Kangwon National University scientists tested the expression of cold-response gene in Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) and its response to environmental stresses.

The SAMS (S-adenosylmethionine synthetase) gene plays a vital role in the mechanism of cold resistance and overexpression of this gene has been found to cause physical changes in T1-generation transgenic plants. Thus, the researchers tested the resistance of transgenic plants expressing MsSAMS to different environmental conditions.

Using scanning electron microscopy, they found that the thickest leaves were produced by the T6 transgenic line, but the control had more stomata. They also confirmed the resistance to various environmental factors, such as low temperature, drought, and oxidative stress in the T2-generation transgenic plants. When exposed to cold-stress conditions, the T6 transgenic line had the lowest value of ion leakage, and under drought-stress conditions, compared with the control, the transgenic lines exhibited lower ion leakage after being treated with various concentrations of mannitol. Under oxidative-stress conditions, the T2-generation transgenic plants showed ion leakage levels lower than those of the control after treatment with various concentrations of methyl viologen.

Based on the results, the researchers concluded that the MsSAMS gene may be important to the mechanisms of resistance to oxidative and drought stresses in addition to its role in cold resistance.

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