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Plant function and evolutionary biology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

The LmSAP gene isolated from the halotolerant Lobularia maritima improves salt and ionic tolerance in transgenic tobacco lines

Rania Ben Saad A , Ameny Farhat-Khemekhem B , Nihed Ben Halima A , Karim Ben Hamed C , Faical Brini A and Walid Saibi A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P ‘1177’, 3018, Sfax – Tunisia.

B Laboratory of Microorganisms and Biomolecules, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P 1177, 3018, Sfax – Tunisia.

C Laboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, PO Box 901, 2050 Hammam-Lif, Tunisia.

D Corresponding author. Email: saibiwalid@gmail.com

Functional Plant Biology 45(3) 378-391 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP17202
Submitted: 18 July 2017  Accepted: 29 September 2017   Published: 30 October 2017

Abstract

The A20/AN1 zinc-finger domain-containing proteins of the stress-associated proteins (SAPs) family are fast emerging as potential candidates for biotechnological approaches to improve abiotic stress tolerance in plants. We identified LmSAP, one of the SAPs genes in Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv., a halophyte brassicaceae, through its transcript accumulation in response to salinity and ionic stresses. Sequence homology analysis revealed that LmSAP contains two conserved zinc-finger domains A20 and AN1. Phylogeny analyses showed that LmSAP exhibited high amino acid sequence identity to other plant SAPs. Heterologous expression of LmSAP in yeast increased cell tolerance to salt and osmotic stress. In addition, the overexpression of LmSAP conferred high salt and ionic tolerance to transgenic tobacco plants. Transgenic tobacco seedlings showed higher survival rates and antioxidant activities under salt and ionic stresses. Enhanced antioxidant activities paralleled lower malondialdehyde and superoxide anion O2 levels in the LmSAP transgenic seedlings. Overall, our results suggest that overexpression of LmSAP enhanced salt tolerance by maintaining ionic balance and limiting oxidative and osmotic stresses.

Additional keywords: A20/AN1 zinc finger protein, ionic stress, LmSAP gene, salt stress, transgenic tobacco.


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