A novel aldose/aldehyde reductase protects transgenic plants against lipid peroxidation under chemical and drought stresses.
Rapid accumulation of toxic products from reactions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with lipids and proteins significantly contributes to the damage of crop plants under biotic and abiotic stresses. Here we have identified a stress-activated alfalfa gene encoding a novel plant NADPH-dependent aldose/aldehyde reductase that also exhibited characteristics of the homologous human enzyme. The recombinant alfalfa enzyme is active on 4-hydroxynon-2-enal, a known cytotoxic lipid peroxide degradation product. Ectopic synthesis of this enzyme in transgenic tobacco plants provided considerable tolerance against oxidative damage caused by paraquat and heavy metal treatment. These transformants could also resist a long period of water deficiency and exhibited improved recovery after rehydration. We found a reduced production of lipid peroxidation-derived reactive aldehydes in these transformed plants under different stresses. These studies reveal a new and efficient detoxification pathway in plants.
Oberschall
A
A
Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, PO Box 521, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary.
Deák
M
M
Török
K
K
Sass
L
L
Vass
I
I
Kovács
I
I
Fehér
A
A
Dudits
D
D
Horváth
G V
GV
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water / Q000494:pharmacology
D000447:Aldehydes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014867:Water; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase; C027576:4-hydroxy-2-nonenal