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Transcription of potassium transporter genes of KT/HAK/KUP family in peach seedlings and responses to abiotic stresses

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Potassium uptake and transport is facilitated by KT/HAK/KUP transporters. In this study, we identified 16 putative K+-uptake transporter genes in peach (Prunus persica). To investigate the role of PpeKUP in maintaing K+ uptake, transport, and homeostasis, we applied abiotic stresses to peach seedlings and analysed physiological reactions and transcriptional responses of PpeKUP genes. The peach seedlings were sensitive to polyethylene glycol (PEG), Pb, and Cd, as evidenced by impaired growth, K+ nutrition, and photosynthetic performance. However, the peach seedlings were tolerant to aluminum. K+ deficiency mainly increased, whereas K+ excess reduced the PpeKUP gene expression in roots. The Al treatments enhanced the PpeKUP transcription in shoots, whereas PEG, Pd, and Cd enhanced the PpeKUP transcription in all tissues. Our findings provided molecular basis for K+ uptake, transport, and homeostasis in the peach seedlings, and revealed potential candidate genes for further functional determination or breeding of peaches.

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Abbreviations

ICP-AES:

inductively coupled plasma — atomic emission spectrometry

Chl:

chlorophyll

gs :

stomatal conductance

KT/HAK/KUP:

K+ transporter/high-affinity K+ transporter/K+ uptake permease

PEG:

polyethylene glycol

PN :

net photosynthetic rate

RT-qPCR:

real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Horticulture, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, Nanjing, 210014, P.R. China

    Z. -Z. Song, Y. Yang, R. -J. Ma, J. -L. Xu & M. -L. Yu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, P.R. China

    Z. -Z. Song

Authors
  1. Z. -Z. Song
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  2. Y. Yang
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  3. R. -J. Ma
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  4. J. -L. Xu
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  5. M. -L. Yu
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Correspondence to M. -L. Yu.

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Acknowledgments: This work was supported by grants from the China Agriculture Resarch System (CAR-31), Jiangsu Agriculture Science and Technology Innovation Fund CX(15)2014, and the Jiangsu Postdoctoral Science Foundation (1401080B). The first two authors contributed equally to this work.

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Song, Z.Z., Yang, Y., Ma, R.J. et al. Transcription of potassium transporter genes of KT/HAK/KUP family in peach seedlings and responses to abiotic stresses. Biol Plant 59, 65–73 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-014-0462-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-014-0462-1

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