title: The yeast HAL1 gene improves salt tolerance of transgenic tomato.
abstract: Overexpression of the HAL1 gene in yeast has a positive effect on salt tolerance by maintaining a high internal K(+) concentration and decreasing intracellular Na(+) during salt stress. In the present work, the yeast gene HAL1 was introduced into tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. A sample of primary transformants was self-pollinated, and progeny from both transformed and non-transformed plants (controls) were evaluated for salt tolerance in vitro and in vivo. Results from different tests indicated a higher level of salt tolerance in the progeny of two different transgenic plants bearing four copies or one copy of the HAL1 gene. In addition, measurement of the intracellular K(+) to Na(+) ratios showed that transgenic lines were able to retain more K(+) than the control under salt stress. Although plants and yeast cannot be compared in an absolute sense, these results indicate that the mechanism controlling the positive effect of the HAL1 gene on salt tolerance may be similar in transgenic plants and yeast.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain. cgisbert@ibmcp.upv.es
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gisbert
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rus
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bolarín
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: López-Coronado
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arrillaga
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montesinos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; C076232:HAL1 protein, S cerevisiae; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012965:Sodium Chloride