Hainan Key Laboratory of Banana Genetic Improvement, Haikou Experimental Station, Institute of Banana, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Yilong W Road, 2, Longhua County, Haikou City, Hainan Province 570102, People's Republic of China.
BMC Plant Biol. 2014 Mar 8;14:59. doi: 10.1186/1471-2229-14-59.
Aquaporin (AQP) proteins function in transporting water and other small molecules through the biological membranes, which is crucial for plants to survive in drought or salt stress conditions. However, the precise role of AQPs in drought and salt stresses is not completely understood in plants.
In this study, we have identified a PIP1 subfamily AQP (MaPIP1;1) gene from banana and characterized it by overexpression in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Transient expression of MaPIP1;1-GFP fusion protein indicated its localization at plasma membrane. The expression of MaPIP1;1 was induced by NaCl and water deficient treatment. Overexpression of MaPIP1;1 in Arabidopsis resulted in an increased primary root elongation, root hair numbers and survival rates compared to WT under salt or drought conditions. Physiological indices demonstrated that the increased salt tolerance conferred by MaPIP1;1 is related to reduced membrane injury and high cytosolic K+/Na+ ratio. Additionally, the improved drought tolerance conferred by MaPIP1;1 is associated with decreased membrane injury and improved osmotic adjustment. Finally, reduced expression of ABA-responsive genes in MaPIP1;1-overexpressing plants reflects their improved physiological status.
Our results demonstrated that heterologous expression of banana MaPIP1;1 in Arabidopsis confers salt and drought stress tolerances by reducing membrane injury, improving ion distribution and maintaining osmotic balance.
水通道蛋白(AQP)在生物膜中运输水和其他小分子的功能对植物在干旱或盐胁迫条件下的生存至关重要。然而,AQP 在植物中的干旱和盐胁迫中的精确作用尚不完全清楚。
本研究从香蕉中鉴定出一个 PIP1 亚家族 AQP(MaPIP1;1)基因,并通过在转基因拟南芥中过表达对其进行了表征。MaPIP1;1-GFP 融合蛋白的瞬时表达表明其定位于质膜。MaPIP1;1 的表达受 NaCl 和水分亏缺处理诱导。与 WT 相比,MaPIP1;1 在拟南芥中的过表达导致在盐或干旱条件下,主根伸长、根毛数量和存活率增加。生理指标表明,MaPIP1;1 赋予的耐盐性与膜损伤减少和高胞质 K+/Na+ 比有关。此外,MaPIP1;1 赋予的耐旱性与膜损伤减少和渗透调节改善有关。最后,MaPIP1;1 过表达植物中 ABA 响应基因的表达减少反映了它们改善的生理状态。
我们的结果表明,香蕉 MaPIP1;1 在拟南芥中的异源表达通过减少膜损伤、改善离子分布和维持渗透平衡来赋予耐盐和耐旱性。