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Functional Validation of Phragmites communis Glutathione Reductase (PhaGR) as an Essential Enzyme in Salt Tolerance

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Abstract

Reed plants (Phragmites communis (Linn.) Trin) are hydrophilic perennial grasses growing in fresh and brackish waters. These plants readily adapt to arid and high salinity conditions; however, their resistance mechanism against abiotic stresses, especially high salinity, is largely unknown. In the present study, we cloned a glutathione reductase gene from P. communis and investigated its role in conferring salt tolerance in reed plants. The expression of PhaGR at the transcriptional level was affected by multiple abiotic stresses including NaCl, Cd2+, heat, cold, PEG 6000, and abscisic acid (ABA). Furthermore, NaCl and Cd2+ could increase its expressions at the translational level. NaCl and Cd2+ also increased the biosynthesis of soluble protein and reduced glutathione (GSH). Reed seedlings that were challenged with NaCl showed higher levels of GR activities, which corroborated our gene expression data. The increase in GR possibly increased the salt tolerance of reed plants through GSH production. Thus, PhaGR is a potential target gene in improving the salt tolerance of crops through genetic manipulation.

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Abbreviations

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

Catalase

GSH:

Reduced glutathione

ORF:

Open reading frame

PhaGRC:

Phragmites communis glutathione reductase

RACE:

Rapid amplification of cDNA ends

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

GR:

Glutathione reductase

GSSG:

Oxidized glutathione

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31201185, No. 31000128, No. 31370296, No. 30870199), by the Promotive Research Fund for Excellent Young and Middle-aged Scientists of Shandong Province (BS2010SW036), and by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. ZR2011CQ013, No. ZR2011CM044).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular & Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, Shandong, China

    Xia Zhang, Geng Quan, Jing Wang, Huiling Han, ShiHua Chen, ShanLi Guo & HaiBo Yin

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  1. Xia Zhang
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  2. Geng Quan
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  3. Jing Wang
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Correspondence to HaiBo Yin.

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Supplementary Table 1

Sequences of primers used (DOCX 14 kb)

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Zhang, X., Quan, G., Wang, J. et al. Functional Validation of Phragmites communis Glutathione Reductase (PhaGR) as an Essential Enzyme in Salt Tolerance. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 175, 3418–3430 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-015-1514-5

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