title: Overexpression of the trehalase gene AtTRE1 leads to increased drought stress tolerance in Arabidopsis and is involved in abscisic acid-induced stomatal closure.
abstract: Introduction of microbial trehalose biosynthesis enzymes has been reported to enhance abiotic stress resistance in plants but also resulted in undesirable traits. Here, we present an approach for engineering drought stress tolerance by modifying the endogenous trehalase activity in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). AtTRE1 encodes the Arabidopsis trehalase, the only enzyme known in this species to specifically hydrolyze trehalose into glucose. AtTRE1-overexpressing and Attre1 mutant lines were constructed and tested for their performance in drought stress assays. AtTRE1-overexpressing plants had decreased trehalose levels and recovered better after drought stress, whereas Attre1 mutants had elevated trehalose contents and exhibited a drought-susceptible phenotype. Leaf detachment assays showed that Attre1 mutants lose water faster than wild-type plants, whereas AtTRE1-overexpressing plants have a better water-retaining capacity. In vitro studies revealed that abscisic acid-mediated closure of stomata is impaired in Attre1 lines, whereas the AtTRE1 overexpressors are more sensitive toward abscisic acid-dependent stomatal closure. This observation is further supported by the altered leaf temperatures seen in trehalase-modified plantlets during in vivo drought stress studies. Our results show that overexpression of plant trehalase improves drought stress tolerance in Arabidopsis and that trehalase plays a role in the regulation of stomatal closure in the plant drought stress response.
authors: Department of Molecular Microbiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Hilde
authors: H
authors: Van Houtte
authors: Lies
authors: L
authors: Vandesteene
authors: Lorena
authors: L
authors: López-Galvis
authors: Liesbeth
authors: L
authors: Lemmens
authors: Ewaut
authors: E
authors: Kissel
authors: Sebastien
authors: S
authors: Carpentier
authors: Regina
authors: R
authors: Feil
authors: Nelson
authors: N
authors: Avonce
authors: Tom
authors: T
authors: Beeckman
authors: John E
authors: JE
authors: Lunn
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Van Dijck
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003681:Dehydration; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018526:Plant Transpiration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D013696:Temperature; D014198:Trehalase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D000040:Abscisic Acid; D014198:Trehalase; C582823:trehalase 1, Arabidopsis; D005966:Glucuronidase