title: Pea p68, a DEAD-box helicase, provides salinity stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco by reducing oxidative stress and improving photosynthesis machinery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The DEAD-box helicases are required mostly in all aspects of RNA and DNA metabolism and they play a significant role in various abiotic stresses, including salinity. The p68 is an important member of the DEAD-box proteins family and, in animal system, it is involved in RNA metabolism including pre-RNA processing and splicing. In plant system, it has not been well characterized. Here we report the cloning and characterization of p68 from pea (Pisum sativum) and its novel function in salinity stress tolerance in plant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pea p68 protein self-interacts and is localized in the cytosol as well as the surrounding of cell nucleus. The transcript of pea p68 is upregulated in response to high salinity stress in pea. Overexpression of p68 driven by constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus-35S promoter in tobacco transgenic plants confers enhanced tolerances to salinity stress by improving the growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant machinery. Under stress treatment, pea p68 overexpressing tobacco accumulated higher K+ and lower Na+ level than the wild-type plants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation was remarkably regulated by the overexpression of pea p68 under salinity stress conditions, as shown from TBARS content, electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide accumulation and 8-OHdG content and antioxidant enzyme activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge this is the first direct report, which provides the novel function of pea p68 helicase in salinity stress tolerance. The results suggest that p68 can also be exploited for engineering abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants of economic importance.
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Narendra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tuteja
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Mst Sufara Akhter
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Banu
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Kazi Md Kamrul
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Huda
authors.affiliation: Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Lab, Centre for Biotechnology, MD University, Rohtak, India.
authors.forename: Sarvajeet Singh
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Parul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Xuan Hoi
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tuteja
mesh_terms: D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018525:Germination / Q000235:genetics; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics*; D018532:Pisum sativum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011058:Pollen / Q000254:growth & development; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D021381:Protein Transport; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D054712:Salinity; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D002734:Chlorophyll; D012964:Sodium; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D011188:Potassium