Transgenic Brassica chinensis plants expressing a bacterial codA gene exhibit enhanced tolerance to extreme temperature and high salinity.
Transgenic Brassica compestris L. spp. chinensis plants expressing a choline oxidase (codA) gene from Arthrobacter globiformis were obtained through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. In the transgenic plants, codA gene expression and its product transportation to chloroplasts were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) examination, immunogold localization, and (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H-NMR). Stress tolerance was evaluated in the T(3) plants under extreme temperature and salinity conditions. The plants of transgenic line 1 (L1) showed significantly higher net photosynthetic rate (P(n)) and P(n) recovery rate under high (45 °C, 4 h) and low temperature (1 °C, 48 h) treatments, and higher photosynthetic rate under high salinity conditions (100, 200, and 300 mmol/L NaCl, respectively) than the wild-type plants. The enhanced tolerance to high temperature and high salinity stresses in transgenic plants is associated with the accumulation of betaine, which is not found in the wild-type plants. Our results indicate that the introduction of codA gene from Arthrobacter globiformis into Brassica compestris L. spp. chinensis could be a potential strategy for improving the plant tolerance to multiple stresses.
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Qing-bin
QB
Wang
Wen
W
Xu
Qing-zhong
QZ
Xue
Wei-ai
WA
Su
D001173:Arthrobacter / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001937:Brassica / Q000502:physiology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D043525:Cytosine Deaminase / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D024861:Genetic Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D018869:Heat-Shock Response / Q000502:physiology*; D055051:Salt-Tolerant Plants / Q000502:physiology*
D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D043525:Cytosine Deaminase; C468827:codA protein, E coli