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AcPIP2, a plasma membrane intrinsic protein from halophyte Atriplex canescens, enhances plant growth rate and abiotic stress tolerance when overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Abstract

Key message

An aquaporin protein AcPIP2 from Atriplex canescens was involved in plant growth rate, abiotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis. Under limited water condition, AcPIP2 leaded to the sensitivity to drought stress.

Abstract

An aquaporin protein (AcPIP2) was obtained from the saltbush Atriplex canescens, which was in PIP2 subgroup belonging to the PIP subfamily, MIP superfamily. The subcellular localization of AcPIP2 showed the fusion protein AcPIP2-eGFP located at the plasma membrane in Nicotiana benthamiana. Overexpression of AcPIP2 in Arabidopsis fully proved that AcPIP2 was involved in plant growth rate, transpiration rate and abiotic stress tolerance (NaCl, drought and NaHCO3) in Arabidopsis, which is mostly in correspondence to gene expression pattern characterized by qRT-PCR performed in A. canescens. And under limited water condition, AcPIP2 overexpression leaded to the sensitivity to drought stress. In the view of the resistant effect in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing AcPIP2, the AcPIP2 may throw some light into understanding how the A. canescens plants cope with abiotic stress, and could be used in the genetic engineering to improve plant growth or selective tolerance to the abiotic stress.

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Abbreviations

AQPs:

Proteins called aquaporins

MIPs:

Major intrinsic proteins

TIPs:

Tonoplast intrinsic proteins

PIPs:

Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins

NIPs:

Noduline 26-like intrinsic membrane proteins

SIPs:

Small basic intrinsic proteins

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

eGFP:

Enhance green fluorescent protein

cDNA:

Complementary DNA

MS:

Murashige and Skoog

Hyg:

Hygromycin

OE:

Overexpresser

WT:

Wild-type

VC:

Vector

EF1α:

Elongation factor 1-alpha

FW:

Fresh weight

DW:

Dry weight

WC:

Water contents

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

NBT:

Nitroblue tetrazolium

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants of the 12th Five-Year Plan Project of Science and Technology Support, China (2012BAD19B04, 2014BAD14B02), and by the Research and Development of Industrial Technology Special at Jilin Provincial Development and Reform Commission (2013C001), and by the Ministry of Agriculture Key Project of GM Cultivation of New Varieties (2013ZX08004004), P. R. China, and by the Project 2014119 Supported by Graduate Innovation Fund of Jilin University.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, Jilin, China

      Jingtao Li, Gang Yu, Xinhua Sun, Yanzhi Liu, Jinliang Liu, Xianghui Zhang, Chengguo Jia & Hongyu Pan

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    1. Jingtao Li
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    2. Gang Yu
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    3. Xinhua Sun
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    Correspondence to Hongyu Pan.

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    Communicated by H. Ebinuma.

    J. Li and G. Yu contributed equally to this work.

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    Li, J., Yu, G., Sun, X. et al. AcPIP2, a plasma membrane intrinsic protein from halophyte Atriplex canescens, enhances plant growth rate and abiotic stress tolerance when overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana . Plant Cell Rep 34, 1401–1415 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-015-1796-7

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