Abstract
Type III polyketide synthases play significant roles in the biosynthesis of multiple plant secondary metabolites and plant adjustment to environmental stresses. AsPECPS, a type III polyketide synthase, is the key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromone derivatives which are the main components determining the quality of agarwood and special defensive substances of Aquilaria sinensis. However, the functions of AsPECPS in plant resistance have not been shown. Our findings indicated that AsPECPS was localized in the cytoplasm and cell wall. The expression of AsPECPS was significantly induced by salt stress and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Heterologous overexpression of AsPECPS in Nicotiana benthamiana enhanced the salt-stress tolerance at post-gemination stage showed by the transgenic plants with increased fresh weight, height, root length, and number of lateral roots. Furthermore, the overexpressing lines (OE) in soil retained more lateral roots, more proline content and lower malondialdehyde content under salinity stress. Additionally, AsPECPS-OE plants were less sensitive to ABA as indicated through the OE lines showing higher gemination rate, greater survival rate, and better growth characteristics. Further analyses demonstrated that the transgenic plants accumulated lower levels of ROS through down-regulating the expression of Rboh family genes and up-regulating the expression and activities of antioxidant enzymes under salt stress and ABA treatment. Overexpression of AsPECPS modulated the abundance of genes associated with ABA signaling pathway under ABA treatment. Taken together, our results indicated that overexpression of AsPECPS in N. benthamiana enhanced the plant tolerance to salt and ABA stresses.
Key Message
Overexpression of AsPECPS in N. benthamiana, a type III polyketide synthase involved in the biosynthesis of 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromone, enhanced the plant tolerance to salt and ABA stresses.
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Abbreviations
- ABA :
-
Abscisic acid
- ABI3 :
-
ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3
- ABI5 :
-
ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE5
- APX :
-
Peroxidase
- BCA :
-
Bicinchoninic acid
- CAT :
-
Catalase
- Chl :
-
Chlorophyl
- DAB :
-
3,3′-Diaminobenzidine
- GFP :
-
Green fluorescent protein
- MDA :
-
Malondialdehyde
- MeJA :
-
Methyl jasmonate
- MS :
-
Murashige and Skoog
- NBT :
-
Nitro blue tetrazolium
- NCED :
-
9-Cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase
- OE :
-
Overexpression lines
- PCR :
-
Polymerase chain reaction
- PKS :
-
Polyketide synthase
- qRT-PCR :
-
Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction
- ROS :
-
Reactive oxygen species
- SA :
-
Salicylic acid
- SOD :
-
Superoxide dismutase
- UV :
-
Ultraviolet
- WT :
-
Wild type
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This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (32170374) and Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia (2023MS08011).
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Xinyu Mi: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing-original draft. Yingying Feng: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing-review. Fanyuan Guan: Data curation. Yuyan Zheng: Data analysis. Hailing Qiu: Investigation, Resources. Bowen Gao: Validation, Resources. Baowei Wang: Data analysis, Resources. Xiao Liu: Supervision. Juan Wang: Supervision. Pengfei Tu: Supervision. Shepo Shi: Writing-revision & editing, Supervision. Xiaohui Wang: revision & editing, Supervision Funding acquisition, Project administration.
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11240_2024_2739_MOESM1_ESM.pptx
Supplementary file1 (PPTX 59948 KB). Fig. S1 Total RNA from A. sinensis and N. benthamiana. a: Total RNA from A. sinensis. b: Total RNA from N. benthamiana. 1-15: The samples of A.sinensis. 15-31: The samples of N. benthamiana. Fig. S2 The melting curves and standard curved lines for quantification of the primers. a: The melting curves of primers. b: The standard curved lines for qualifications of the primers. Fig. S3 Genetic transformation of A. sinensis AsPECPS in N. benthamiana. a: PCR method to identify AsPECPS transgenic lines. b: The protein level of AsPECPS in transgenic lines were determined by Western blotting with an anti-PECPS antibody prepared in rabbits. Fig. S4 The phenotype and statistical analysis of seed germination of WT and OE lines under different NaCl treatment. a: The seed phenotype of WT and OE lines under NaCl treatment. b: The statistical analysis of seed germination of WT and OE line under different NaCl treatment at different time point. Error bars represent in the standard deviation of three biological replicates. The figures order of Supplementary file 1 should be corrected as follows: The Fig. S4 should be corrected as Fig. S2, while the Fig. S2 and S3 should be corrected as Fig. S3 and S4, respectively.
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Mi, X., Feng, Y., Guan, F. et al. Overexpression of plant polyketide synthase AsPECPS from Aquilaria sinensis enhances the tolerance of the transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana to salt stress and ABA treatment. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 157, 8 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-024-02739-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-024-02739-z