title: Salinity-induced glutathione synthesis in Brassica napus.
abstract: The role of S-assimilation and the biosynthesis of cysteine and glutathione were studied during the response to salt stress of wild-type and salt-tolerant transgenic Brassica napus L. (canola) plants overexpressing a vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter. A 3-fold increase in cysteine and glutathione content was observed in wild-type plants exposed to salt stress, but not in the transgenic plants. The induction of cysteine and glutathione synthesis during salt stress in the wild-type plants suggests a possible protective mechanism against salt-induced oxidative damage. On the other hand, the salt-tolerant transgenic plants did not show significant changes in either cysteine or glutathione content, confirming the role of vacuolar Na+ accumulation and ion homeostasis in salt tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pomology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blumwald
mesh_terms: D029688:Brassica napus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005978:Glutathione / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013455:Sulfur; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005978:Glutathione; D003545:Cysteine