title: A cold-induced myo-inositol transporter-like gene confers tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses in transgenic tobacco plants.
abstract: A full length cDNA encoding a myo-inositol transporter-like protein, named as MfINT-like, was cloned from Medicago sativa subsp. falcata (herein falcata), a species with greater cold tolerance than alfalfa (M. sativa subsp. sativa). MfINT-like is located on plasma membranes. MfINT-like transcript was induced 2-4 h after exogenous myo-inositol treatment, 24-96 h with cold, and 96 h by salinity. Given that myo-inositol accumulates higher in falcata after 24 h of cold treatment, myo-inositol is proposed to be involved in cold-induced expression of MfINT-like. Higher levels of myo-inositol was observed in leaves of transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing MfINT-like than the wild-type but not in the roots of plants grown on myo-inositol containing medium, suggesting that transgenic plants had higher myo-inositol transport activity than the wild-type. Transgenic plants survived better to freezing temperature, and had lower ion leakage and higher maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv /Fm ) after chilling treatment. In addition, greater plant fresh weight was observed in transgenic plants as compared with the wild-type when plants were grown under drought or salinity stress. The results suggest that MfINT-like mediated transport of myo-inositol is associated with plant tolerance to abiotic stresses.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: Mame Abdou Nahr
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sambe
authors.forename: Xueying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Zhenfei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D001483:Base Sequence; D003080:Cold Temperature; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D054712:Salinity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010940:Plant Proteins; D007294:Inositol