title: Transformation of beta-lycopene cyclase genes from Salicornia europaea and Arabidopsis conferred salt tolerance in Arabidopsis and tobacco.
abstract: Inhibition of lycopene cyclization decreased the salt tolerance of the euhalophyte Salicornia europaea L. We isolated a β-lycopene cyclase gene SeLCY from S. europaea and transformed it into Arabidopsis with stable expression. Transgenic Arabidopsis on post-germination exhibited enhanced tolerance to oxidative and salt stress. After 8 and 21 d recovery from 200 mM NaCl treatment, transgenic lines had a higher survival ratio than wild-type (WT) plants. Three-week-old transgenic plants treated with 200 mM NaCl showed better growth than the WT with higher photosystem activity and less H(2)O(2) accumulation. Determination of endogenous pigments of Arabidopsis treated with 200 mM NaCl for 0, 2 or 4 d demonstrated that the transgenic plants retained higher contents of carotenoids than the WT. Furthermore, to compare the difference between SeLCY and AtLCY from Arabidopsis, we used viral vector mediating ectopic expression of SeLCY and AtLCY in Nicotiana benthamiana. Although LCY genes transformation increased the salt tolerance in tobacco, there is no significant difference between SeLCY- and AtLCY-transformed plants. These findings indicate that SeLCY transgenic Arabidopsis improved salt tolerance by increasing synthesis of carotenoids, which impairs reactive oxygen species and protects the photosynthesis system under salt stress, and as a single gene, SeLCY functionally showed no advantage for salt tolerance improvement compared with AtLCY.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, PR China.
authors.forename: Xianyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Heping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Hexigeduleng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Pengxiang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Sulian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Juanjuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yinxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000640:Amitrole / Q000494:pharmacology; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019663:Chenopodiaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D010971:Plastoquinone / Q000494:pharmacology; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases; C070925:lycopene cyclase-isomerase; D010971:Plastoquinone; D000640:Amitrole