title: Overexpression of quinone reductase from Salix matsudana Koidz enhances salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: Quinone reductase (QR) is an oxidative-related gene and few studies have focused on its roles concerning salt stress tolerance in plants. In this study, we cloned and analyzed the QR gene from Salix matsudana, a willow with tolerance of moderate salinity. The 612-bp cDNA corresponding to SmQR encodes 203 amino acids. Expression of SmQR in Escherichia coli cells enhanced their tolerance under salt stress. In addition, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines overexpressing SmQR exhibited higher salt tolerance as compared with WT, with higher QR activity and antioxidant enzyme activity as well as higher chlorophyll content, lower methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) content and electric conductivity under salt stress. Nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) and 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining also indicated that the transgenic plants accumulated less reactive oxygen species compared to WT when exposed to salt stress. Overall, our results suggested that SmQR plays a significant role in salt tolerance and that this gene may be useful for biotechnological development of plants with improved tolerance of salinity.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China.
authors.forename: Xixi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Biotechnology Research Center of China Three Gorges University, Yichang, Hubei 443002, China.
authors.forename: Xuelian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China.
authors.forename: Mingying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China. Electronic address: hujj@caf.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China. Electronic address: zhuory@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Renying
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhuo
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics*; D054712:Salinity; D032108:Salix / Q000201:enzymology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)
keywords: Overexpression; Quinone reductase; Salix matsudana; Salt stress