Variation in tissue Na+ content and the activity of SOS1 genes among two species and two related genera of Chrysanthemum. Issue 1 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gao, Jiaojiao; Sun, Jing; Cao, Peipei; Ren, Liping; Liu, Chen; Chen, Sumei; Chen, Fadi; Jiang, Jiafu
• Is Part Of: BMC plant biology. Volume 16:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 15
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Chrysanthemum morifolium -- Compositae -- SOS1 -- Functional characterization -- Complementation assay; Plant molecular biology -- Periodicals; Botany -- Periodicals; 580.5
• DOI: 10.1186/s12870-016-0781-9
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-2229

Abstract

Abstract Background Chrysanthemum, a leading ornamental species, does not tolerate salinity stress, although some of its related species do. The current level of understanding regarding the mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance in this botanical group is still limited. Results A comparison of the physiological responses to salinity stress was made betweenChrysanthemum morifolium 'Jinba' and its more tolerant relativesCrossostephium chinense, Artemisia japonica andChrysanthemum crassum . The stress induced a higher accumulation of Na+ and more reduction of K+ inC. morifolium than inC. chinense, C. crassum andA. japonica, which also showed higher K+ /Na+ ratio. Homologs of an Na+ /H+ antiporter (SOS1 ) were isolated from each species. The gene carried by the tolerant plants were more strongly induced by salt stress than those carried by the non-tolerant ones. When expressed heterologously, they also conferred a greater degree of tolerance to a yeast mutant lacking Na+ -pumping ATPase and plasma membrane Na+ /H+ antiporter activity. The data suggested that the products ofAjSOS1, CrcSOS1 andCcSOS1 functioned more effectively as Na+ excluders than those ofCmSOS1 . Over expression of fourSOS1s improves the salinity tolerance of transgenic plants and the overexpressing plants ofSOS1s from salt tolerant plants were more tolerant than that from salt sensitive plants. In addition, the importance of certain AjSOS1 residues for effective ion transport activity and salinity tolerance was established by site-directed mutagenesis and heterologous expression in yeast. Conclusions AjSOS1, CrcSOS1 andCcSOS1 have potential as transgenes for enhancing salinity tolerance. Some of the mutations identified here may offer opportunities to better understand the mechanistic basis of salinity tolerance in the chrysanthemum complex.