PJB-2021-145
Rhododendron micranthum RmMDH gene encoding malic dehydrogenase confers tolerance to abiotic stress in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum
Shan-Jun Yi, Wei Li, Zhen-Yuan Sun, Xiao-Xing Zhou And Xiao-Ping Li
Abstract
Malic dehydrogenases (MDHs) have vital functions in the development of plants. In this study, the full-length coding sequence of RmMDH (GenBank ID: JQ412742) was isolated from Rhododendron micranthum Turcz. RmMDH had a 999-bp open reading frame (ORF), which was responsible for encoding a protein that contained 332 amino acid residues, its theoretical isoelectric point was 6.40 and its predicted molecular mass was 35.61 kDa. RmMDH was predicted to localize to the chloroplast. Real-time RT-PCR analyses showed that the transcript levels of RmMDH in Rh. Micranthum differed among tissues (highest levels in the flowers, lowest levels in the roots) and developmental stages (highest transcript levels in flowers at the full-bloom stage, and in leaves in October). RmMDH was introduced into tobacco, and its integration into the genome was confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analyses. Compared with wild-type tobacco, transgenic plants showed smaller leaves, shorter height, lower malondialdehyde contents, and higher proline contents. Transgenic plants showed stronger tolerance to NaCl, NaHCO3, polyethylene glycol, and aluminum stresses relative to wild-type tobacco. Our results show that RmMDH dramatically affects plant growth and is involved in abiotic stress resistance. These results lay the foundation for the genetic improvement of Rh. micranthum
To Cite this article:
Yi, S.J., W. Li, Z.Y. Sun, X.X. Zhou and X.P. Li. 2022. Rhododendron micranthum RmMDH gene encoding malic dehydrogenase confers tolerance to abiotic stress in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum. Pak. J. Bot., 54(6): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2022-6(15)
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