title: Over-expression of BvMTSH, a fusion gene for maltooligosyltrehalose synthase and maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase, enhances drought tolerance in transgenic rice.
abstract: Plant abiotic stress tolerance has been modulated by engineering the trehalose synthesis pathway. However, many stress-tolerant plants that have been genetically engineered for the trehalose synthesis pathway also show abnormal development. The metabolic intermediate trehalose 6-phosphate has the potential to cause aberrations in growth. To avoid growth inhibition by trehalose 6-phosphate, we used a gene that encodes a bifunctional in-frame fusion (BvMTSH) of maltooligosyltrehalose synthase (BvMTS) and maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase (BvMTH) from the nonpathogenic bacterium Brevibacterium helvolum. BvMTS converts maltooligosaccharides into maltooligosyltrehalose and BvMTH releases trehalose. Transgenic rice plants that over-express BvMTSH under the control of the constitutive rice cytochrome c promoter (101MTSH) or the ABA-inducible Ai promoter (105MTSH) show enhanced drought tolerance without growth inhibition. Moreover, 101MTSH and 105MTSH showed an ABA-hyposensitive phenotype in the roots. Our results suggest that over-expression of BvMTSH enhances drought-stress tolerance without any abnormal growth and showes ABA hyposensitive phenotype in the roots.
authors.forename: Joungsu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Hae Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Youn Hab
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Choong Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chung Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Joo
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: Yang Do
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Myongji University, Yongin 449-728, Korea sisong@mju.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sang Ik
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001951:Brevibacterium / Q000201:enzymology*; D055864:Droughts; D015870:Gene Expression; D005959:Glucosidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D012275:Oryza / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013403:Sugar Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D014199:Trehalose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D013403:Sugar Phosphates; C021705:maltooligosaccharides; C082722:trehalose-6-phosphate; D000040:Abscisic Acid; D014199:Trehalose; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C099084:maltooligosyl trehalose synthase; D005959:Glucosidases; C099156:maltooligosyl trehalose trehalohydrolase