title: Arabidopsis EDT1/HDG11 improves drought and salt tolerance in cotton and poplar and increases cotton yield in the field.
abstract: Drought and salinity are two major environmental factors limiting crop production worldwide. Improvement of drought and salt tolerance of crops with transgenic approach is an effective strategy to meet the demand of the ever-growing world population. Arabidopsis ENHANCED DROUGHT TOLERANCE1/HOMEODOMAIN GLABROUS11 (AtEDT1/HDG11), a homeodomain-START transcription factor, has been demonstrated to significantly improve drought tolerance in Arabidopsis, tobacco, tall fescue and rice. Here we report that AtHDG11 also confers drought and salt tolerance in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and woody plant poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr.). Our results showed that both the transgenic cotton and poplar exhibited significantly enhanced tolerance to drought and salt stress with well-developed root system. In the leaves of the transgenic cotton plants, proline content, soluble sugar content and activities of reactive oxygen species-scavenging enzymes were significantly increased after drought and salt stress compared with wild type. Leaf stomatal density was significantly reduced, whereas stomatal and leaf epidermal cell size were significantly increased in both the transgenic cotton and poplar plants. More importantly, the transgenic cotton showed significantly improved drought tolerance and better agronomic performance with higher cotton yield in the field both under normal and drought conditions. These results demonstrate that AtHDG11 is not only a promising candidate for crops improvement but also for woody plants.
authors: School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors: Lin-Hui
authors: LH
authors: Yu
authors: Cotton Research Institute, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, China.
authors: Shen-Jie
authors: SJ
authors: Wu
authors: Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Yi-Shu
authors: YS
authors: Peng
authors: College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang Province, China.
authors: Rui-Na
authors: RN
authors: Liu
authors: School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors: Xi
authors: X
authors: Chen
authors: School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Zhao
authors: School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Xu
authors: College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang Province, China.
authors: Jian-Bo
authors: JB
authors: Zhu
authors: Cotton Research Institute, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, China.
authors: Gai-Li
authors: GL
authors: Jiao
authors: Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Pei
authors: School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors: Cheng-Bin
authors: CB
authors: Xiang
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018533:Biomass; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D048429:Cell Size; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000378:metabolism; D003368:Gossypium / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000502:physiology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D032107:Populus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D054712:Salinity; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002241:Carbohydrates; C586313:HDG11 protein, Arabidopsis; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014867:Water; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D011392:Proline
keywords: AtHDG11; cotton yield; drought stress; salt stress; transgenic cotton; transgenic poplar