Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:4.1.1.32 (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase)
 4,204 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Water availability is one of the major limiting factors for plant growth. Maize is particularly sensitive to water stress at reproductive stages with a strong impairment of photosynthesis and grain filling. Here, we describe the use of genetic transformation first to assess the role of a candidate gene Asr1-a putative transcription factor-as an explanation for genetically linked drought tolerance Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs), and second to modify CO(2) fixation rates in leaves through changes of C(4) phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (C(4)-PEPC) activity. Transgenic Asr1 over-expressing lines show an increase in foliar senescence under drought conditions. The highest C(4)-PEPC overexpressing line exhibited an increase (+30%) in intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE) accompanied by a dry weight increase (+20%) under moderate drought conditions. Opposite effects were observed for transgenic plants under-expressing the corresponding proteins. The data presented here indicate the feasibility to increase the level of endogenous biochemical activities related to water economy and/or drought tolerance, and opens a way to develop maize varieties more tolerant to dry growing conditions.
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PMID:Improvement of drought tolerance in maize: towards the functional validation of the Zm-Asr1 gene and increase of water use efficiency by over-expressing C4-PEPC. 1259 41