Plant and Cell Physiology Advance Access published online on November 17, 2008
Plant and Cell Physiology, doi:10.1093/pcp/pcn168
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Highly boron deficiency tolerant plants generated by enhanced expression of NIP5;1, a boric acid channel
1 Graduate school of Agricultural and Life sciences, University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
2 Biotechnology Research Center, University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
3 SORST, JST
*Corresponding author: Dr. Toru Fujiwara, Biotechnology Research Center, University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, Tel: +81-3-5841-2407; Fax +81-3-5841-2408, E-mail: atorufu{at}mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
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Boron (B) is an essential element for plants and B deficiency is a worldwide agricultural problem. In B deficient areas, B is often supplied as fertilizer but excess B can be toxic to both plants and animals. Generation of B-deficiency tolerant plants could reduce B fertilizer use. Improved fertility under B-limiting conditions in Arabidopsis thaliana by overexpression of BOR1, a B transporter, has been reported, but the root growth was not improved by the BOR1 overexpression. In this paper, we report that enhanced expression of NIP5;1, a boric acid channel for efficient B uptake, resulted in improved root elongation under B limiting conditions in A. thaliana. An NIP5;1 activation tag line, which has a T-DNA insertion with enhancer sequences near the NIP5;1 gene, showed improved root elongation under B limitation. We generated a construct which mimics the tagline: the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter was inserted at the 1357 bp upstream of NIP5;1 transcription initiation site. Introduction of this construct into nip5;1-1 mutant and BOR1 over-expresser resulted in enhanced expression of NIP5;1 and improved root elongation under low B supply. Furthermore, one of transgenic lines exhibited improved fertility and short-term B uptake. Our results demonstrate successful improvement of B deficiency tolerance and potentials of enhancing expression of a mineral nutrient channel gene to improve growth under nutrient limiting conditions.
Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana - boron - channel - deficiency tolerance - nodulin 26-like intrinsic proteins - transporter
(Received August 30, 2008; Accepted October 30, 2008)
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