AUTHOR=Yi So Young , Ku Seong Sub , Sim Hee-Jung , Kim Sang-Kyu , Park Ji Hyun , Lyu Jae Il , So Eun Jin , Choi So Yeon , Kim Jonghyun , Ahn Myung Suk , Kim Suk Weon , Park Hyunwoo , Jeong Won Joong , Lim Yong Pyo , Min Sung Ran , Liu Jang Ryol 

TITLE=An Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene from Synechocystis sp. Confers Salt Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.01965

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.01965

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Synechocystis</italic> salt-responsive gene 1 (<italic>sysr1</italic>) was engineered for expression in higher plants, and gene construction was stably incorporated into tobacco plants. We investigated the role of Sysr1 [a member of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) superfamily] by examining the salt tolerance of <italic>sysr1</italic>-overexpressing (<italic>sysr1</italic>-OX) tobacco plants using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and bioassays. The <italic>sysr1</italic>-OX plants exhibited considerably increased ADH activity and tolerance to salt stress conditions. Additionally, the expression levels of several stress-responsive genes were upregulated. Moreover, airborne signals from salt-stressed <italic>sysr1</italic>-OX plants triggered salinity tolerance in neighboring wild-type (WT) plants. Therefore, Sysr1 enhanced the interconversion of aldehydes to alcohols, and this occurrence might affect the quality of green leaf volatiles (GLVs) in <italic>sysr1</italic>-OX plants. Actually, the <italic>Z</italic>-3-hexenol level was approximately twofold higher in <italic>sysr1</italic>-OX plants than in WT plants within 1–2 h of wounding. Furthermore, analyses of WT plants treated with vaporized GLVs indicated that <italic>Z</italic>-3-hexenol was a stronger inducer of stress-related gene expression and salt tolerance than <italic>E</italic>-2-hexenal. The results of the study suggested that increased C<sub>6</sub> alcohol (<italic>Z</italic>-3-hexenol) induced the expression of resistance genes, thereby enhancing salt tolerance of transgenic plants. Our results revealed a role for ADH in salinity stress responses, and the results provided a genetic engineering strategy that could improve the salt tolerance of crops.</p>