang Yoon Ji
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-350, South Korea
| | - Jae Cheol Jeong
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-350, South Korea
| | - Haeng-Soon Lee
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-350, South Korea
| | - Hongbing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR China
| | - Bingcheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR China
| | - Xiping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR China
| | - Sang-Soo Kwak
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 305-806, South Korea; Department of Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-350, South Korea.
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21
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Park SC, Kim MD, Kim SH, Kim YH, Jeong JC, Lee HS, Kwak SS. Enhanced drought and oxidative stress tolerance in transgenic sweetpotato expressing a codA gene. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.5010/jpb.2015.42.1.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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