We investigated whether sound could alter gene expression in plants. Using a sound-treated subtractive library, a set of sound-responsive genes in plants was demonstrated through mRNA expression analyses. Of them, the rbcS and ald genes, which are light responsive, up-regulated their expression with sound treatment in both light and in dark conditions. This suggested that sound could be used as a gene regulator instead of light. When we analyzed ald gene expression using various single wavelengths, a significant increase in mRNA levels was found at 125 or 250 Hz but decreased at 50 Hz, indicating that the gene responded to sound in a wavelength-specific manner. To determine whether the ald promoter respond to sound, we generated transgenic rice plants harboring the chimeric gene consisting of a 1,506-bp promoter fragment of the ald gene fused to Escherichia coli GUS reporter gene. Analyses of mRNA expressison level of three independent transgenic lines sound-treated with 50 or 250 Hz for 4 h showed that the Gus gene expression in all three transgenic lines was up regulated by 250 Hz, but down regulated by 50 Hz. These results correlated with sound responsive mRNA expression pattern observed for the ald gene in rice plants, indicating that the 1,506-bp ald promoter confers sound-responsiveness on a reporter gene in transgenic rice plants. We also 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.

Low temperature is a major factor restrict to growth and limiting productivity of rice crops. We used a cDNA microarray approach to monitor the expression profile of rice (Oryza sativa) under chilling stress and identified 20 chilling inducible genes in previously study. Ten such genes encoding bHLH, metal transporter and, zinc finger protein with unknown functions showed a significant change in expression under various abiotic stresses. Among them, OsCHI1 (Os07g15460), OsCHI2 (Os02g43660), and OsCHI3 (Os01g61160), were selected for further study. They have structural features such as metal-binding signature sequences in their protein sequences, and OsCHI genes were expressed in root of rice seedling and induced in chilling and salt or drought. Expression of OsCHI1, OsCHI3 and OsCHI2 were targeted to membrane and ER when transiently expressed in tobacco cell, respectively. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) transgenic plants overexpressing showed increased tolerance to salt and drought stress in the seed germination and root elongation than that of wild type. This comprehensive study provides insight into the biological function of OsCHIs, which may be useful in understanding how rice plants adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions.

Transgenic cymbidium plants containing drought and salt stresses tolerance genes were produced by using a highly efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. The gene (AtSZF2) is salt and drought stresses tolerant gene and transferred into cymbidium plants. These transgenic cymbidium plants are investigated for gene introduction by PCR and analyzed by salt and drought stresses to check its gene expression. To investigate the gene expression of AtSZF2, leaves of transgenic cymbidium plants were soaked in salt solution (200 mM NaCl). Also, transgenic cymbidium plants were kept under no watering for 6 weeks to check the expression of drought stress tolerance. As a result, wild type plants showed more damage than transgenic plants under salt treatment. Further, transgenic cymbidium plants retained green color and healthy status, while wild type plants showed no tolerance after 6 weeks of no-watering treatment.

MYB-like domain (MLD) gene is a transcription factor that plays a diverse role in plant development and in response to abiotic stresses. In this study, we isolated and developed CaMV35S::OsMLD rice lines and determined its expression pattern under abiotic stresses. It has Myb_CC_LHEQLE superfamily similar to most transcription factor genes but with a very unique binding domain of SHLQKYR in the C-terminal region. Overexpressing rice lines showed enhanced tolerance to salinity with elevated mRNA transcript. Additionally, mRNA transcripts were up-regulated by ABA, H2O2 and dehydration stresses. Further investigation in the enhanced tolerance to salinity showed an increased accumulation of proline and a decreased in malondialdehyde contents indicating that OsMLD gene may be involved in the regulation of proline and osmolytes during abiotic stresses. These results showed that OsMLD gene could be used in the development of rice intended for soil with salinity-related problem.

MYB-like domain (MLD) gene is a transcription factor that plays a diverse role in plant development and in response to abiotic stresses. In this study, we isolated and developed CaMV35S::OsMLD rice lines and determined its expression pattern under abiotic stresses. The MLD has Myb_CC_LHEQLE superfamily similar to most transcription factor genes but with a very unique binding domain of SHLQKYR in the C-terminal region. Overexpressing rice lines showed enhanced tolerance to salinity with elevated mRNA transcript. Additionally, mRNA transcripts were up-regulated by ABA, H2O2 and dehydration stresses. Further investigation in the enhanced tolerance to salinity showed an increased accumulation of proline and a decreased in malondialdehyde contents indicating that OsMLD gene may be involved in the regulation of proline and osmolytes during abiotic stresses. These results showed that OsMLD gene could be used in the development of rice intended for soil with salinity-related problem.

Drought, salinity and flooding are three important abiotic factors limiting soybean production worldwide. Irrigation, soil reclamation, and drainage systems are not generally available or economically feasible for soybean production. Therefore, productive soybean varieties with tolerance are a cost effective means for reducing yield losses due to these factors. Genetic variability for higher tolerance to drought, salt and flooding is important. However, only a small portion of nearly 200,000 world soybean accessions have been screened to find genotypes with tolerance for use in breeding programs. Evaluation for tolerance to drought, salinity and flooding is difficult due to lack of faster, cost effective, repeatable screening methods. Soybean strains with higher tolerance to the above stresses have been identified. Crosses with lines with drought, salt and flooding tolerance through conventional breeding has made a significant contribution to improving tolerance to abiotic stress in soybean. Molecular markers associated with tolerance to drought, salt and flooding will allow faster, reliable screening for these traits. Germplasm resources, genome sequence information and various genomic tools are available for soybean. Integration of genomic tools coupled with well-designed breeding strategies and effective uses of these resources will help to develop soybean varieties with higher tolerance to drought, salt and flooding.

The salt adversely affects normal growth and development by the toxic effects of sodium ion (Na+) absorbed from plants. In different plant species, the difference of salt-tolerance degree is related to ion homeostasis, osmolytes biosynthesis, scavenge of harmful operator and water transportation. This intend that salt-tolerance is a quantitative trait controlled by amount of genes. In the previous study, we selected several tolerant cultivars and landraces from over 1,000 barley germplasms which were screened in a high salt (0.4 %, w/w) reclaimed soil. Among the selected germplasms, we selected a salt-tolerant variety from Tunisia (T76) and a salt-susceptible variety Gwandongpi 41 (G41) in germination and early growth stages. In order to develop salt-tolerant segregating population, we performed the development of a new interspecific barley recombinant inbred line population of PB 71 lines deriving from an interspecific cross between Tunisia 76 (T76) and Gwandongpi 41 (G41). The F1 hybrid was progressed by F4 generation. Germination and seedling growth of the F4 generation (a total of 710 lines) were screened for salt-tolerance in 200 mM NaCl solution for 10 days. Ten days after incubation, salt-tolerance was scored on a scale from 1 (sensitive) to 5 (tolerant). In germination screening for evaluation of salt tolerance, the T76 and G41 as parent pants showed all 100 % germination ratio in control or saline conditions. In addition, the whole F4 generations also showed normal germination ratio over 90 % in control condition, while the only 70.42 % of the that showed germination ratio over 90 % in 200 mM NaCl stress condition. The average score of salt tolerance at the seedling stage of parent plants showed that the salt-tolerant cultivar T76 was 5 and the salt-sensitive cultivar G41 was 3 in saline condition. The average score frequency of F4 generations showed that five (7.04 %) among the PB71 lines possessed the highest score 5 and 40 lines possessed the score 3 (26.76 %) and 2 (29.58 %), respectively. This work was supported by grant (KRF-2007-521-F00002) from Korea Research foundation.