Pea DNA helicase 45 overexpression in tobacco confers high salinity tolerance without affecting yield.

ABSTRACT: Salt tolerance is an important trait that is required to overcome salinity-induced reduction in plant productivity. We have reported previously the isolation of a pea DNA helicase 45 (PDH45) that exhibits striking homology with the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF-4A. Here, we report that PDH45 mRNA is induced in pea seedlings in response to high salt, and its overexpression driven by a constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus-(35)S promoter in tobacco plants confers salinity tolerance, thus suggesting a previously undescribed pathway for manipulating stress tolerance in crop plants. The T(0) transgenic plants showed high levels of PDH45 protein in normal and stress conditions, as compared with WT plants. The T(0) transgenics also showed tolerance to high salinity as tested by a l

SUBMITTER: Sanan-Mishra N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC544286 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature