Abstract
Under water-related stresses (drought, salinity, low temperature), barley is one of the most tolerance crops in Gramineae. To reveal the molecular mechanism, we are focusing on aquaporin genes and other genes involved in the salt tolerance in barley.
We investigated 11 genes (PIPs) of plasma membrane type aquaporin, a transporter of the water molecules, under salt and osmotic stresses. One of them, HvPIP2;1, was most abundant and its protein expression was investigated with the antibody. Analysis of transgenic rice plants over-expressing HvPIP2;1 showed that HvPIP2;1 was involved in the mechanism of salt tolerance.
We also constructed the non-redundant EST catalogue after analyzing the cDNAs from the root of the salt tolerant barley. These ESTs were compared with those from the root of the barley, Barke, as a control, revealing the high expression of the salt tolerant barley-specific genes, of which the functions are mostly unknown.
