Overexpression of the Glutathione S-Transferase ATGSTF11 Gene Improves Growth and Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Tobacco Transgenic Plants

Genes encoding glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are potential targets for creating stress-tolerant plants by genetic engineering techniques. Despite the partial duplication of the functions of GST genes in the plant organism, each gene can perform a specific role in the regulation of growth under changing environmental conditions. Therefore it is important to investigate the functions of individual GST genes. The purpose of our study was to assess the role of the AtGSTF11 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana on the growth regulation and stress tolerance of transgenic plants. We have identified that the expression of the AtGSTF11 gene in A. thaliana is induced by salinity and drought. Constitutive expression of the AtGSTF11 gene in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants contributed to the improvement of root growth under salinity and cold treatment. Under normal and drought stress conditions overexpression of the AtGSTF11 promoted the shoot growth of tobacco. In the transgenic plants, drought stress also induced an increase of proline content and activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase, which are biochemical markers of stress tolerance. We discussed that the AtGSTF11 gene is a potential target for direct changes in the productivity and abiotic stress tolerance of plants by genetic engineering techniques.