Biotech Updates

NF-YC from Bermuda Grass to Improve Drought and Salinity in Rice

October 15, 2014

Chinese scientists are studying the role of NF-YC, a subunit found in nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) also known as HAP, in the salinity and drought tolerance of transgenic rice. The NF-YC was isolated from bermuda grass and inserted into transgenic rice. These transgenic rice and a wild variety rice, which serves as the control, was then exposed under drought and saline conditions.

The findings of the study show that the overexpression of NF-YC has improved the salinity and drought tolerance of transgenic rice due to the increase in the transgenic levels of in the following genes: signaling genes, responsive genes and ABA-independent genes, and an increase in the sensitivity to ABA and ABA synthesis levels. These results imply that NF-YC from bermuda grass can be a promising gene that can be used in enhancing transgenic rice's tolerance to drought and salinity.

Read more on the study at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.12270/pdf