Transgenic poplar expressing Arabidopsis NDPK2 enhances growth as well as oxidative stress tolerance.
Nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (NDPK2) is known to regulate the expression of antioxidant genes in plants. Previously, we reported that overexpression of Arabidopsis NDPK2 (AtNDPK2) under the control of an oxidative stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter in transgenic potato and sweetpotato plants enhanced tolerance to various abiotic stresses. In this study, transgenic poplar (Populus alba × Poplus glandulosa) expressing the AtNDPK2 gene under the control of a SWPA2 promoter (referred to as SN) was generated to develop plants with enhanced tolerance to oxidative stress. The level of AtNDPK2 expression and NDPK activity in SN plants following methyl viologen (MV) treatment was positively correlated with the plant's tolerance to MV-mediated oxidative stress. We also observed that antioxidant enzyme activities such as ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and peroxidase were increased in MV-treated leaf discs of SN plants. The growth of SN plants was substantially increased under field conditions including increased branch number and stem diameter. SN plants exhibited higher transcript levels of the auxin-response genes IAA2 and IAA5. These results suggest that enhanced AtNDPK2 expression affects oxidative stress tolerance leading to improved plant growth in transgenic poplar.
Kim
Yun-Hee
YH
Environmental Biotechnology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Korea.
Kim
Myoung Duck
MD
Choi
Young Im
YI
Park
Sung-Chul
SC
Yun
Dae-Jin
DJ
Noh
Eun Woon
EW
Lee
Haeng-Soon
HS
Kwak
Sang-Soo
SS
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010269:Paraquat / Q000494:pharmacology; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D032107:Populus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects
D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; C121988:nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D010269:Paraquat