title: Drought tolerance and proteomics studies of transgenic wheat containing the maize C4phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) gene.
abstract: Enhancing drought tolerance of crops has been a great challenge in crop improvement. Here, we report the maize phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) gene was able to confer drought tolerance and increase grain yield in transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants. The improved of drought tolerance was associated with higher levels of proline, soluble sugar, soluble protein, and higher water use efficiency. The transgenic wheat plants had also a more extensive root system as well as increased photosynthetic capacity during stress treatments. The increased grain yield of the transgenic wheat was contributed by improved biomass, larger spike and grain numbers, and heavier 1000-grain weight under drought-stress conditions. Under non-stressed conditions, there were no significant increases in these of the measured traits except for photosynthetic rate when compared with parental wheat. Proteomic research showed that the expression levels of some proteins, including chlorophyll A-B binding protein and pyruvate, phosphate dikinase, which are related to photosynthesis, PAP fibrillin, which is involved in cytoskeleton synthesis, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, which catalyzes methionine synthesis, were induced in the transgenic wheat under drought stress. Additionally, the expression of glutamine synthetase, which is involved in ammonia assimilation, was induced by drought stress in the wheat. Our study shows that PEPC can improve both stress tolerance and grain yield in wheat, demonstrating the efficacy of PEPC in crop improvement.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Wheat Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 450002, Zhengzhou, Henan, China. xuwg1958@163.com.
authors.forename: Weigang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Wheat Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 450002, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Wheat Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 450002, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Wheat Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 450002, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Huiwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Wheat Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 450002, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Xueli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Wheat Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 450002, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Yuhui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Wheat Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 450002, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hua
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D055864:Droughts; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D017343:Genes, Plant; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010730:Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D014908:Triticum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D010730:Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase
keywords: Drought tolerance; Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC); Proteomic research; Transgenic wheat