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The bamboo aquaporin gene PeTIP4;1–1 confers drought and salinity tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

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Abstract

Key message

PeTIP4;1–1, an aquaporin gene involved in bamboo shoot growth, is regulated by abiotic stresses. Overexpression of PeTIP4;1–1 confers drought and salinity tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Abstract

Aquaporins play a central role in numerous physiological processes throughout plant growth and development. PeTIP4;1–1, an aquaporin gene isolated from moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), comprises an open reading frame (ORF) of 756 bp encoding a peptide of 251 amino acids. The genomic sequence corresponding to the ORF of PeTIP4;1–1 was 1777 bp and contained three exons separated by two introns. PeTIP4;1–1 was constitutively expressed at the highest level in culms, and the expression level was elevated with increasing height of the bamboo shoot. PeTIP4;1–1 was significantly up-regulated in response to drought and salinity stresses in bamboo roots and leaves. To investigate the role of PeTIP4;1–1 in response to drought and salinity stresses, transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing PeTIP4;1–1 under the control of CaMV 35S promoter were generated and subjected to morphological and physiological assays. Compared with Col-0, the transgenic plants showed enhanced tolerance to drought and salinity stresses and produced longer taproots, which had more green leaves, higher F v/F m and NPQ values, higher activities of SOD, POD and CAT, lower MDA concentration and higher water content. Transcript levels of three stress-related genes (AtP5CS, AtNHX1 and AtLEA) were enhanced. These results indicated that PeTIP4;1–1 might play an important function in response to drought and salinity stresses, and is a candidate gene for breeding of stress tolerance in other crops through genetic engineering.

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Abbreviations

AQPs:

Aquaporins

AOD:

Average optical density

CAT:

Catalase

F v/F m :

Maximum quantum yield in photosystem II

LEA:

Late embryogenesis abundant

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

MS:

Murashige and Skoog

NHX:

Na+/H+ antiporter

NPQ:

Non-photochemical quenching

NSCs:

Non-structural carbohydrates

ORF:

Open reading frame

P5CS:

Δ1-Pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase

POD:

Peroxidase

qRT-PCR:

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

RT-PCR:

Reverse transcription PCR

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TIP:

Tonoplast intrinsic protein

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Acknowledgements

This work received financial support from the Special Fund for Forest Scientific Research in the Public Welfare from State Forestry Administration of China (No. 201504106) and the Sub-Project of National Science and Technology Support Plan of the Twelfth Five-Year in China (No. 2015BAD04B01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Forestry Administration Key Open Laboratory on the Science and Technology of Bamboo and Rattan, Institute of Gene Science for Bamboo and Rattan Resources, International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, 100102, China

    Huayu Sun, Lichao Li, Yongfeng Lou, Hansheng Zhao, Yihong Yang, Sining Wang & Zhimin Gao

  2. Jiangxi Academy of Forestry, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Yongfeng Lou

  3. College of Horticulture, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, 071001, China

    Yihong Yang

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  1. Huayu Sun
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  2. Lichao Li
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  4. Hansheng Zhao
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Correspondence to Zhimin Gao.

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Communicated by Baochun Li.

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Sun, H., Li, L., Lou, Y. et al. The bamboo aquaporin gene PeTIP4;1–1 confers drought and salinity tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis . Plant Cell Rep 36, 597–609 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-017-2106-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-017-2106-3

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