|
Sumeet G. C. Babu Centre for Plant Molecular Biology OSMANIA UNIVERSITY, HYDERABAD 500 007 AP, INDIA Email [email protected] � SUMMARY My research involved the search for salt tolerant germplasm and the molecular characterization of probable gene(s) involved. Saline soils are a major cause for yield loss in most rice growing regions of the world. Since genes for salinity tolerance are unavailable in the cultivated rice germplasm, a wild grass Porteresia coarctata T. a close relative of rice was used for the isolation and characterization of salt tolerant genes. I have isolated and characterized a salt inducible root and rhizome specific cDNA clone which probably help in combating salinity. Tissue specificity was confirmed by Northern analysis and by in situ hybridization studies. In the root expression was seen in the peripheral cell layers near the epidermis, where as in the rhizome expression was seen in the vascular tissue and to a very little extent in the cortical cells. This gene product probably has trans membrane domains and cell wall domains which help in maintaining the membrane integrity during salinity stress by keeping the membrane close to the cell wall, and probably forming cell wall to membrane linkers.
|
