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The rat glucocorticoid receptor integration in Nicotiana langsdorffii genome affects plant responses to abiotic stresses and to arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

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Abstract

The present study reports evidence of the pleiotropic effects caused by the insertion of the rat glucocorticoid receptor (GR) into the genome of Nicotiana langsdorffii. Transgenic N. langsdorffii-GR plants and the wild-type genotypes were analysed for their phenotypic and physiological characteristics. The integration of the GR gene affected flowering, growth habit, leaf morphology and stomatal pattern. Furthermore, GR plants showed an increased tolerance to heavy metal, drought and heat stress as evidenced by electrolyte leakage and by cell dedifferentiation and differentiation capability after recovery from stress treatments. We also monitored the establishment of the beneficial symbiosis between transgenic plants and the mycorrhizal fungus Funneliformis mosseae whose pre-symbiotic growth was significantly reduced by root exudates of N. langsdorffii-GR plants. The observed pleiotropic responses of transgenic plants may be a consequence of the hormonal imbalance, putatively due to the interaction of the GR receptor with the host genetic background. Our findings suggest that N. langsdorffii-GR plants can be used as a functional model system for the study of plant responses to a series of environmental stimuli.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by PRIN-2005-2007-2009 (co-ordinator Prof. Roger Fuoco) grants from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR). We thank Dr. Mary Lokken for the editing of the English language.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano, 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 59100, Florence, Italy

    Patrizia Bogani, Elisa Calistri & Marcello Buiatti

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell’Ambiente, Università di Firenze, Viale delle Idee, 30, Sesto Fiorentino, 59100, Florence, Italy

    Stefano Biricolti

  3. Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via L. Ghini, 13, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Monica Ruffini Castiglione

  4. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Agro-ambientali, Università di Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Alessandra Turrini & Manuela Giovannetti

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  1. Patrizia Bogani
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  2. Elisa Calistri
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  3. Stefano Biricolti
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Correspondence to Patrizia Bogani.

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Bogani, P., Calistri, E., Biricolti, S. et al. The rat glucocorticoid receptor integration in Nicotiana langsdorffii genome affects plant responses to abiotic stresses and to arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Plant Biotechnol Rep 9, 209–220 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11816-015-0358-3

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