Understanding Tolerance Gene in Plants Using Genomics

What are Plant Tolerance Genes?

 Plant tolerance genes, also refered to as abiotic stress tolerance genes, are genes that allow plants to withstand extreme changes within the environment. The word tolerance, whose singular form is "tolerate", means "to put up with", while a gene is the physical unit of heredity (DNA). With tolerance genes, plants can adapt more quickly and have a higher chance for survival.

 The environment consist of many types of abiotic stress tolerance genes. Some of the types of abiotic stress tolerance are:

  • Drought - A tolerance gene that help plants tolerate an extended period of time with less water consumption.

 

  • Herbicide - A tolerance gene that help plants resist against poisonous substances. 

 

  • Aluminum - A tolerance gene that assists the plant in surviving in highly acidic soil.

 

  • Heat / Cold - A gene that helps tolerate global temperature in rough terrain.

 

  • Salinity - A gene that helps plants tolerate high salt levels in soil.

 

Tolerance of Climate

 

Drought:

Often plants with the drought tolerance gene need less water than plants without the gene. Statistics show that out of 120 plants with the drought tolerance gene tested in an experiment exposing plants to low water conditions 76.7% survived.

 

Hot/ Cold:

This gene allows the plant to withstand extreme climate changes. With this gene, plants may have a higher rate of survival as the four seasons rotate. To test its effectiveness, an experiment of 182 plants began. Results showed that out of 182 plants, 177 survived, meaning 96.2% of the plants with the gene survived.

 

 

Video Link

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/1105-antifreeze_for_your_plants.htm

 Tolerance of Environment

 

 Herbicide:

Herbicide is a poison that kills weeds. Often they are sprayed over the entire field of plants to kill any weeds. However, by doing this, the environment is polluted, and some plants may fall victim to the herbicide.  

 

 

Salinity:

Salinity is often cause by rising water in the soil. However, plants may tolerate and grow in acidic soil if they have a salinity tolerance gene. Salinity tolerance genes allow plants to grow in soil that contain large amount of salt.

Statistic shows 125 plants survive out of 159 plants. In percentage, 76.6% of plants with tolerance genes survived.

 

 

 

Aluminum:

Plants die when the soil is too acidic. Aluminum is caused by the low level of pH within the soil. It causes the plant to die and look like a dead root. However, plants with the aluminum tolerance gene survive are able to withstand the low pH level in soil. Therefore, they are immune to the effect of aluminum.

 
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