The yeast HAL1 gene improves salt tolerance of transgenic tomato.

Overexpression of the HAL1 gene in yeast has a positive effect on salt tolerance by maintaining a high internal K(+) concentration and decreasing intracellular Na(+) during salt stress. In the present work, the yeast gene HAL1 was introduced into tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. A sample of primary transformants was self-pollinated, and progeny from both transformed and non-transformed plants (controls) were evaluated for salt tolerance in vitro and in vivo. Results from different tests indicated a higher level of salt tolerance in the progeny of two different transgenic plants bearing four copies or one copy of the HAL1 gene. In addition, measurement of the intracellular K(+) to Na(+) ratios showed that transgenic lines were able to retain more K(+) than the control under salt stress. Although plants and yeast cannot be compared in an absolute sense, these results indicate that the mechanism controlling the positive effect of the HAL1 gene on salt tolerance may be similar in transgenic plants and yeast.