Overexpression of the halophyte Kalidium foliatum H+-pyrophosphatase gene confers salt and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

• DOI: 10.1007/s11033-012-1645-5
• Publication Date: 2012-04-26T18:48:46Z
• Authors: Manhong Yao; Youling Zeng; Lin Liu; Yunlan Huang; Enfeng Zhao; Fuchun Zhang
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Salinity; Amaranthaceae; Molecular Sequence Data; Adaptation, Biological; Arabidopsis; Gene Expression; Salt-Tolerant Plants; 15. Life on land; Plants, Genetically Modified; 6. Clean water; Droughts; Inorganic Pyrophosphatase; 03 medical and health sciences; Phenotype; Transformation, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Stress, Physiological; Gene Order; Cloning, Molecular; Phylogeny

According to sequences of H(+)-pyrophosphatase genes from GenBank, a new H(+)-pyrophosphatase gene (KfVP1) from the halophyte Kalidium foliatum, a very salt-tolerant shrub that is highly succulent, was obtained by using reverse transcription PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends methods. The obtained KfVP1 cDNA contained a 2295 bp ORF and a 242 bp 3'-untranslated region. It encoded 764 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 79.78 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high identity to those of H(+)-PPase of some Chenopodiaceae plant species. Semi-quantitative PCR results revealed that transcription of KfVP1 in K. foliatum was induced by NaCl, ABA and PEG stress. Transgenic lines of A. thaliana with 35S::KfVP1 were generated. Three transgenic lines grew more vigorous than the wild type (ecotype Col-0) under salt and drought stress. Moreover, the transgenic plants accumulated more Na(+) in the leaves compared to wild type plants. These results demonstrated that KfVP1 from K. foliatum may be a functional tonoplast H(+)-pyrophosphatase in contributing to salt and drought tolerance.