AUTHOR=Luo Jianhao , Liu Mingxi , Zhang Chendong , Zhang Peipei , Chen Jingjing , Guo Zhenfei , Lu Shaoyun 

TITLE=Transgenic Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides [Munro] Hack.) Overexpressing S-Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase (SAMDC) Gene for Improved Cold Tolerance Through Involvement of H2O2 and NO Signaling

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.01655

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.01655

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Centipedegrass (<italic>Eremochloa ophiuroides</italic> [Munro] Hack.) is an important warm-season turfgrass species. Transgenic centipedgrass plants overexpressing <italic>S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase</italic> from bermudagrass (<italic>CdSAMDC1</italic>) that was induced in response to cold were generated in this study. Higher levels of <italic>CdSAMDC1</italic> transcript and sperimidine (Spd) and spermin (Spm) concentrations and enhanced freezing and chilling tolerance were observed in transgenic plants as compared with the wild type (WT). Transgenic plants had higher levels of polyamine oxidase (PAO) activity and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> than WT, which were blocked by pretreatment with methylglyoxal bis (guanylhydrazone) or MGBG, inhibitor of SAMDC, indicating that the increased PAO and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> were a result of expression of <italic>CdSAMDC1</italic>. In addition, transgenic plants had higher levels of nitrate reductase (NR) activity and nitric oxide (NO) concentration. The increased NR activity were blocked by pretreatment with MGBG and ascorbic acid (AsA), scavenger of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, while the increased NO level was blocked by MGBG, AsA, and inhibitors of NR, indicating that the enhanced NR-derived NO was dependent upon H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, as a result of expression <italic>CdSAMDC1</italic>. Elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were observed in transgenic plants than in WT, which were blocked by pretreatment with MGBG, AsA, inhibitors of NR and scavenger of NO, indicating that the increased activities of SOD and CAT depends on expression of <italic>CdSAMDC1</italic>, H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, and NR-derived NO. Our results suggest that the elevated cold tolerance was associated with PAO catalyzed production of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, which in turn led to NR-derived NO production and induced antioxidant enzyme activities in transgenic plants.</p>