Arabidopsis nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (AtNDPK2) is an upstream signaling molecule that has been shown to induce stress tolerance in plants. In this study, the AtNDPK2 gene, under the control of a stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter, was introduced into the genome of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plants. The induction of the transgene expression mediated by methyl viologen (MV) and NaCl treatments were confirmed by RT-PCR and northern blot analysis, respectively. Under salt stress treatment, the transgenic tall fescue plants (SN) exhibited lower level of H2O2 and lipid peroxidation accumulations than the non-transgenic (NT) plants. The transgenic tall fescue plants also showed higher level of NDPK enzyme activity compared to NT plants. The SN plants were survived at 300 mM NaCl treatment, whereas the NT plants were severely affected. These results indicate that stress-inducible overexpression of AtNDPK2 might efficiently confer the salt stress tolerance in tall fescue plants.

본 연구는 겨울철 제설제 (CaCl2) 농도처리에 따른 맥문동(Liriope platyphylla)과 수호초(Pachysandra terminalis)의 내염성을 평가하고자 수행하였다. 국내에서 제설제로 가장 많이 사용하는 염화칼슘을 각각 0%(Control), 0.5%, 1.0%, 3.0%, 5.0%로 처리한 실험구에 2015년 11월에 맥문동과 수호초를 정식한 후, 이듬해 이른 봄인 2016년 3월에 내염성을 평가하기 위해 초장, 엽장, 엽폭, 엽형지수, 생체중, 건물중, 엽록소함량, 광합성률, 기공전도도, 증산율 등을 측정하였다. 초장, 엽장, 엽폭, 엽형지수, 생체중, 건물중, 엽록소함량, 광합성률, 기공전도도, 증산율 등은 제설제 처리농도가 높을수 록 감소되는 것은 두 식물이 동일하였으나, 맥문동이 수호초보다 좀 더 안정된 생육 및 생리적 특징을 보였다. 무엇보다, 맥문동은 3.0% 이상에서, 수호초는 1.0% 이상의 농도처리에서 생존이 불가능해 맥문동이 수호초보다 내염성이 높은 것으로 판단되었으며, 도시 내 제설제 피해지역에 활용이 가능할 것으로 기대된다.

우리나라 자연환경에 적응하는 내염성 자포니카 벼 품종 육성을 위하여 내염성 인디카 계통 IR73571-3B-11-3-K2에 자포니카 품종 서간벼를 모본으로 한 단교배과 여교배 집단을 육성하여 주요 농업형질 및 내염성 정도를 검정한 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. 자포니카 서간벼를 여교배한 집단은 단교배 집단에 비해 간장은 크고, 수장은 감소하였고, 수수는 증가하였으며 수당립수는 감소하는 경향을 보였다. 유묘 내염성 정도는 여교배 집단의 평균이 6.7로 단교배 보다 0.6 감소하였다. 2. 두 집단에 출수 전 20일간 0.3% 염농도를 처리한 결과 여교배 집단에서 유묘내염성은 감소하였으나 초형 및 현미 장폭비 등 생태형 개선 계통이 더 많이 분포하였다. 3. 두 집단의 성체검정에서 등숙기 10주 수량은 단교배 집단에서 100 ~ 150 g을 중심으로 정규분포를 보였고, 여교배 집단은 100 g 이하에 편의 분포하였는데 이는 여교배에 의한 집단 내 자포니카 유전적 배경이 증가함으로써 인디카로 유전적 요인이 낮아진 결과로 생각된다. 4. 유묘내염성 정도는 단교배 집단에서 내염성 정도가 5 ~ 7에 전체 86%의 계통이 분포하였고, 14계통(8%)은 유묘내염성이 강했다. 여교배 집단에서 74% 계통이 유묘내염성이 약했고, 8계통(4%)은 강한 내염성을 나타냈다. 이들 결과는 자포니카 내염성 관련 유전적 요인을 도입하기 위해 특성별 단계적 접근이 필요하며 여교배육종법을 이용함으로써 육종효율을 높일 수 있을 것으로 판단되었다.

내혼계 배추에서 BrSOS1 (3,432개 뉴클레오티드), BrSOS2 (1,341개 뉴클레오티드), BrSOS3 (666개뉴클레오티드) 유전자들을 동정하였으며, 담배를 대상으로 BrSOS3 완전장이 전이되는 pSO3 계통과 RNA interference(RNAi) 기법으로 담배 SOS3(NtSOS3) 유전자의 발현을 억제하는 pSI3 계통을 생산하였다. 두 계통을 200mM NaCl에서 5일동안 염 스트레스 처리를 한 결과, pSO3 계통은 NtSOS3의 발현이 비형질전환체 대비 2.5배 이상 증가하였고, pSI3 계통에서는 4배까지 감소하였다. 표현형 분석에서도 pSO3 계통은 정상적인 생육을 보임으로써 염 스트레스에 저항성을 가지는 것으로 나타났지만, pSI3 계통은 그렇지 못하였다. 위 결과들을 근거로 BrSOS3 유전자의 발현은 작물의 염 저항성 향상에 매우 밀접하게 연관된 것으로 판단된다.

본 실험에서는 염토지대에 조경용 식재로 사용이 가능한지 알아보기 위해 여러 과에 속하는 자생식물의 염 스트레스에 대한 내염성 정도를 조사하였다. NaCl의 처리에 따른 식물의 생육반응과 이온흡수 특성도 파악하여, 여러 식물에 대한 내성 정도를 구명하고자 하였다. 실험재료로 노랑꽃창포, 밀사초, 여우꼬리사초, 줄사초, 홍노줄사초, 애기부들, 바위 및 땅채송화 등을 이용하였다. 염농도는 0, 100, 200, 300mM로 처리해 주었다. 처리 4주 후 지상부 및 뿌리의 생체중 건물중, 엽내 무기이온 함량 등을 조사하였다. 줄사초, 왕밀사초, 여우꼬리사초, 노랑꽃창포 등은 NaCl 200mM의 고농도에서도 잘 견디는 초종으로 판단되었다. 홍노줄사초, 애기부들 등은 지하부 생육이 NaCl 100mM의 농도에서 저하되어, 지상부다 뿌리가 민감하게 반응하는 것으로 나타났다. 홍노줄사초는 K의 흡수량이 감소되었고, Na/K의 비율은 300mM의 농도에서 3으로 다른 종보다 높은 경향을 보였다. 애기부들은 NaCl의 농도가 증가됨에 따라 K, Ca, Mg의 흡수량이 일시 증가하다가 200mM의 농도부터 감소하는 경향을 보였고, Na/K의 비율은 300mM의 농도에서 0.8로 조사되었다. 땅채송화 및 바위채송화 등도 NaCl 100~200mM의 범위에서 지상부 및 지하부의 생육이 영향을 받는 것으로 나타났다. 바위채송화는 NaCl의 농도가 증가됨에 따라 K, Ca, Mg의 흡수량이 일시 증가하다가 200mM의 농도부터 감소하는 경향을 보였고, 땅채송화는 염농도에 따라 흡수량이 영향을 받지 않는 것으로 나타났다. Na/K의 비율은 300mM의 농도에서 모두 1로 조사되었다. 그러므로, 여우꼬리사초, 왕밀사초, 줄사초, 노랑꽃창포 등은 식물의 생육 및 이온흡수 특성을 고려할 때 NaCl 200mM의 고농도에서도 잘 견디는 초종으로 판단되었고, 특히 사초과 식물들의 내염성이 검증되어 앞으로 많이 활용될 수 있으리라 사료되었다. 홍노줄사초, 애기부들, 바위채송화, 땅채송화 등은 NaCl 100mM의 농도에서도 뿌리의 생육이 저하되었으며, 염처리에 따른 잎의 이온흡수특성은 뚜렷한 경향을 보이지 않았다.

본 연구는 해안 염해지 수목 식재를 위한 내염성 및 내조성 수종을 선발하고자 한국 서해안 해안림의 식생조사와 토양염분도를 조사 분석하였다. 조사지의 토양염분은 전체 평균 EC1:5 0.11dSm-1이었고, 최저 0.00dSm-1, 최고 0.68dSm-1이었다. 토양염분(EC1:5)은 해안 정선으로 부터 내륙 방향으로 갈수록 낮았으며, Ⅰ지대〉Ⅱ지대〉Ⅲ지대〉Ⅳ 지대 순으로 각각 EC1:5 0.14dSm-1, 0.11dSm-1, 0.10dSm-1, 0.08dSm-1이었다. 출현한 자생식물은 52과 104속 24변종 157종 총 181분류군이었다. 토양염분이 가장 높은 단계인 EC1:5 0.51dSm-1를 초과하는 곳에서 EC의 특이값 또는 이상치의 수준으로 여러 번 출현하는 수종은 곰솔, 청미래덩굴, 떡갈나무, 졸참나무 등이었다. EC1:5 0.41~0.50dSm-1에서는 EC1:5 0.40dSm-1 이하에 속하는 식물들 이외에도 왕자귀나무, 멀구슬나무, 계요등으로 출현빈도가 매우 낮았다. 전체 지대에 출현하는 수종은 리기다소나무, 소나무, 곰솔, 노간주나무 등 이었고, 중요도가 높은 수종은 소나무, 곰솔, 이대, 청미래덩굴, 굴피나무 등이었다. 이러한 수종은 조사지의 자생 수종들 중에서 다른 수종에 비하여 상대적으로 내조성이 강한 것으로 판단되었다.

본 연구는 염해지역의 식재수종 선발에 대한 기초자료로 활용하고자 한국 남해안 방풍림 자생수목의 토양염분에 대한 내성과 염분비산 영향을 미치는 지대별 토양염분도와 출현수종을 조사 분석하였다. 조사지의 토양염분 EC1:5는 전체 평균 0.18dSm-1이었고, 최저 0.05dSm-1, 최고 0.58dSm-1이었다. 토양염분(EC1:5)은 I 지대를 제외하고는 해안 정선으로 부터 내륙으로 갈수록 낮았으며, II 지대〉llI지대〉I 지대〉IV지대 순으로 각각 EC1:5 0.22dSm-1 0.22dSm-1 0.19dSm-1 0.13dSm-1이었다. 출현한 자생식물은 45과 74속 9변종 100종 총 110분류군이었다. 토양염분이 가장 높은 단계인 EC1:5 0.50dSm-1를 초과하는 곳에 출현한 식물은 담쟁이덩굴과 안동이였으며, 그 다음으로 EC1:5 0.41~dSm-1까지 자생하는 식물은 꾸지뽕나무, 멍석딸기, 산초나무, 송악, 아까시나무, 졸참나무, 좀작살나무 퉁이었다. 전제 지대에 출현하는 수종은 정과 새머루이었고, 내조성이 높은 순비기나무는 I 지대에만 출현하였다. 전체 지대에서 중요도가 가장 높온 수종은 느티나무, 팽나무, 모감주나무, 예덕나무, 마삭줄, 칡 등이었다. 이러한 수종은 조사지의 자생 수종들 중에서 다른 수종에 버하여 상대적으로 내조성이 강한 수종으로 판단되었다.

Salt stress is one of major restrictions for the production of lettuce. In order to identify promising lettuce genotypes having tolerance against salt stress, effect of different sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations (0, 100, and 200 mM) on electrolyte leakage and growth of thirty-two lettuce landraces from Korea was evaluated. Screening salt tolerant genotypes based on cluster analysis using data of electrolyte leakage discriminated 'IT105183' and 'IT195057' as the most salt tolerant landraces. More importantly, salinity significantly reduced growth of lettuce, but the reduction rates of growth caused by salt stress in salt-tolerant genotypes were much smaller than those in salt-sensitive genotypes. These results indicate that 'IT105183' and 'IT195057' have high potential for being used as parents to improve salt tolerance in other lettuce cultivars.

Soybean germplasm have diverse accessions with great variation in their ability to survive and reproduce under salt stress conditions. In general, cultivated soybeans are more sensitive to salt stress than their wild relatives, however exceptions are found in both the groups. These variations in response to salt stress makes soybean germplasm an interesting collection of genetic resources to be explored for the identification of salt-tolerance genes, and their mechanism of action. Here, in this report we presented a data showing differential response of selected accessions of both cultivated and wild soybeans to salt stress. Two modes of salt treatment; gradual salt stress (GS) as well as salt shock (SS) were used in this study. The GS was found more effective in finding the difference in response of soybean accessions to salt stress. Various genetic marker based methods are in use to identify and isolate the potential genes contributing to the salt tolerance in soybean. Even then there is a paucity of knowledge on the key genes contributing to the salt tolerance in soybean. We expect that a recently developed functional screen based method, like yeast based functional screen, using cDNA library generated from different salt tolerant accessions of soybean could lead to identification of novel genes responsible for salt tolerance in soybean. Also, we propose for the use of RNA isolated from different stages of GS and SS for making cDNA library to be used for functional screening.

Salt is the major factor limiting crop productivity in saline soils. Development of genetic basis of high salt-tolerant rice is necessary to satisfy urgent needs in rice breeding. In this study, 295 rice accessions from a Korean authentic core set were used to identify the evolution associated genes regarding salt tolerance. By using McDonald-Kreitman Test (MKT), we detected orthologous genes in rice (Oryza sativa) using Brachypodium as an outgroup to investigate fast evolved genes that express differentially based on distinct phenotypic groups. Three groups which represented the salt sensitive (group 1), salt medium tolerant (group 2) and salt tolerant (group 3) were separated and each group was examined with the outgroup in neutral and non-neutral polymorphism together with the divergence levels. Total 53 fast evolutionary genes that have a positive selection with FDR ≤ 0.05 were found in the three groups. Among them, 15, 31 and 7 genes were included exclusively in group 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Annotation of these genes showing the predicted functions were checked. Two genes were found to be related to high salt tolerance based on the previous studies. Besides, association study of the candidate gene alleles and salt tolerance phenotype was carried out, indicating that these genes were correlated with salt tolerance. All these result support that using this type of evolution study, we may find some important candidate genes which are related to important traits in rice, such as the salt tolerance, providing important information for future gene based molecular breeding and functional analysis 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.

Salt and drought stresses affect virtually every aspect of plant physiology and metabolism and thus limiting the productivity of crop plants worldwide. Salt and drought tolerance and adaptation in rice has been improved by engineering various genes related to transcription, signaling, accumulation of antioxidants and compatible solutes etc. Previously, we have produced 2,000 non-GM mutants induced by Tos17 in rice. We analyzed >2,000 flanking sequences of newly transposed Tos17 copies by the adaptor-ligation PCR method. We also identified significantly up- or down-regulated genes under drought, salt, or ABA stress in rice based on expression microarray data, which previously were performed from leaf at different developmental stages and conditions. For screening and characterizing the salt or drought tolerance mutations by extensive phenotypic analysis as well as the functional analysis of genes, we selected 133 mutant lines. To evaluate rice phenotypic traits under abiotic stress condition, we plan to investigate phenomics, which integrates technologies such as photonics, biology, computers, and robotics.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a major agricultural crop widely used for providing human and animal food owing to its high protein and oil content. For this reason, they have been consumed in Asia and world greatly and demand is ever increasing. Soybean is classified as a moderately salt-sensitive crop and its production is greatly affected due to increasing salinity stress. About 8 % of the world’s total land is salt-affected. In Korea, around 9 % of total agricultural land (approximately 130,000ha) was reclaimed since 1960's. In order to meet the demand for soybean and to solve arable land shortage problem, it is unavoidable to cultivate soybean in salt-affected soils. Fortunately, soybean germplasm has been shown to have salt-tolerant phenotypes, which have been used to identify the salt-tolerant genes. GmCHX1, a novel ion transporter, is one of the genes known to confer salt tolerance in soybeans. Present study was conducted to understand the effects of sequence variations of GmCHX1, on salt tolerance in wild and cultivated soybeans. A total of 1026 (301 lines of G. max and 725 lines of G. soja) lines were phenotyped for salt tolerance in greenhouse conditions. At the V1-V2 growth stage, the plants were treated with 100mM NaCl solution for two weeks and thereafter the response was measured depending on leaf scorch score (1-health, 3-mid, 5-dead). About 20 lines found to show tolerance to saline conditions and were selected for sequence analysis of GmCHX1. Most of the haplotypes detected in this study corresponded with the haplotype patterns in previous studies. However, several lines showed different patterns of polymorphism in the coding region, suggesting that sequencing of more lines and analysis for the polymorphism in GmCHX1 is needed in order to identify new haplotypes that could confer greater salt tolerance.

We investigated whether sound waves could improve salt tolerance in rice seedling. The rice seedlings were sound treated with 800 Hz for 1hr, and then treated with 0, 75, 150, and 225mM NaCl for 3 days to observe changes in physiological and morphological aspects. Sound treatment seedlings resulted in enhanced salt stress tolerance, mainly demonstrated by the sound treated seedlings exhibiting of increased root relative water contents (RWC), root length and weight, photochemical efficiency (ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence, Fv/Fm), and germination rate under salt stress condition. This demonstrates that a specific sound wave might be used, not only to alter gene expression in plant, but also to improve salt stress tolerance. In order to test the sound’s effect on plant and its contribution in drought tolerance, plants were subjected to various sound frequencies for an hrs. After 24-hrs sound treatment, plants were exposed to drought for next five days. During the experiment it was observed that sound initiated physiological changes showing tolerance in plant. Sound frequency with ≥ 0.8 kHz enhanced relative water content, stomatal conductance and quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm ratio) in drought stress environment. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production in sound treated plantwasdeclinedcomparedtocontrol. ThermaCAM (Infra-red camera) a software which was used to analyze the plant images temperature showed that sound treated plant and leaf had less temperature (heat) compared to control. The physiological mechanism of sound frequencies induce tolerance in rice plants are discussed.

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.

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 purpose of this study was to establish a system for plant fluorescence image acquisition and to verify the possibility of plant fluorescence image analysis as a non-destructive method to screen the salt tolerance of soybean (Glycine max). Two-weeks-old seedlings of soybean at the V1 growth stage were treated with 0, 50, and 100 mM of NaCl for salt stress and plant fluorescence images were taken by CCD camera (EOS-600D, Canon, Japan) equipped with band pass filter (XNiteBPB, LPD LLC, USA) at 0, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 second after blue light exposure at 1 day after treatment. Red color intensity was extracted using MatLab 8.1 (The MathWorks Inc., USA) for estimation of plant fluorescence intensity. Red color intensity of soybean image decreased 0 (F0-10) to 240 (F240-250) second after blue light exposure irrespective of NaCl concentration, while F0-10/F240-250 decreased with NaCl concentration, resulting in significant relationship with plant fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and salt stress intensity. Therefore, our results suggest that our plant fluorescence image acquisition and analysis methods can be a part of high-throughput screening system for salt tolerance of soybean varieties