Salt tolerance of transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) with mtlD gene and gutD gene

Southern blot analysis indicated that mtlD gene (encoding mannitol-1-phosph ate dehydrogenase) and gutD gene (encoding glucitol-6-phosphate dehydrogena se) had been integrated into the rice genome mediated by Agrobacterium tume faciens LBA4404(pBIGM). The expression of the above two genes in transgenic rice plants was demonstrated by Northern blot analysis and enzymatic activ ity assay. Analysis of sugar alcohol showed that transgenic rice plants cou ld produce and accumulate mannitol and sorbitol. The salt tolerance of tran sgenic plants was much higher than that of their controls.