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Increased tolerance to salt- and water-deficit stress in transgenic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by constitutive expression of LEA

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Abstract

A late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) protein gene, ME-leaN4, from rape (Brassica napus) was successfully introduced into lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Infection by Agrobacterium strain EHA101 containing the binary vector pIG121-LEA was applied. Six independent transgenic lettuce plants were generated as a result. Transgenic lettuce demonstrated enhanced growth ability as compared to non-transformed control plants under salt-stress and water-deficit stress conditions. After 10-day growth under 100 mM NaCl condition in the hydroponics, average plant length and fresh weight of transgenic lettuce were 2.8 cm and 2.5 g plant−1, while control plants were only 0.2 cm and 0.3 g plant−1, respectively. The increased tolerance was also reflected by delayed wilting of leaves caused by water-deficit stress. These results suggest that growth characteristics were improved in transgenic lettuce plants constitutively expressing the rape LEA gene in response to salt- and water-deficit stress.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Gene Regulation Biology, Department of Environmental Life Sciences, Graduate school of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, 980-8577, Aobaku, Sendai, Japan

    Byong-Jin Park, Akira Kanno & Toshiaki Kameya

  2. Shanghai Agrobiological Gene Center, Beidi Rd. 2901, 201106, Shanghai, China

    Zaochang Liu

Authors
  1. Byong-Jin Park
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  2. Zaochang Liu
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  3. Akira Kanno
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  4. Toshiaki Kameya
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Correspondence to Zaochang Liu.

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Byong-Jin Park, Zaochang Liu These two authors contributed equally to this work.

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Park, BJ., Liu, Z., Kanno, A. et al. Increased tolerance to salt- and water-deficit stress in transgenic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by constitutive expression of LEA. Plant Growth Regul 45, 165–171 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-004-7924-y

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