title: Drought tolerance through over-expression of the expansin gene TaEXPB23 in transgenic tobacco.
abstract: Expansins are proteins that are the key regulators of wall extension during plant growth. To investigate the role of TaEXPB23, a wheat expansin gene, we analyzed TaEXPB23 mRNA expression levels in response to water stress in wheat and examined the drought resistance of transgenic tobaccos over-expressing TaEXPB23. We found that the expression of TaEXPB23 corresponded to wheat coleoptile growth and the response to water stress. The results also indicated that the transgenic tobacco lines lost water more slowly than the wild-type (WT) plants under drought stress; their cells could sustain a more integrated structure under water stress than that of WT. Other physiological and biochemical parameters under water stress, such as electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, photosynthetic rate, F(v)/F(m) and ΦPSII, also suggested that the transgenic tobaccos were more drought resistant than WT plants.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shichao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Qifang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Meirong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Guiping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D055864:Droughts; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019076:Transgenes; D014908:Triticum / Q000235:genetics*; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C095825:expansin protein, plant; D014867:Water; D008315:Malondialdehyde