Expression of plant CCT#alpha# genes enhance salt and osmotic stress tolerance in Escherichia coli

摘要

To analyze the mechanisms of salt-tolerance in a mangrove plant, Bruguiera sexangula, functional screening of cDNAs encoding proteins essential for the salt-tolerance was performed using Escherichia coli as a host organism. A transformant expressingthe #alpha# subunit of cytosolic chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT#alpha#) homologue was found to have enhanced salt-tolerance. A similar function was also observed in CCT#alpha# from Arabidopsis thaliana. The amount of CCT#alpha# transcript in the mangrove-cultured cells did not change in response to salt-stress and the transcript was continuously produced in the presence of NaCl or not. The role of plant CCT#alpha# in salt-tolerance was discussed.