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JXB Advance Access published online on November 13, 2006
Journal of Experimental Botany, doi:10.1093/jxb/erl201
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© The Author [2006]. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology]. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received April 26, 2006
Accepted September 13, 2006

RESEARCH PAPER

Overexpression of an Arabidopsis magnesium transport gene, AtMGT1, in Nicotiana benthamiana confers Al tolerance

Wei Deng 1 *, Keming Luo 2 *, Demou Li 2, Xuelian Zheng 1, Xiaoyang Wei 2, William Smith 3, Chandra Thammina 3, Litang Lu 3, Yi Li 3, and Yan Pei 2 *

1 Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Crop Quality Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Department of Plant Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
2 Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Crop Quality Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
3 Department of Plant Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Yan Pei, E-mail: peiyan3{at}swu.edu.cn


  Abstract

Aluminium (Al) toxicity is the most important limiting factor for crop production in acid soil environments worldwide. In some plant species, application of magnesium (Mg2+) can alleviate Al toxicity. However, it remains unknown whether overexpression of magnesium transport proteins can improve Al tolerance. Here, the role of AtMGT1, a member of the Arabidopsis magnesium transport family involved in Mg2+ transport, played in Al tolerance in higher plants was investigated. Expression of 35S::AtMGT1 led to various phenotypic alterations in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Transgenic plants harbouring 35S::AtMGT1 exhibited tolerance to Mg2+ deficiency. Element assay showed that the contents of Mg, Mn, and Fe in 35S::AtMGT1 plants increased compared with wild-type plants. Root growth experiment revealed that 100 µM AlCl3 caused a reduction in root elongation by 47% in transgenic lines, whereas root growth in wild-type plants was inhibited completely. Upon Al treatment, representative transgenic lines also showed a much lower callose deposition, an indicator of increased Al tolerance, than wild-type plants. Taken together, the results have demonstrated that overexpression of ATMGT1 encoding a magnesium transport protein can improve tolerance to Al in higher plants.

Keywords: Aluminium toxicity; AtMGT1; magnesium; Nicotiana benthamiana.

*These authors contributed equally to this research and are considered co-first authors.


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