Overexpression of Saussurea involucrata dehydrin gene SiDHN promotes cold and drought tolerance in transgenic tomato plants.

ABSTRACT: Dehydrins are late embryogenesis abundant proteins that help regulate abiotic stress responses in plants. Overexpression of the Saussurea involucrata dehydrin gene SiDHN has previously been shown to improve water-use efficiency and enhance cold and drought tolerance of transgenic tobacco. To understand the mechanism by which SiDHN exerts its protective function, we transformed the SiDHN gene into tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and assessed their response to abiotic stress. We observed that in response to stresses, the SiDHN transgenic tomato plants had increased contents of chlorophyll a and b, carotenoid and relative water content compared with wild-type plants. They also had higher maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II and accumulated more proline and soluble sugar.

SUBMITTER: Guo X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6860438 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature