Abstract
We introduced about 13,000 full-length cDNAs of rice into Arabidopsis by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method and constructed a large-scale library of transgenic Arabidopsis (rice-Arabidopsis FOX lines). By screening T2 seeds from about 20,000 FOX lines under salinity stress, we have isolated more than 200 candidate lines resistant to salinity stress. Here, we report characterization of a line named R07047. R07047 showed high salinity tolerance in various aspects including germination, root growth, and survivability of seedlings. In addition, R07047 showed tolerance to dehydration and oxidative stresses. Genomic PCR revealed that rice cDNA encoding unknown protein was inserted in R07047. Newly generated transgenic Arabidopsis expressing the cDNA showed high-salinity tolerance as well as R07047. The encoded protein has a C2 domain known as a calcium binding domain. It is interesting whether the cDNA can confer salt tolerance to plants other than Arabidopsis.
