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Expression of the AKT1-type K+ channel gene from Puccinellia tenuiflora, PutAKT1, enhances salt tolerance in Arabidopsis

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Abstract

Potassium channels are important for many physiological functions in plants, one of which is to regulate plant adaptation to stress conditions. In this study, a K+ channel PutAKT1 cDNA was isolated from the salt-tolerant plant Puccinellia tenuiflora. A phylogenetic analysis showed that PutAKT1 belongs to the AKT1-subfamily in the Shaker K+ channel family. PutAKT1 was localized in the plasma membrane and it was preferentially expressed in the roots. The expression of PutAKT1 was induced by K+-starvation stress in the roots and was not down-regulated by the presence of excess Na+. Arabidopsis plants over-expressing PutAKT1 showed enhanced salt tolerance compared to wild-type plants as shown by their shoot phenotype and dry weight. Expression of PutAKT1 increased the K+ content of Arabidopsis under normal, K+-starvation, and NaCl-stress conditions. Arabidopsis expressing PutAKT1 also showed a decrease in Na+ accumulation both in the shoot and in the root. These results suggest that PutAKT1 is involved in mediating K+ uptake (i) both in low- and in high-affinity K+ uptake range, and (ii) unlike its homologs in rice, even under salt-stress condition.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research (21380002) to T.T. and by JSPS AA Science Platform Program. The authors are grateful to Dr. M. Fujimoto (Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, the University of Tokyo) for his help with the technique of GFP observations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Asian Natural Environmental Science Center (ANESC), The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Midori-Cho, Nishitokyo, Tokyo, 188-0002, Japan

    Sintho Wahyuning Ardie & Tetsuo Takano

  2. Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Jl. Meranti, Kampus IPB, Darmaga Bogor, 16680, Indonesia

    Sintho Wahyuning Ardie

  3. Alkali Soil Natural Environmental Science Center (ASNESC), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China

    Shenkui Liu

Authors
  1. Sintho Wahyuning Ardie
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  2. Shenkui Liu
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  3. Tetsuo Takano
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Correspondence to Tetsuo Takano.

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Communicated by E. Guiderdoni.

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Ardie, S.W., Liu, S. & Takano, T. Expression of the AKT1-type K+ channel gene from Puccinellia tenuiflora, PutAKT1, enhances salt tolerance in Arabidopsis . Plant Cell Rep 29, 865–874 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-010-0872-2

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