An Arabidopsis mutant disrupted in ASN2 encoding asparagine synthetase 2 exhibits low salt stress tolerance

Salt tolerance of Arabidopsis knockout mutant with T-DNA insertion in ASN2 gene encoding asparagine synthetase (AS, EC 6.3.5.4) (asn2-1) was investigated. Wild-type Arabidopsis Col0 and asn2-1 mutant were grown for one month by hydroponic culture and subjected to 100 mM NaCl stress for a short time from 6 to 24 h. The salt treatment decreased chlorophyll and soluble protein contents, and increased ammonium level in the asn2-1 leaves. The salinity induced ASN1 mRNA level in the wild-type and asn2-1 leaves. By contrast, the salt treatment inhibited the transcript and protein levels of chloroplastic glutamine synthetase 2 (GS2, EC 6.3.1.2) in the wild-type and asn2-1 leaves. Increase in asparagine and proline contents in response to the salt treatment provides evidence for the role of asparagine as a prevailing stress responding amino acid. Glutamate dehydrogenase (NADH-GDH, EC 1.4.1.2) exhibited a slight increase in the α-subunit and β-subunit in the wild-type line and the asn2-1 line, respectively under the salinity, whereas its in vitro aminating activity in the wild-type leaves was not affected. The results indicate that the asn2-1 mutant was impaired in nitrogen assimilation and translocation under salt treatment.