Abstract
SummaryFlavodoxin (Fld) plays a pivotal role in photosynthetic microorganisms as an alternative electron carrier flavoprotein under adverse environmental conditions. Cyanobacterial Fld has been demonstrated to be able to substitute ferredoxin of higher plants in most electron transfer processes under stressful conditions. We have explored the potential of Fld for use in improving plant stress response in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.). Overexpression of Fld altered plant growth and development. Most significantly, transgenic plants exhibited drastically enhanced performance under oxidative, drought and heat stress as well as nitrogen (N) starvation, which was associated with higher water retention and cell membrane integrity than wild‐type controls, modified expression of heat‐shock protein genes, production of more reduced thioredoxin, elevated N accumulation and total chlorophyll content as well as up‐regulated expression of nitrite reductase and N transporter genes. Further analysis revealed that the expression of other stress‐related genes was also impacted in Fld‐expressing transgenics. Our data establish a key role of Fld in modulating plant growth and development and plant response to multiple sources of adverse environmental conditions in crop species. This demonstrates the feasibility of manipulating Fld in crop species for genetic engineering of plant stress tolerance.
Highlights
Abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity and extreme temperatures are the major factors impacting plant growth and crop productivity
We have explored the potential of Fld for use in improving plant stress response in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.)
Transgenic (TG) plants exhibited drastically enhanced performance under oxidative, drought and heat stress as well as nitrogen (N) starvation, which was associated with higher water retention and cell membrane integrity than wild type controls, modified expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes, production of more reduced thioredoxin (Trx), elevated N accumulation and total chlorophyll content as well as up-regulated expression of nitrite reductase and N transporter genes
Summary
Abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity and extreme temperatures are the major factors impacting plant growth and crop productivity. Information obtained have been used to develop strategies to genetically engineer crop species improving plant performance under various adverse environmental conditions (Apse et al, 2002; Seki et al, 2003; Wang et al, 2003; Flowers, 2004; Zhang et al, 2004; Vincur and Altman, 2005; Mittler et al, 2006; Zhou and Luo, 2013). Besides molecular strategies manipulating the expression of individual genes for structural and regulatory proteins or non-coding RNA molecules to modify endogenous systems improving plant stress tolerance, alternative approaches based on novel mechanisms derived from microorganisms can be explored to develop additional avenues of new biotechnology tools for use in plant genetic engineering achieving improved stress tolerance in crop species
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