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Genetic transformation of Populus tomentosa to improve salt tolerance

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Abstract

Soil salinity can be a limiting factor for productivity in agriculture and forestry. In order to fully utilize saline lands productively in plantation forestry for pulp production, the genetic modification of tree species for salt-tolerance may be required. The AhDREB1 gene, a DREB-like transcription factor gene, was transferred into Populus tomentosa by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic plants were regenerated and selected using a two-step process; first on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium containing 4.44 μM 6-benzyladenine (BA), 1.61 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 30 mg l−1 kanamycin, and 250 mg l−1 ceftomine, and then enhanced selection on medium with 50 mg l−1 kanamycin. The putative transformants were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern hybridization for the AhDREB1 gene. Transgenic plants were rooted on half-strength MS medium containing 5.71 μM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 1.61 μM NAA, 2 g l−1 sucrose, and 5 g l−1 agar. The salt tolerance of transgenic plants in pots in the greenhouse showed a survival rate of 100, 100, 84.4, and 44.4% after watering with a solution of 34.2, 68.4, 102.7, and 136.9 mM NaCl, respectively.

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Abbreviations

BA:

6-Benzyladenine

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

MS:

Murashige and Skoog

NAA:

Napthaleneacetic acid

nptII:

Neomycin phosphotransferase

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

qPCR:

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank members of the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences who kindly provided the vector (Patent No: ZL 01 1 23827.5). The authors gratefully acknowledge Drs. John M. Davis and Armand Seguin for their constructive review and suggestions for improvement of this manuscript. Mention of a trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the US Department of Agriculture and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that also may be suitable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Ningxia Du, Xin Liu & Yun Li

  2. Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, People’s Republic of China

    Shouyi Chen, Jinsong Zhang & Da Ha

  3. Shandong Kai Yin Corporation, Dongying, 257335, People’s Republic of China

    Wenguang Deng, Chunkui Sun & Yingzhi Zhang

  4. USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, 715 West State St, West Lafayette, IN, USA, 47907

    Paula M. Pijut

Authors
  1. Ningxia Du
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  2. Xin Liu
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  3. Yun Li
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  4. Shouyi Chen
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  6. Da Ha
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  7. Wenguang Deng
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  8. Chunkui Sun
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  9. Yingzhi Zhang
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  10. Paula M. Pijut
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Correspondence to Yun Li.

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Du, N., Liu, X., Li, Y. et al. Genetic transformation of Populus tomentosa to improve salt tolerance. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 108, 181–189 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-011-0026-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-011-0026-4

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