Two wheat glutathione peroxidase genes whose products are located in chloroplasts improve salt and H2O2 tolerances in Arabidopsis

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 2;8(10):e73989. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073989. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Oxidative stress caused by accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is capable of damaging effects on numerous cellular components. Glutathione peroxidases (GPXs, EC 1.11.1.9) are key enzymes of the antioxidant network in plants. In this study, W69 and W106, two putative GPX genes, were obtained by de novo transcriptome sequencing of salt-treated wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings. The purified His-tag fusion proteins of W69 and W106 reduced H2O2 and t-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) using glutathione (GSH) or thioredoxin (Trx) as an electron donor in vitro, showing their peroxidase activity toward H2O2 and toxic organic hydroperoxide. GFP fluorescence assays revealed that W69 and W106 are localized in chloroplasts. Quantitative real-time PCR (Q-RT-PCR) analysis showed that two GPXs were differentially responsive to salt, drought, H2O2, or ABA. Isolation of the W69 and W106 promoters revealed some cis-acting elements responding to abiotic stresses. Overexpression of W69 and W106 conferred strong tolerance to salt, H2O2, and ABA treatment in Arabidopsis. Moreover, the expression levels of key regulator genes (SOS1, RbohD and ABI1/ABI2) involved in salt, H2O2 and ABA signaling were altered in the transgenic plants. These findings suggest that W69 and W106 not only act as scavengers of H2O2 in controlling abiotic stress responses, but also play important roles in salt and ABA signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabidopsis / drug effects
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Chloroplasts / metabolism*
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / chemistry
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / genetics
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / metabolism*
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology*
  • Intracellular Space / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Protein Transport
  • Sodium Chloride / pharmacology*
  • Stress, Physiological / drug effects
  • Triticum / enzymology*
  • Triticum / genetics

Substances

  • Sodium Chloride
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Glutathione Peroxidase

Grants and funding

This research was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (31171546) and the National 863 High-tech Project (2012AA10A309). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.