High soil salinity is a major abiotic stress in plant agriculture worldwide. Here, we report the characterization of a novel aquaporin gene TaNIP (Triticum asetivum L. nodulin 26-like intrinsic protein), which was involved in salt tolerance pathways in plants. TaNIP was identified and cloned through the gene chip expression analysis of a salt-tolerant wheat mutant RH8706-49 under salt stress. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (Q-RT-PCR) was used to detect TaNIP expression under salt, drought, cold and ABA treatment. The overexpression of TaNIP in transgenic Arabidopsis produced higher salt tolerance than wild-type plants. Localization analysis showed that TaNIP proteins tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were localized to the cell plasma membrane. Under salt stress treatment, TaNIP-overexpressing Arabidopsis accumulated higher K(+), Ca(2+) and proline contents and lower Na(+) level than the wild-type plants. The overexpression of TaNIP in transgenic Arabidopsis also up-regulated the expression of a number of stress-associated genes. Our results suggest that TaNIP plays an important role in salt tolerance in Arabidopsis and can also enhance plants' tolerance to other abiotic stresses.

BackgroundThe histone H3K27 demethylases UTX and JMJD3 are important regulatory factors that modulate gene expression by altering the physical state of chromatin. Previous studies have indicated an abnormal H3K27 methylation status in carcinogenesis. We therefore investigated the expression patterns of UTX and JMJD3 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and their roles in cancer development.MethodsThe mRNA expression levels of the UTX and JMJD3 genes were determined in cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues in 36 patients with primary RCC, using quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction. The UTX and JMJD3 protein contents were measured by western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis.ResultsUTX and JMJD3 transcripts were significantly increased in cancer tissues compared to normal tissues (P < 0.05). mRNA levels of the inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 p16INK4a were also increased in cancer tissues (P < 0.001). Western blotting indicated that levels of both demethylases were increased in cancer tissues. The level of tri-methylated H3K27 (H3K27me3) was lower in cancer tissues compared to normal tissues, but expression of the H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2 was increased (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the two H3K27 demethylases may play critical roles in the regulation of H3K27 methylation status in RCC. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that UTX and JMJD3 expression were upregulated in cancer tissues compared to adjacent tissues.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that UTX and JMJD3 were upregulated in cancer tissues, suggesting that they may be involved in the development of primary RCC. The potential roles of H3K27 demethylases as biomarkers in the early diagnosis of RCC need to be further explored.

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