Molecular cloning and functional characterization of a soybean GmGMP1 gene reveals its involvement in ascorbic acid biosynthesis and multiple abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic plants

Abstract

L-Ascorbic acid (AsA) plays an important role in plants and animals. In plants, GDP-D-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMP) is essential in the AsA biosynthetic pathway. However, little is known about the genes encoding GMP in soybean and here we report genetic and functional analysis of the GmGMP1 (Glycine max GDP-D-mannose pyrophosphorylase 1) gene in this species. GmGMP1 encoded a GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase and exhibited higher transcript levels in the leaf than in the root, stem, flower, and seed. Transcript of this gene was ubiquitous in the vegetative and reproductive organs, and was induced by abiotic stress and light. Increasing expression of GmGMP1 in Arabidopsis and soybean through an overexpressing approach caused pronounced enhancement of AsA content, and was implicated in lowering the superoxide anion radical content and lipid peroxidation levels in Arabidopsis, and conferring tolerance to osmotic and high salt stresses during seed germination. The present study represents the first systematic determination of soybean genes encoding GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase and provides useful evidence for the functional involvement of GmGMP1 in control of AsA content and conferring tolerance to osmotic and salt stress.

Keywords

• GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase
• L-ascorbic acid
• superoxide anion radical
• chlorophyll contents
• salt stress