Ectopic Expression of Aeluropus littoralis Plasma Membrane Protein Gene AlTMP1 Confers Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco by Improving Water Status and Cation Homeostasis.
We report here the isolation and functional analysis ofAlTMP1gene encoding a member of the PMP3 protein family. InAeluropus littoralis,AlTMP1is highly induced by abscisic acid (ABA), cold, salt, and osmotic stresses. Transgenic tobacco expressingAlTMP1exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt, osmotic, H₂O₂, heat and freezing stresses at the seedling stage. Under greenhouse conditions, the transgenic plants showed a higher level of tolerance to drought than to salinity. Noteworthy,AlTMP1plants yielded two- and five-fold more seeds than non-transgenic plants (NT) under salt and drought stresses, respectively. The leaves ofAlTMP1plants accumulated lower Na⁺ but higher K⁺ and Ca2+than those of NT plants. Tolerance to osmotic and salt stresses was associated with higher membrane stability, low electrolyte leakage, and improved water status. Finally, accumulation ofAlTMP1in tobacco altered the regulation of some stress-related genes in either a positive (NHX1,CAT1,APX1, andDREB1A) or negative (HKT1andKT1) manner that could be related to the observed tolerance. These results suggest thatAlTMP1confers stress tolerance in tobacco through maintenance of ion homeostasis, increased membrane integrity, and water status. The observed tolerance may be due to a direct or indirect effect ofAlTMP1on the expression of stress-related genes which could stimulate an adaptive potential not present in NT plants.
Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. walid.brm3@gmail.com.|Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia. walid.brm3@gmail.com.|Current Address: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.. walid.brm3@gmail.com.
Walid
W
Ben Romdhane
Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia. raniabensaad@gmail.com.
Rania
R
Ben-Saad
CIRAD-UMR AGAP (Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement), Avenue Agropolis, 34398 Montpellier CEDEX 5, France. donaldo.meynard@cirad.fr.
Donaldo
D
Meynard
CIRAD-UMR AGAP (Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement), Avenue Agropolis, 34398 Montpellier CEDEX 5, France. jean-luc.verdeil@cirad.fr.
Jean-Luc
JL
Verdeil
Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia. azazajalel@yahoo.fr.
Jalel
J
Azaza
Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia. nabil.zouari@gmail.com.
Nabil
N
Zouari
Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology Applied to Crop Improvement, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P 802, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia. lotfifki@yahoo.fr.
Lotfi
L
Fki
CIRAD-UMR AGAP (Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement), Avenue Agropolis, 34398 Montpellier CEDEX 5, France. emmanuel.guiderdoni@cirad.fr.
Emmanuel
E
Guiderdoni
Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. aaldoss@ksu.edu.sa.
Abdullah
A
Al-Doss
Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. afif.hassairi@gmail.com.|Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia. afif.hassairi@gmail.com.|Current Address: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.. afif.hassairi@gmail.com.
Afif
A
Hassairi
D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002412:Cations / Q000378:metabolism; D000066630:Ectopic Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D008353:Mannitol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010802:Phylogeny; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D006109:Poaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013696:Temperature; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
D002412:Cations; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014867:Water; D008353:Mannitol; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D000040:Abscisic Acid
Aeluropus littoralis; AlTMP1; drought and salt tolerance; plasma membrane protein; transgenic tobacco