AUTHOR=Shi Fachao , Dong Yijie , Zhang Yi , Yang Xiufeng , Qiu Dewen 

TITLE=Overexpression of the PeaT1 Elicitor Gene from Alternaria tenuissima Improves Drought Tolerance in Rice Plants via Interaction with a Myo-Inositol Oxygenase

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.00970

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.00970

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Abiotic stresses, especially drought, seriously threaten cereal crops yields and quality. In this study, we observed that the rice plants of overexpression the <italic>Alternariatenuissima PeaT1</italic> gene showed enhanced drought stress tolerance and increased the survival rate following a drought treatment. In <italic>PeaT1</italic>-overexpressing (PeaT1OE) plants, abscisic acid and chlorophyll content significantly increased, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased compared with the wild-type plants. Additionally, we confirmed that the transcript levels of drought-responsive genes, including <italic>OsAM1</italic>, <italic>OsLP2</italic>, and <italic>OsDST</italic>, were prominently lower in the PeaT1OE plants. In contrast, expression levels of genes encoding positive drought stress regulators including <italic>OsSKIPa</italic>, <italic>OsCPK9, OsNAC9, OSEREBP1</italic>, and <italic>OsTPKb</italic> were upregulated in PeaT1OE plants. Furthermore, combing the yeast two-hybrid assay, we found that PeaT1 could interact with amyo-inositol oxygenase (OsMIOX), which was verified by pull-down assay. Interestingly, <italic>OsMIOX</italic> was highly expressed in PeaT1OE plants during the drought treatment. Additionally, the OsMIOX-GFP fusion protein co-localized with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) marker in tobacco protoplasts, suggesting OsMIOX performs its function in ER. Therefore, our results are useful for elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying the improvement of drought tolerance by PeaT1.</p>