Theanine Improves Salt Stress Tolerance via Modulating Redox Homeostasis in Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis L.).

ABSTRACT: Theanine, a unique non-proteinogenic amino acid, is one of the most abundant secondary metabolites in tea. Its content largely determines green tea quality and price. However, its physiological roles in tea plants remain largely unknown. Here, we showed that salt stress significantly increased the accumulation of glutamate, glutamine, alanine, proline, and γ-aminobutyric acid, as well as theanine, in the new shoots of tea plants. We further found that salt stress induced the expression of theanine biosynthetic genes, including CsGOGATs, CsAlaDC, and CsTSI, suggested that salt stress induced theanine biosynthesis. Importantly, applying theanine to the new shoots significantly enhanced the salt stress tolerance. Similar effects were also found in a model plant Arabidopsi

SUBMITTER: Chen Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8554060 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature