Identification of Key Genes Required for Abiotic Stress Response in Arabidopsis thaliana

Author

Saori Endo, Utah State University

Date of Award

5-2005

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Plants, Soils, and Climate

Abstract

To identify key genes that are required for stress response, a reverse genetics approach was taken to manipulate expression of candidate genes in plants. In this project, two potential regulatory genes which were originally identified as stress-responsive genes from a microarray experiment in Arabidopsis were examined for their roles in stress tolerance. Over-expression of gene A, which was up-regulated under stress conditions based on the array data, caused earlier flowering and improved plant growth under salinity and dehydration stress conditions at the seedling stage. Over-expression of gene B, which was down-regulated under stress conditions based on the array data, resulted in greater susceptibility to salt and dehydration stress. The null-function mutant of gene A did not show a difference in stress tests compared to control plants, presumably due to functional redundancy of other genes in plants. We propose gene A can potentially be used for stress tolerance improvement in crops.

Recommended Citation

Endo, Saori, "Identification of Key Genes Required for Abiotic Stress Response in Arabidopsis thaliana" (2005). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 788.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/788