Engineered BcZAT12 gene mitigates salt stress in tomato seedlings

In salt-prone areas, plant growth and productivity is adversely affected. In the present study, the ZT1-ZT6 transgenic tomato lines having BcZAT12 gene under the regulatory control of the stress inducible Bclea1 promoter were exposed to three salinity levels (50, 100 and 200 mM) at the four leaf stage for 10 days. The transgenic lines showed improved growth in stem height, leaf area, root length and shoot length under saline conditions, as compared to control. Moreover, ZT1 and ZT5 lines showed lower electrolyte leakage and decreased hydrogen peroxide formation, in combination with elevated relative water content, proline and chlorophyll levels. The enzyme activity of catalase was also enhanced in ZT1 and ZT5. These results poses the present lines as an attractive alternative for tomato cultivation in salinity-affected areas.