title: Enhanced tolerance to salt stress in transgenic loblolly pine simultaneously expressing two genes encoding mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase and glucitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.
abstract: A reproducible approach to improve salt tolerance of conifers has been established by using the technology of plant genetic transformation and using loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) as a model plant. Mature zygotic embryos of three genotypes of loblolly pine were infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA 4404 harboring the plasmid pBIGM which carrying two bacterial genes encoding the mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (Mt1D, EC 1.1.1.17) and glucitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (GutD) (EC 1.1.1.140), respectively. Transgenic plantlets were produced on selection medium containing 15 mg l(-1) kanamycin and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA. The Mt1D and GutD genes were expressed and translated into functional enzymes that resulted in the synthesis and accumulation of mannitol and glucitol in transgenic plants. Salt tolerance assays demonstrated that transgenic plantlets producing mannitol and glucitol had an increased ability to tolerate high salinity. These results suggested that an efficient A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation protocol for stable integration of bacterial Mt1D and GutD genes into loblolly pine has been developed and this could be useful for the future studies on engineering breeding of conifers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Howell Science Complex, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. tangw@mail.ecu.edu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xuexian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Newton
mesh_terms: D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics; D008353:Mannitol / Q000378:metabolism; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D041603:Pinus taeda / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000378:metabolism; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008353:Mannitol; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013012:Sorbitol; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases; C022645:sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; C021544:mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase