Wheat LEA genes, PMA80 and PMA1959, enhance dehydration tolerance of transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Drought and salt stresses are two major factors that lower plant productivity. Transgenic approaches offer powerful means to better understand and then minimize loss of yield due to these abiotic stresses. In this study, we have generated transgenic rice plants expressing a wheat LEA group 2 protein (PMA80) gene, and separately the wheat LEA group 1 protein (PMA1959) gene. Molecular analysis of the transgenic plants revealed the stable integration of the transgenes. Immunoblot analysis showed the presence of the LEA group 2 protein (39 kDa) and the LEA group 1 protein (25 kDa) in most of the plant lines. Second-generation transgenic plants were subjected to dehydration or salt stress. The results showed that accumulation of either PMA80 or PMA1959 correlates with increased tolerance of transgenic rice plants to these stresses.