Genetically modified carrot cells acquiring desiccation tolerance

To obtain direct evidence for thed involvement of C-AB13, a carrot (Daucus carota L.) homolog of VPI/Ab13, seed-specific transcription factor, in the acquisition of desiccation tolerance carrot non-embryogenic cells (NC) in which the C-AB13 gene was expressed ectopically was prepared. Non-transgenic NC, in which expression of C-AB13 was not detected, did not exhibit desiccation tolerance even after treatment with abscisic acid (ABA). In transgenic NC that expressed C-AB13, embryo-specific ABA-inducible genes (ECP genes) were expressed upon ABA-treatment. Furthermore, the transgenic NC became desiccation-tolerant upon ABA-treatment, but not tolerate desiccation without ABA-treatment. These results provide direct evidence for the involvement of C-AB13 in the ABA-induced acquisition of desiccation tolerance.