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Overexpression of a GST gene (ThGSTZ1) from Tamarix hispida improves drought and salinity tolerance by enhancing the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species

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Abstract

Although plant glutathione transferase (GST) genes are reported to be involved in responses to abiotic stress, few GST genes have been functionally characterized in woody halophytes. In the present study, a GST gene from Tamarix hispida, designated ThGSTZ1, was cloned and functionally characterized. Expression of ThGSTZ1 was downregulated by drought and salinity stress, and abscisic acid. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants with constitutive expression of ThGSTZ1 showed increased survival rates under drought and salinity stress. These transgenic Arabidopsis plants exhibited increased levels of GST, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activity, along with decreased malondialdehyde content, electrolyte leakage rates and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels under salt and drought stress conditions. Transgenic T. hispida that transiently overexpressed ThGSTZ1 showed increased GST and GPX activities under NaCl and mannitol treatments, as well as improved ROS scavenging ability. These results suggest that ThGSTZ1 can improve drought and salinity tolerance in plants by enhancing their ROS scavenging ability. Therefore, ThGSTZ1 represents a candidate gene with potential applications for molecular breeding to increase stress tolerance in plants.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (‘‘863” Program) (2013AA102701), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31270708), and the Program for Young Top-notch Talents of Northeast Forestry University (No. PYTT-1213-09).

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, People’s Republic of China

    Guiyan Yang, Yucheng Wang, Dean Xia, Caiqiu Gao, Chao Wang & Chuanping Yang

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  1. Guiyan Yang
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  2. Yucheng Wang
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  3. Dean Xia
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  4. Caiqiu Gao
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Correspondence to Caiqiu Gao or Chuanping Yang.

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Yang, G., Wang, Y., Xia, D. et al. Overexpression of a GST gene (ThGSTZ1) from Tamarix hispida improves drought and salinity tolerance by enhancing the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 117, 99–112 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-014-0424-5

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