TaEDS1 genes positively regulate salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

In this study, three TaEDS1 genes from wheat (Triticum aestivum) were heterologously expressed in Arabidopsis, and their functions under salt stress were analyzed. Promoter analysis indicated that the TaEDS1-5D promoter sequence included a variety of stress response elements and the TaEDS1 transcript level was particularly enhanced after salt treatment which suggests that the TaEDS1 genes might play a role in salt stress. Physiological analyses indicated that in transgenic plants, chlorophyll and proline contents were elevated in comparison to eds1 mutants, and a smaller decrease in the K+/Na+ ratio than the eds1 mutants. Further analysis showed that the transgenic lines underwent larger elevations in protein content, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity, and a smaller increase in the malondialdehyde content than the eds1 mutants. This indicated that transgenic lines displayed a better antioxidant response to reduce the reactive oxygen species content than eds1 lines. Together, the results showed that TaEDS1 genes may participate in the process of salt tolerance.