We have generated 383 independent transgenic lines for genetically modified (GM) rice that contained PsGPD (Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase), ArCspA (Cold Shock Protein), BrTSR15 (Triple Stress Resistance 15) and BrTSR53 (Triple Stress Resistance 53) genes over-expression constructs under the control of the constitutive (CaMV 35S) promoter. TaqMan copy number assay was determined inserted T-DNA copy number. Also flanking sequence tags (FSTs) analysis was isolated from 203 single copy T-DNA lines of transgenic plants and sequence mapped to the rice chromosomes. In analyzing single copy lines, we identified 157 flanking sequence tags (FSTs), among which 58 (36%) were integrated into genic regions and 97 (62%) into intergenic regions. About 27 putative homozygous lines were obtained through multi-generations of planting, resistance screening and TaqMan copy number assay. To investigate the transgene expression patterns, quantitative real-time PCR analysis was performed using total RNAs from leaf tissue of single copy, intergenic region of T-DNA insertion and homozygous T2 plants. The mRNA expression levels of the examined transgenic rice were significantly increased in all of the transgenic plants. In addition, myc-tagged 35S:BrTSR15 and 35S:BrTSR53 transgenic plants were displayed higher levels of transgene protein. These results may be useful for producing of large-scale transgenic plants or T-DNA inserted mutants in rice.

Crops are exposed to various environmental stresses. These have been affecting the growth of crops, resulting in the severe loss of agronomic production in many countries. Therefore, development of new varieties of resistant crops is required to assure the desired productivity of crops in stress conditions. In this study, a putatively stress-related gene BrTSR53 was isolated from Brassica rapa. The BrTSR53 is 481 bp long and contains ORF region of 234 bp. The expression of BrTSR53 was determined by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. After 3 hr, the highest quantities of mRNA were revealed in cold and salt stress treatments. In drought stress treatments, there was the highest expression after 36 hr. Therefore, it was confirmed that the ORF in BrTSR53 should be a gene that confer increased resistance to B. rapa growing in different stress conditions. The ORF region of BrTSR53 gene was cloned into an expression vector, pYES-DEST52, and a new protein with molecular weight of 13 kDa was detected by western blot analysis. Also, stress tolerance tests showed that BrTSR53-ORF transgenic yeast exhibited increased resistance to the salt stresses compared with the control. In conclusion, the present data predicts that novel ORF in BrTSR53 can serve as an important genetic resource for abiotic stress resistance.

The MethioninesulfoxidereductaseB2(MsrB2) gene catalyzes the reduction of free and protein-bound methionine sulfoxide to methionine and is known to provide tolerance to biotic and abiotic environmental stresses. There have yet to be any reports that MsrB2 enhances drought tolerance. Two drought-tolerant transgenic rice lines, L-8 (single copy) and L-23 (two copy), expressing the Capsicum annuum MsrB2 (CaMsrB2) gene were selected for stress tolerance phenotyping under drought stress conditions. CaMsrB2 enhanced relative water content (RWC), maintained substantial quantum yield (Fv/Fm ratio), and subsequently improved photosynthetic pigments. Interestingly, L-23, carrying two-copy T-DNA insertion, showed greater drought tolerance through more effective stomatal regulation, carotenoid concentration, and osmotic potential than the wild type. High-tech infrared technology (FLIR SC620) was used for the selection of stress-tolerant physiotypes. Later, the IR results were correlated with other tested physiological parameters. The IR images, average plant temperature, and physiological parameters of the treated plants were discussed in detail.

Transgenic potatoes expressing glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD), isolated from the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus sajor-caju, had increased tolerance to salt stress (Jeong et al. 2001). To examine the physiological mechanisms enhancing salt tolerance in GPD transgenic rice plants, the salt tolerance of five GPD transgenic rice lines (T1–T5) derived from Dongjin rice cultivar was tested in a fixed 150-mM saline environment in comparison to two known wild-type rice cultivars, Dongjin (salt sensitive) and Pokali (salt tolerant). Transgenic lines T2, T3, and T5 showed a substantial increase in biomass and relative water content compared to Dongjin. Stomatal conductance and osmotic potential were higher in the GPD transgenic lines and were similar to those in Pokali. The results are discussed based on the comparative physiological response of GPD transgenic lines with those of the salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant rice cultivars.

In plants, the Dof (DNA binding with One Finger) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors with a particular class of zinc-finger DNA-binding domain. The Dof genes have been predicted 30 different Dof genes in the rice Oryza sativa genome by phylogenetic analysis. The mostly Dof proteins contain a conserved region of 50 amino acids with a C2-C2 zinc finger motifs that binds a cis-regulatory element sequence 5’-T/AAAAG-3’. We found that a member of the DOF transcription factor family, Dof1 gene of rice, was expressed to wound from Ds insertion mutant population. Sequencing of the flanking regions of the transposon insertion site indicated that the gene-trap had been inserted near the front of the second exon of OsDof1 gene in chromosome 7. Genomic southern analysis revealed that mutant line contained a single copy of Ds gene trap. The Ds tagged rice mutant line, OsDof1::Ds, wound-inducible GUS expression was identified. To analyze the cis-acting elements, we constructed fusion genes with the OsDof1 promoter fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene and transformed Arabidopsis and rice plants with these constructs. Wound-induced GUS expression was observed in the leaves of transgenic OsDof1::GUS rice and Arabidospsis plants. These results showed that, OsDof1 protein might be involved in stress responses and growth regulation in plant, might plays a role as a transcription regulator in stress response signal transduction pathways of plant.