Overexpression of AeNHX1, a root-specific vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter from Agropyron elongatum, confers salt tolerance to Arabidopsis and Festuca plants.
Agropyron elongatum, a species in grass family, has a strong tolerance to salt stress. To study the molecular mechanism of Agropyron elongatum in salt tolerance, we isolated a homolog of Na(+)/H(+) antiporters from the root tissues of Agropyron plants. Sequence analysis revealed that this gene encodes a putative vacuolar Na(+)/H(+) antiporter and was designated as AeNHX1. The AeNHX1-GFP fusion protein was clearly targeted to the vacuolar membrane in a transient transfection assay. Northern analysis indicated that AeNHX1 was expressed in a root-specific manner. Expression of AeNHX1 in yeast Na(+)/H(+) antiporter mutants showed function complementation. Further, overexpression of AeNHX1 promoted salt tolerance of Arabidopsis plants, and improved osmotic adjustment and photosynthesis which might be responsible for normal development of transgenic plants under salt stress. Similarly, AeNHX1 also functioned in transgenic Festuca plants. The results suggest that this gene might function in the roots of Agropyron plants, and its expression is involved in the improvement of salt tolerance.
Qiao
Wei Hua
WH
College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijng 100871, China.
Zhao
Xiang Yu
XY
Li
Wei
W
Luo
Yan
Y
Zhang
Xian Sheng
XS
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D031702:Agropyron / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D031751:Festuca / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000187:drug effects; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D010940:Plant Proteins; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers; D012965:Sodium Chloride