Gururani M.A., Upadhyaya C.P., Strasser R.J., Yu J.W., Park S.W.
Department of Molecular Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Botany, Guru Ghasidas Central University, Bilaspur, Chattisgarh, India; Bioenergetics Laboratory, University of Geneva, CH-1254 Jussy/Geneva, Switzerland; Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; North West University of South Africa, South Africa
Gururani, M.A., Department of Molecular Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea; Upadhyaya, C.P., Department of Botany, Guru Ghasidas Central University, Bilaspur, Chattisgarh, India; Strasser, R.J., Bioenergetics Laboratory, University of Geneva, CH-1254 Jussy/Geneva, Switzerland, Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China, North West University of South Africa, South Africa; Yu, J.W., Department of Molecular Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea; Park, S.W., Department of Molecular Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea
Manganese stabilizing protein (MSP) is an important component of the Photosystem II (PSII) oxygen evolving complex. In our previous work, transgenic potato plants with reduced expression of MSP (MSP-As) were developed and their physiological and biochemical responses were studied. In this report, we address the response of MSP-As plants toward salinity, heavy metal and osmotic stresses. MSP-As plants treated with NaCl, ZnCl2 or mannitol solution showed significant level of tolerance under all the stress conditions. Specific enzyme activities of major ROS-scavenging enzymes were found significantly higher in MSP-As plants than the control plants. MSP-As plants accumulated increased levels of proline and low molecular weight metabolites such as ascorbate and α-tocopherol, which indicated that these plants were much more resistant to stress compared to the corresponding control plants. The primary photochemical efficiencies and the OJIP kinetics analyses further confirmed that MSP-As plants were in better optimal health under stress compared to the control plants. Although the exact reason behind the increased stress tolerance in stressed MSP-As plants is unclear, our results strongly indicate the role of MSP of unknown function in abiotic stress tolerance. © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
chloride; heavy metal; mannitol; photosystem II manganese stabilizing protein; photosystem II manganese-stabilizing protein; reactive oxygen metabolite; sodium chloride; zinc chloride; zinc derivative; adaptation; article; comparative study; gene expression regulation; genetic variability; genetics; genotype; metabolism; osmotic pressure; photosystem II; physiological stress; physiology; plant gene; potato; salinity; transgenic plant; Adaptation, Physiological; Chlorides; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes, Plant; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Mannitol; Metals, Heavy; Osmotic Pressure; Photosystem II Protein Complex; Plants, Genetically Modified; Reactive Oxygen Species; Salinity; Sodium Chloride; Solanum tuberosum; Stress, Physiological; Zinc Compounds; Solanum tuberosum