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Ectopic expression of FaGalUR leads to ascorbate accumulation with enhanced oxidative stress, cold, and salt tolerance in tomato

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Abstract

l-Ascorbic acid (vitamin C, AsA), is an essential component for collagen biosynthesis and the major antioxidant in human, mainly obtained from the diet. Strawberry as fruit with higher AsA concentration processes a distinct AsA biosynthesis pathway from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) which dominants in d-mannose/l-galactose pathway. Firstly, the activity of d-galacturonic acid reductase (GalUR; EC = 1.1.1.19) parallel to AsA accumulation in crude extract of tomato leaves and fruits was detected. Subsequently, transgenic tomato lines overexpressing strawberry FaGalUR gene resulted in twofold and 1.6-fold increase in AsA level in tomato fruit and leaf, respectively, which correlated positively with FaGalUR transcriptional abundance and GalUR activity. Furthermore, FaGalUR-overexpressing plants showed enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses induced by oxidization (methyl viologen), salt (NaCl) and cold as compared to the wild-type plants. Taken together, the present findings suggest that tomato might share the alternative d-galacturonate pathway for ascorbate biosynthesis, and abiotic stress tolerance as well as AsA accumulation in tomato can be enhanced by regulating strawberry GalUR gene.

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Abbreviations

AsA:

Ascorbate

GalUR:

Galacturonic acid reductase

d-GAL:

d-galacturonic acid

GaLDH:

l-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase

MiOX:

Myo-inositol oxygenase

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

MV:

Methyl viologen

CaMV:

Cauliflower mosaic virus

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

RT-PCR:

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction

QRT-PCR:

Quantitative reverse transcription PCR

mRNA:

Messenger RNA

NADPH:

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

HPLC:

High performance liquid chromatography

FW:

Fresh weight

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

ORF:

Open reading frame

DTT:

Dithiothreitol

EDTA:

Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the State Major Basic Research Development Program (No. 2011CB100600) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31230064).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Xiaofeng Cai, Chanjuan Zhang, Jie Ye, Tixu Hu, Zhibiao Ye, Hanxia Li & Yuyang Zhang

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  1. Xiaofeng Cai
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  2. Chanjuan Zhang
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  3. Jie Ye
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  4. Tixu Hu
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  5. Zhibiao Ye
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  6. Hanxia Li
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Correspondence to Hanxia Li or Yuyang Zhang.

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Xiaofeng Cai and Chanjuan Zhang have contributed equally to this work.

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Cai, X., Zhang, C., Ye, J. et al. Ectopic expression of FaGalUR leads to ascorbate accumulation with enhanced oxidative stress, cold, and salt tolerance in tomato. Plant Growth Regul 76, 187–197 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-014-9988-7

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