Overexpression of the UGT76E12 gene modulates seed germination, growth, and response to NaCl, mannitol, and abscisic acid

Abstract

Seed germination and following seedling growth are largely affected by environmental conditions. However, the genes involved in adaptations to these conditions are largely unknown. In this study, we cloned and characterized an Arabidopsis uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase gene UGT76E12 and investigated its function in seed germination and plant growth under adverse environments. We found that UGT76E12 gene expression was induced by NaCl, mannitol, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. Under these treatments, the UGT76E12 overexpression lines exhibited a delayed seed germination and cotyledon growth compared with a wild type, and this delayed growth could be restored by treatment with sodium tungstate, an ABA synthesis inhibitor. Further, real-time quantitative PCR analysis reveals that the stress-induced expressions of genes involved in ABA biosynthesis were greatly enhanced in the UGT76E12 overexpression lines. Therefore, our data suggest that the UGT76E12 gene plays an important role in regulation of seed germination and growth under adverse environmental conditions by affecting ABA biosynthesis.

Keywords

• adaptation
• arabidopsis thaliana
• glycosyltransferase
• growth inhibition
• transgenic plants