Ubi:DaGolS2, rice transgenic line overexpressing DaGolS2 from Deschampsia antarctica

Deschampsia antarctica is an Antarctic hairgrass that grows on the west coast of the Antarctic peninsula. In this report, we have identified and characterized DaGolS2, that is a member of the galactinol synthase group 2. To investigate its possible cellular role in cold tolerance, a transgenic rice system was employed. DaGolS2-overexpressing transgenic rice plants (Ubi:DaGolS2) exhibited markedly increased tolerance to cold and drought stress compared to wild-type plants without growth defects; however, overexpression of DaGolS2 exerted little effect on tolerance to salt stress. These results suggest that overexpression of DaGolS2 directly and indirectly confers enhanced tolerance to cold and drought stresses.