Overexpression of quinone reductase from Salix matsudana Koidz enhances salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

Xixi Song; Jie Fang; Xiaojiao Han; Xuelian He; Mingying Liu; Jianjun Hu; Renying Zhuo

doi:10.1016/j.gene.2015.10.069

Overexpression of quinone reductase from Salix matsudana Koidz enhances salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

Gene. 2016 Jan 15;576(1 Pt 3):520-7. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.10.069. Epub 2015 Nov 2.

Authors

Xixi Song¹, Jie Fang¹, Xiaojiao Han¹, Xuelian He², Mingying Liu¹, Jianjun Hu³, Renying Zhuo⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Biotechnology Research Center of China Three Gorges University, Yichang, Hubei 443002, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China. Electronic address: hujj@caf.ac.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China; Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China. Electronic address: zhuory@gmail.com.

PMID: 26541063
DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.10.069

Abstract

Quinone reductase (QR) is an oxidative-related gene and few studies have focused on its roles concerning salt stress tolerance in plants. In this study, we cloned and analyzed the QR gene from Salix matsudana, a willow with tolerance of moderate salinity. The 612-bp cDNA corresponding to SmQR encodes 203 amino acids. Expression of SmQR in Escherichia coli cells enhanced their tolerance under salt stress. In addition, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines overexpressing SmQR exhibited higher salt tolerance as compared with WT, with higher QR activity and antioxidant enzyme activity as well as higher chlorophyll content, lower methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) content and electric conductivity under salt stress. Nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) and 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining also indicated that the transgenic plants accumulated less reactive oxygen species compared to WT when exposed to salt stress. Overall, our results suggested that SmQR plays a significant role in salt tolerance and that this gene may be useful for biotechnological development of plants with improved tolerance of salinity.

Keywords: Overexpression; Quinone reductase; Salix matsudana; Salt stress.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Physiological / genetics*
Amino Acid Sequence
Molecular Sequence Data
NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / chemistry
NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / genetics*
Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics*
Salinity*
Salix / enzymology*
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)