title: Paraquat resistance of transgenic tobacco plants over-expressing the Ochrobactrum anthropi pqrA gene.
abstract: Transgenic tobacco plants over-expressing the Ochrobactrum anthropi pqrA gene, which encodes a membrane transporter mediating resistance to paraquat, were generated. Transgenic plants displayed higher resistance against paraquat than wild-type plants, as estimated by plant viability, ion leakage and chlorophyll loss, but no resistance against other active oxygen generators, such as H2O2 and menadione. Moreover, lower levels of paraquat accumulated in transgenic plants, compared to wild-type plants, indicating that the PqrA protein detoxifies paraquat either via increased efflux or decreased uptake of the herbicide, but not by removing active oxygen species. The results collectively demonstrate that the bacterial paraquat resistance gene, pqrA, can be functionally expressed in plant cells, and utilized for the development of paraquat-resistant crop plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Jinki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Sung-Hye
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Daeyoung
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Byung-Hyun
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006540:Herbicides / Q000633:toxicity; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010269:Paraquat / Q000633:toxicity*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006540:Herbicides; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C433240:PqrA protein, Ochrobactrum anthropi; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010269:Paraquat