Transgenic alfalfa plants expressing the sweetpotato Orange gene exhibit enhanced abiotic stress tolerance

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Title
Transgenic alfalfa plants expressing the sweetpotato Orange gene exhibit enhanced abiotic stress tolerance
Author(s)
Z Wang; Q Ke; Myoung Duck Kim; Sun Ha Kim; Chang Yoon Ji; Jae Cheol Jeong; Haeng Soon Lee; W S Park; M J Ahn; H Li; B Xu; X Deng; S H Lee; Y P Lim; Sang Soo Kwak
Bibliographic Citation
PLoS One, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. e0126050-e0126050
Publication Year
2015
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), a perennial forage crop with high nutritional content, is widely distributed in various environments worldwide. We recently demonstrated that the sweetpotato Orange gene (IbOr) is involved in increasing carotenoid accumulation and enhancing resistance to multiple abiotic stresses. In this study, in an effort to improve the nutritional quality and environmental stress tolerance of alfalfa, we transferred the IbOr gene into alfalfa (cv. Xinjiang Daye) under the control of an oxidative stress-inducible peroxidase (SWPA2) promoter through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Among the 11 transgenic alfalfa lines (referred to as SOR plants), three lines (SOR2, SOR3, and SOR8) selected based on their IbOr transcript levels were examined for their tolerance to methyl viologen (MV)-induced oxidative stress in a leaf disc assay. The SOR plants exhibited less damage in response to MV-mediated oxidative stress and salt stress than non-transgenic plants. The SOR plants also exhibited enhanced tolerance to drought stress, along with higher total carotenoid levels. The results suggest that SOR alfalfa plants would be useful as forage crops with improved nutritional value and increased tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses, which would enhance the development of sustainable agriculture on marginal lands.
ISSN
1932-6203
Publisher
Public Library of Science
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126050
Type
Article
Appears in Collections:
Jeonbuk Branch Institute > Biological Resource Center > 1. Journal Articles
Division of Research on National Challenges > Plant Systems Engineering Research > 1. Journal Articles
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