Molecular strategies for improving waterlogging tolerance in plants

• Published in: Journal of experimental botany Vol. 51; no. 342; pp. 89 - 97
• Main Authors: Dennis, E.S., Dolferus, R., Ellis, M., Rahman, M., Wu, Y., Hoeren, F.U., Grover, A., Ismond, K.P., Good, A.G., Peacock, W.J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.01.2000; OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Adaptation to environment and cultivation conditions; Adaptation, Physiological; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; anaerobic conditions; Biological and medical sciences; Corn; crop plants; crops; Fermentation; flooded conditions; Flooding; flooding tolerance; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; genetic resistance; genetics; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Hypoxia; irrigation; Molecular Physiology: Engineering crops for hostile environments; molecular strategies; mortality; Oxygen; Oxygen - physiology; physiology; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plant physiology; Plant physiology and development; plant proteins; Plant roots; Plants; Plants - genetics; promoter regions; rain; Rainfall; Rice; RNA; Root zone; soil air; transcription factors; Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims; Water and solutes. Absorption, translocation and permeability; Waterlogging; Malvaceae; Monocotyledones; Waterlogging (soil); Gossypium; Tolerance; Genetic determinism; Stress; Arabidopsis thaliana; Oryza; Gene; Cruciferae; Gramineae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Genetic improvement; Hypoxia; Spermatophyta; Transgenic plant; Cultivated plant; Experimental plant; Adaptation
• ISSN: 0022-0957; 1460-2431
• DOI: 10.1093/jexbot/51.342.89

Plants, like animals, are obligate aerobes, but due to their inability to move, have evolved adaptation mechanisms that enable them to survive short periods of low oxygen supply, such as those occurring after heavy rain or flooding. Crop plants are often grown on soils subject to waterlogging and many are sensitive to waterlogging of the root zone. The combination of unfavourable weather conditions and suboptimal soil and irrigation techniques can result in severe yield losses. The molecular basis of the adaptation to transient low oxygen conditions has not been completely characterized, but progress has been made towards identifying genes and gene products induced during low oxygen conditions. Promoter elements and transcription factors involved in the regulation of anaerobically induced genes have been characterized. In this paper an account is presented of the molecular strategies that have been used in an attempt to increase flooding tolerance of crop plants.