title: A sucrose:fructan-6-fructosyltransferase (6-SFT) gene from Psathyrostachys huashanica confers abiotic stress tolerance in tobacco.
abstract: Fructans are accessible carbohydrate reserves in various plant species, which possess many physiological functions including anti-oxidation, stabilizing subcellular structures, and osmotic adjustment. In addition, fructans may play important roles in stress tolerance in plant species. In this study, we isolated a Psathyrostachys huashanica (2n=2x=14, NsNs) sucrose:fructan-6-fructosyltransferase (Ph-6-SFT) using homologous cloning and genomic walking. Sequencing and gene structure analysis showed that Ph-6-SFT contains four exons and three introns, with a transcript of 2207 bp. Sequence analysis indicated that the coding sequence of Ph-6-SFT is 1851 bp long and it encodes 616 amino acids, where the structure shares high similarity with 6-SFTs from other plants. Furthermore, Ph-6-SFT was transferred into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cv. W38 via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Compared with the wild-type plants, the transgenic tobacco plants exhibited a much higher tolerance of drought, cold, and high salinity. In all conditions, physiological studies showed that the tolerance of transgenic plants was associated with the accumulation of carbohydrate and proline, but reductions in malondialdehyde. Our results suggest that the 6-SFT gene from P. huashanica enhanced stress tolerance in tobacco plants and it may be applied as a genetic tool for improving stress tolerance in other crops.
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering for Plant Breeding, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Zhenzhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Environment and Life Science, Kaili University, Kaili 556011, GuiZhou, China.
authors.forename: Jianwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Wheat Research, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Wenxu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Jixin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Zhonghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering for Plant Breeding, China. Electronic address: cxh2089@126.com.
authors.forename: Xinhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins
chemical_list: D006602:Hexosyltransferases; C021451:inulosucrase; D001426:Bacterial Proteins
keywords: 6-SFT gene; Drought; Freezing; Psathyrostachys huashanica; Salinity; Transgenic tobacco