LINE

Text:AAAPrint
ECNS Wire

Chinese scientists discover higher yield, alkaline tolerant crop gene

2023-03-24 14:51:03Ecns.cn Editor : Zhao Li ECNS App Download

(ECNS) -- Chinese scientists have identified AT1, a key gene involved in crop alkaline tolerance that may greatly improve crop yield in sodic environments through genetic engineering.

This study, led by Prof. Xie Qi’s team from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with seven other institutions, has been published in Science.

According to data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as of 2015, there were more than one billion hectares of saline and alkaline soil in the world, about 60 percent of which are classified as highly sodic.

Industry experts predict that if 20 percent of the world's sodic lands were to be utilized using the alkaline-resistant gene AT1, it could increase global food production by at least 250 million tons per year, helping to ensure global food security.

Sorghum originated from the harsh environments of Africa and has evolved greater tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses than other major crops (e.g., wheat, rice and maize, etc.). Like some halophytes, sorghum can even survive in sodic soil with a pH up to 10.0.

Researchers first performed a genome-wide association study in a diverse sorghum panel and identified an important locus, Alkaline tolerance 1 (AT1), that encodes an atypical G protein γ subunit and controls alkaline tolerance. The AT1 gene has orthologs in other plants; in rice it was named GS3.

Further experiments confirmed that the at1/gs3 allele produces a C-terminus truncation protein that contributes to the negative alkaline tolerance effect, while knocking out AT1/GS3 (with GS3 being the rice ortholog of AT1) conservatively increased tolerance to alkaline stress in monocot crops, including sorghum, millet, rice and maize.

They found that aquaporins PIP2s in reactive oxygen species homeostasis may be involved in Gγ protein signaling. Genetic and cell biological analysis showed that Gγ negatively regulates the phosphorylation of PIP2;1, and the phosphorylation of aquaporins could modulate the efflux of H2O2, leading to decreased ROS levels in plants under alkaline stress.

To evaluate the application of the AT1/GS3 gene in crop production, field trials were carried out in saline and alkaline soils. They found that nonfunctional mutants in a number of monocots, including sorghum, millet, rice and maize, can significantly improve the field performance of crops in terms of biomass or yield production than their not modified controls when grown in sodic soils.

In conclusion, the researchers discovered that an atypical Gγ subunit negatively regulates alkaline stress via modulating the efflux of H2O2 under environmental stress.

“We have discovered the molecular mechanism of a ‘star’ G-protein that plays a novel role in controlling plant stress response and its downstream molecule aquaporins in H2O2 export,” said Xie.

In addition to illustrating an ecologically important molecular mechanism, this study has great potential for guiding the breeding of alkaline salt-tolerant crops for marginal lands. I

He hopes that the research achievements can be widely and extensively promoted in the future, enabling more saline-alkali lands to become grain storehouses to better benefit China and the world.

Related news

MorePhoto

Most popular in 24h

MoreTop news

MoreVideo

LINE
Back to top About Us | Jobs | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Copyright ©1999-2023 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
[网上传播视听节目许可证(0106168)] [京ICP证040655号]
[京公网安备 11010202009201号] [京ICP备05004340号-1]