Salt stress induces an increased expression of V-type H(+)-ATPase in mature sugar beet leaves

In the halotolerant sugar beet co-expression of V-ATPase and a vacuolar Na+/H(+)-antiporter provides a mechanism for vacuolar salt sequestration. To analyze salt-induced changes in the expression of the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) a partial cDNA of the proton-channel forming subunit c was cloned by RT-PCR. Southern blot analysis indicated a small gene family. In control plants transcript levels were high in roots and young growing leaves but low in fully expanded leaves. In mature leaves salt exposure (400 mM, 48 h) induced a strong increase in subunit c-mRNA. Transcripts for the catalytic subunit A followed a similar developmental and stress-modulated pattern, indicating a coordinate regulation of transcripts for both V-ATPase subunits. Concomittant with the mRNA increases the amount of V-ATPase protein increased as well.