Salt Tolerance Enhanced by Transformation of a P5CS Gene in Carrot

Proline is known as an osmoprotectant accumulating in response to salt and dehydration stresses. An increased level of proline is achieved by either an induced synthesis or a reduced degradation of proline. In an attempt to increase salt tolerance in carrot, a P5CS gene from mothbean was introduced via an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The resulting carrot cells and the regenerated plants containing the transgene showed increased levels of proline compared to nontransgenics. The transgenic cell line, Pj2 showed about 6 times increased degree of tolerance determined by relative growth after a treatment in 250 mM NaCl. In facts, due to the retarded growth shown in non-saline condition, Pj2 cells grow only about 1.2 times better than nontransgenic control under salt stress condition. Taken together, it appears that a P5CS is a key enzyme in proline biosynthesis and the increased accumulation of proline by overexpression of the enzyme is enough to enhance tolerance to salt stress in carrot.