A novel salt-induced gene from sheepgrass, LcSAIN2, enhances salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.
Salt stress affects plant growth and development, and limits the productivity of crops. Sheepgrass can grow well under various environmental and soil conditions and is a good wild resource in Triticeae. Using 454 high throughout sequencing technique, a large number of salt stress responsive genes have been picked out from sheepgrass. In this study, a novel salt-induced gene and its promoter were cloned and the gene was designated as LcSAIN2 (Leymus chinensissalt-induced 2). Bioinformatics analysis predicted that LcSAIN2 has one transmembrane helix and is localized in nucleus. Experiments of subcellular localization in tobacco leaf cells also indicated that it was mainly localized in nucleus. Several stress responsive elements were found in the promoter region of the LcSAIN2 gene. The expression analysis confirmed that LcSAIN2 was induced by salinity, PEG, ABA, and cold stresses, especially by high salinity. Overexpression of LcSAIN2 in Arabidopsis enhanced salt tolerance of transgenic plants by accumulating osmolytes, such as soluble sugars and free proline, and improving the expression levels of some stress-responsive transcription factors and key genes. Our results suggest that LcSAIN2 might play an important positive modulation role in salt stress tolerance and be a candidate gene utilized for enhancing stress tolerance in wheat and other crops.
Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
Xiaoxia
X
Li
Qiong
Q
Gao
Ye
Y
Liang
Tian
T
Ma
Liqin
L
Cheng
Dongmei
D
Qi
Hui
H
Liu
Xin
X
Xu
Shuangyan
S
Chen
Gongshe
G
Liu
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019295:Computational Biology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D006109:Poaceae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000235:genetics*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D014026:Nicotiana; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012965:Sodium Chloride