Improved salt tolerance of transgenic tobacco [Nicotiana tabacum] expressing apoplastic yeast-derived invertase

• Published in: Plant and cell physiology Vol. 42; no. 2; pp. 245 - 249
• Main Authors: Fukushima, E. (Kyoto Univ. (Japan)), Arata, Y, Endo, T, Sonnewald, U, Sato, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Oxford University Press 01-02-2001; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Apo-Inv; Apo-Inv tobacco; apoplastic invertase; beta-Fructofuranosidase; Chloroplasts - metabolism; Gene Expression; Glycoside Hydrolases - genetics; Glycoside Hydrolases - physiology; Hexoses - metabolism; Key words: Invertase — Nicotiana tabacum — Photosynthesis — Salt stress — Sucrose; maximum yield of Chl fluorescence; minimum yield of Chl fluorescence; Nicotiana - growth & development; Nicotiana - metabolism; Nicotiana - physiology; NICOTIANA TABACUM; Osmotic Pressure; OSMOTIC STRESS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; Photosynthesis - physiology; Plants, Genetically Modified; Plants, Toxic; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - enzymology; Sodium Chloride; Sucrose - metabolism; TRANSGENIC PLANTS; transgenic tobacco expressing yeast invertase in apoplastic space; variable fluorescence Fm-Fo
• ISSN: 0032-0781; 1471-9053
• DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pce027

We investigated the salt tolerance of transgenic tobacco, in which yeast invertase is expressed in the apoplastic (Apo-Inv) spaces. Whereas photosynthetic activities in wild-type tobatco in light were inhibited under salt stress, transgenic Apo-Inv tobacco maintained constant photosynthetic activities. The physical appearance of plants under salt stress also indicates that yeast invertase expression in the apoplastic space is beneficial for inducing salt tolerance. Apo-Inv tobacco had a much higher osmotic pressure increase in the cell sap than did wild-type tobacco under this type of stress. The physiological importance of sucrose metabolism under salt stress is discussed.