title: Overexpression of AtOxR gene improves abiotic stresses tolerance and vitamin C content in Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: Abiotic stresses are serious threats to plant growth, productivity and result in crop loss worldwide, reducing average yields of most major crops. Although abiotic stresses might elicit different plant responses, most induce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant cells leads to oxidative damage. L-ascorbic acid (AsA, vitamin C) is known as an antioxidant and H2O2-scavenger that defends plants against abiotic stresses. In addition, vitamin C is also an important component of human nutrition that has to be obtained from different foods. Therefore, increasing the vitamin C content is important for improving abiotic stresses tolerance and nutrition quality in crops production.
  
  
  
  Here, we show that the expression of AtOxR gene is response to multiple abiotic stresses (salt, osmotic, metal ion, and H2O2treatment) in both the leaves and roots of Arabidopsis. AtOxR protein was localized to the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) in yeast and Arabidopsis cells by co-localization analysis with ER specific dye. AtOxR-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis plants enhance the tolerance to abiotic stresses. Overexpression of AtOxR gene resulted in AsA accumulation and decreased H2O2content in transgenic plants.
  
  
  
  In this study, our results show that AtOxR responds to multiple abiotic stresses. Overexpressing AtOxR improves tolerance to abiotic stresses and increase vitamin C content in Arabidopsis thaliana. AtOxR will be useful for the improvement of important crop plants through moleculer breeding.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field (SAVER), Ministry of Education, Alkali Soil Natural Environmental Science Center (ASNESC), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field (SAVER), Ministry of Education, Alkali Soil Natural Environmental Science Center (ASNESC), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China.|Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Rd 232 Hesong, Daoli District, Harbin, 150070, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field (SAVER), Ministry of Education, Alkali Soil Natural Environmental Science Center (ASNESC), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field (SAVER), Ministry of Education, Alkali Soil Natural Environmental Science Center (ASNESC), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Asian Natural Environmental Science Center(ASNESC), The University of Tokyo, Nishitokyo, Tokyo, 188-0002, Japan.
authors.forename: Testuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field (SAVER), Ministry of Education, Alkali Soil Natural Environmental Science Center (ASNESC), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China. shenkuiliu@nefu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shenkui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000502:physiology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D024861:Genetic Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000502:physiology; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D055051:Salt-Tolerant Plants / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C000620862:OxR protein, Arabidopsis; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: Abiotic stresses; Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); L-ascorbic acid (AsA, Vitamin C); Transgenic plants