Overexpression of Thellungiella halophila H(+)-PPase (TsVP) in cotton enhances drought stress resistance of plants.
An H(+)-PPase gene, TsVP from Thellungiella halophila, was transferred into two cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) varieties (Lumianyan19 and Lumianyan 21) and southern and northern blotting analysis showed the foreign gene was integrated into the cotton genome and expressed. The measurement of isolated vacuolar membrane vesicles demonstrated that the transgenic plants had higher V-H(+)-PPase activity compared with wild-type plants (WT). Overexpressing TsVP in cotton improved shoot and root growth, and transgenic plants were much more resistant to osmotic/drought stress than the WT. Under drought stress conditions, transgenic plants had higher chlorophyll content, improved photosynthesis, higher relative water content of leaves and less cell membrane damage than WT. We ascribe these properties to improved root development and the lower solute potential resulting from higher solute content such as soluble sugars and free amino acids in the transgenic plants. In this study, the average seed cotton yields of transgenic plants from Lumianyan 19 and Lumianyan 21 were significantly increased compared with those of WT after exposing to drought stress for 21 days at flowering stage. The average seed cotton yields were 51 and 40% higher than in their WT counterparts, respectively. This study benefits efforts to improve cotton yields in arid and semiarid regions.
Lv
Su-Lian
SL
School of Life Science, Shandong University, 27 Shanda South Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China.
Lian
Li-Jun
LJ
Tao
Pei-Lin
PL
Li
Zhao-Xia
ZX
Zhang
Ke-Wei
KW
Zhang
Ju-Ren
JR
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D019607:Brassicaceae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D055864:Droughts; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D003368:Gossypium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D043564:Inorganic Pyrophosphatase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics
D018744:DNA, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D043564:Inorganic Pyrophosphatase