CGFS-type glutaredoxin mutations reduce tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses in tomato
Tayebeh Kakeshpour1, Tej Man Tamang1, Gergely Motolai1
1Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.
Physiologia Plantarum
|August 15, 2021
Summary
Tomato CGFS-type glutaredoxin (GRX) genes are crucial for mitigating abiotic stress. Mutants lacking these genes, particularly SlGRXS14 and SlGRXS17, showed increased sensitivity to multiple stresses, highlighting their importance in crop resilience.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Genetics
- Stress Physiology
Background:
- Plants utilize reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging mechanisms to survive abiotic stress.
- CGFS-type glutaredoxin (GRX) genes regulate ROS homeostasis but their specific roles in crops are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functions of four CGFS-type GRX genes (SlGRXS14, SlGRXS15, SlGRXS16, SlGRXS17) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) under abiotic stress.
- To understand the contribution of these genes to ROS homeostasis and stress tolerance in crops.
Main Methods:
- Targeted mutagenesis of four CGFS-type GRX genes using a multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 system in tomato.
- Phenotypic analysis of single, double, and triple mutants under various abiotic stresses (heat, chilling, drought, heavy metal, nutrient deficiency, short photoperiod).
Main Results:
- Slgrxs mutants exhibited increased sensitivity to multiple abiotic stresses compared to wild-type.
- Slgrxs15 mutants were found to be embryonic lethal.
- Slgrxs14 and Slgrxs17 mutants showed hypersensitivity to most stresses and delayed flowering, while Slgrxs16 mutants were primarily sensitive to chilling stress.
Conclusions:
- CGFS-type SlGRXs play specific roles in conferring tolerance to diverse abiotic stresses in tomato.
- These findings offer valuable genetic resources for engineering multi-stress tolerant tomato and other crop varieties.
Related Concept Videos
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
14.1K
Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
14.1K
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
27.0K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
27.0K
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
13.6K
Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
13.6K