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Improved salt tolerance and seed cotton yield in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) by transformation with betA gene for glycinebetaine synthesis

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Abstract

Homozygous transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants that accumulated glycinebetaine (GB) in larger quantities were more tolerant to salt than wild-type (WT) plants. Four transgenic lines, namely 1, 3, 4, and 5, accumulated significantly higher levels of GB than WT plants did both before and after salt stress. At 175 and 275 mM NaCl, seeds of all the transgenic lines germinated earlier and recorded a higher final germination percentage, and the seedlings grew better, than those of the WT. Under salt stress, all the lines showed some characteristic features of salt tolerance, such as higher leaf relative water content (RWC), higher photosynthesis, better osmotic adjustment (OA), lower percentage of ion leakage, and lower peroxidation of the lipid membrane. Levels of endogenous GB in the transgenic plants were positively correlated with RWC and OA. The results indicate that GB in transgenic cotton plants not only maintains the integrity of cell membranes but also alleviates osmotic stress caused by high salinity. Lastly, the seed cotton yield of transgenic lines 4 and 5 was significantly higher than that of WT plants in saline soil. This research indicates that betA gene has the potential to improve crop’s salt tolerance in areas where salinity is limiting factors for agricultural productivity.

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Abbreviations

BADH:

Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase

CDH:

Choline dehydrogenase

CMO:

Choline monooxygenase

GB:

Glycinebetaine

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

OA:

Osmotic adjustment

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

RWC:

Relative water content

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

WT:

Wild-type

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Project for Transgenic Plant Research and Industrialization of China (2008ZX08005-4) and Scientific and technological project in Shandong Province (2009GG10009010) and Cotton Improved Variety Project of Shandong Province (2007LZ003). We would also like to thank International Science Editing for assistance in language editing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Science, Shandong University, 27 Shanda South Road, Jinan, 250100, Shandong, China

    Kewei Zhang, Ning Guo, Lijun Lian, Juan Wang, Sulian Lv & Juren Zhang

  2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Plant Cell Engineering and Germplasm Enhancement, Jinan, 250100, China

    Kewei Zhang, Ning Guo, Lijun Lian, Juan Wang, Sulian Lv & Juren Zhang

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  1. Kewei Zhang
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  2. Ning Guo
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Correspondence to Kewei Zhang.

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Zhang, K., Guo, N., Lian, L. et al. Improved salt tolerance and seed cotton yield in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) by transformation with betA gene for glycinebetaine synthesis. Euphytica 181, 1–16 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-011-0354-9

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