Expression and stress tolerance of PR10 genes from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer.

Pathogenesis-related 10 protein families (PgPR10 proteins) from ginseng are reported to have ribonuclease activity, conferring defense-related resistance against various stresses. Homology-based PCR using PgPR10-2 specific primers allowed for the isolation of two additional PgPR10 genes. PgPR10-1 is identical to the previously reported ribonuclease 1, while PgPR10-3 is a newly-discovered protein, suggesting that the PgPR10s are a multi-gene family. Differential organ-specific transcripts of PgPR10-1 and PgPR10-2 in the flower bud and root, respectively, indicate that there are tissue-specific functional roles for this gene family. Overexpression of PgPR10-2 in Arabidopsis conferred longer root length and a tolerant growth phenotype on NaCl-supplemented media. Further changes in transcriptional levels against sets of abiotic stressors suggest similar functional roles of PgPR10-1 in the root and predominantly in the flower organ based on its higher expression levels. Overall, this suggests that the manipulation of PgPR10 genes in plants can be used as valuable tool to enhance its physiological status.