Expressing the yeast HAL1 gene in tomato increases fruit yield and enhances K⁺/Na⁺ selectivity under salt stress

Authors: Rus, A. M.; Estañ, M. T.¹; Gisbert, C.²; Garcia-Sogo, B.³; Serrano, R.²; Caro, M.¹; Moreno, V.³; Bolarín, M. C.¹

Source: Plant, Cell & Environment, Volume 24, Number 8, August 2001 , pp. 875-880(6)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

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Abstract:

The yeast HAL1 gene facilitates K⁺/Na⁺ selectivity and salt tolerance of cells. Ectopic expression of HAL1 in transgenic tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants minimized the reduction in fruit production caused by salt stress. Maintenance of fruit production by transgenic plants was correlated with enhanced growth under salt stress of calli derived from the plants. The HAL1 transgene enhanced water and K⁺ contents in both leaf calli and leaves in the presence of salt, which indicates that HAL1 functions in plants using a similar mechanism to that in yeast, namely by facilitating K⁺/Na⁺ selectivity under salt stress.

Keywords: Lycopersicon esculentum; callus and leaf water contents; callus growth; salinity tolerance; sodium chloride.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3040.2001.00719.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Irrigation and Salinity, Centro de Edafologia y Biologia Aplicada del Segura, CSIC, Campus de Espinardo, Apdo 4195, E-30100 Murcia, Spain and 2: Laboratories of Salt Stress and 3: Plant Cell Culture, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, UPV-CSIC, Camino de Vera, 14, E-46022 Valencia, Spain

Publication date: 2001-08-01