title: Regulated expression of an isopentenyltransferase gene (IPT) in peanut significantly improves drought tolerance and increases yield under field conditions.
abstract: Isopentenyltransferase (IPT) is a critical enzyme in the cytokinin biosynthetic pathway. The expression of IPT under the control of a maturation- and stress-induced promoter was shown to delay stress-induced plant senescence that resulted in an enhanced drought tolerance in both monocot and dicot plants. This report extends the earlier findings in tobacco and rice to peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), an important oil crop and protein source. Regulated expression of IPT in peanut significantly improved drought tolerance in both laboratory and field conditions. Transgenic peanut plants maintained higher photosynthetic rates, higher stomatal conductance and higher transpiration than wild-type control plants under reduced irrigation conditions. More importantly, transgenic peanut plants produced significantly higher yields than wild-type control plants in the field, indicating a great potential for the development of crops with improved performance and yield in water-limited areas of the world.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Junling
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Sundaram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuppu
authors.forename: Yizheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burow
authors.forename: Paxton
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Payton
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blumwald
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010367:Arachis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D018533:Biomass; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D003583:Cytokinins / Q000378:metabolism*; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D010788:Photosynthesis; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000502:physiology; D018526:Plant Transpiration; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D003583:Cytokinins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; C024274:adenylate isopentenyltransferase