title: Enhanced salt tolerance of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) by rstB gene transformation.
abstract: Generating salt tolerance forage plant is essential for use of the land affected by high salinity. A salt tolerance gene rstB was used as a selectable marker gene in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tobacco under a selective regime of 170mM NaCl. The transgenic plants showed clear improvement in salt tolerance. To improve salt tolerance of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), rstB gene was introduced into alfalfa genome by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. No abnormal phenotype was observed among the transgenic plants when compared with wild type (wt) plants. Significant enhancement of resistance to salt-shock treatment was noted on the rstB transgenic (T0) plants. Transgenic second-generation (T1) seeds showed improved germination rate and seedling growth under salt-stress condition. Hindered Na(+) accumulation, but enhanced Ca(2+) accumulation was observed on the rstB T1 plants when subjected to salt-stresses. Enhanced calcium accumulation in transgenic plants was also verified by cytohistochemical localization of calcium. Under salt-stress of 50mM NaCl, about 15% of the transgenic plants finished their life-cycle but the wt plants had no flower formation. The results demonstrated that the expression of rstB gene improved salt tolerance in transgenic alfalfa.
authors: Department of Grassland Science, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, PR China. Electronic address: wjzhang@cau.edu.cn.
authors: Wan-Jun
authors: WJ
authors: Zhang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Agro-biotechnology, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, PR China. Electronic address: wangt@cau.edu.cn.
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018525:Germination; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000235:genetics; D054712:Salinity; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012965:Sodium Chloride
keywords: Agrobacterium-mediated transformation; Alfalfa; Calcium; Salt tolerance