A novel LEA gene from Tamarix androssowii confers drought tolerance in transgenic tobacco

作者：Wang, Yucheng^*; Jiang, Jing; Zhao, Xin; Liu, Guifeng; Yang, Chuanping; Zhan, Liping

来源：Plant Science, 2006, 171(6): 655-662.

DOI：10.1016/j.plantsci.2006.06.011

• LEA gene
• Tamarix androssowii
• drought
• stress tolerance
• tobacco

A novel LEA gene (DQ663481) was cloned from Tamarix androssowii. The cDNA sequence of this LEA gene is 676 bp in length, including 157 bp of the 5' untranslated region and 207 bp of the 3' untranslated region. The open reading frame (ORF) is 312 bp in length, encoding a deduced amino acid sequence of 103 residues with a molecular weight of 11.257 kDa and an isoelectric point of 7.93. BLASTP analysis showed that the cloned LEA gene shares the highest identity in amino acid sequence (47%) with LEA5 from Nicotiana tabacum. The cloned LEA gene was transformed into tobacco, after which 10 transgenic lines were selected for drought tolerance testing. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content, relative electrical conductivity, percentage of wilted leaves and relative rate of height growth were compared between transgenic and nontransgenic tobacco. The results showed that both the MDA content and relative electrical conductivity are lower significantly in transgenic plants under drought stress, implying that the LEA gene may enhance drought tolerance by protecting cell membranes from damage. The comparison of the percentage of wilted leaves and relative rate of height growth between transgenic and nontransgenic tobacco showed that, under drought stress, the presence of the LEA gene can induce an increase in height growth rate and a reduction in the number of wilted leaves. These results indicate that the T androssowii LEA gene is an excellent drought tolerance gene and may have potential usage in the genetic improvement of drought tolerance in plants.

• 出版日期2006-12
• 单位东北林业大学