Over-expression of a tobacco nitrate reductase gene in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) increases seed protein content and weight without augmenting nitrogen supplying

PLoS One. 2013 Sep 9;8(9):e74678. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074678. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Heavy nitrogen (N) application to gain higher yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) resulted in increased production cost and environment pollution. How to diminish the N supply without losing yield and/or quality remains a challenge. To meet the challenge, we integrated and expressed a tobacco nitrate reductase gene (NR) in transgenic wheat. The 35S-NR gene was transferred into two winter cultivars, "Nongda146" and "Jimai6358", by Agrobacterium-mediation. Over-expression of the transgene remarkably enhanced T1 foliar NR activity and significantly augmented T2 seed protein content and 1000-grain weight in 63.8% and 68.1% of T1 offspring (total 67 individuals analyzed), respectively. Our results suggest that constitutive expression of foreign nitrate reductase gene(s) in wheat might improve nitrogen use efficiency and thus make it possible to increase seed protein content and weight without augmenting N supplying.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / metabolism
  • Biomass
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Kanamycin / chemistry
  • Nicotiana / enzymology*
  • Nicotiana / genetics
  • Nitrate Reductase / biosynthesis*
  • Nitrate Reductase / genetics
  • Nitrogen / chemistry*
  • Plant Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / enzymology
  • Seeds / enzymology*
  • Triticum / genetics
  • Triticum / metabolism*

Substances

  • Plant Proteins
  • Kanamycin
  • Nitrate Reductase
  • Nitrogen

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants for XGX from Transgenic Plant R&D Key Program, the Ministry of Agriculture of China (Grant Nos. 2008ZX08002-001-07 and 2011ZX08002-001-07). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.