Expression of potato S-adenosyl-l-methionine synthase (SbSAMS) gene altered developmental characteristics and stress responses in transgenic Arabidopsis plants

• SbSAMS expressed tissue specifically.
• SbSAMS transcripts were upregulated during stress and hormone treatments.
• Overexpression of SbSAMS gene in Arabidopsis caused early senescence.
• Overexpression of SbSAMS induced ethylene but not polyamine biosynthetic genes.
• Overexpression of SbSAMS induced ABA, pathogen and wound-inducible genes.

S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) synthase (SAMS) catalyze the biosynthesis of SAM, which is a precursor for ethylene and polyamines, and a methyl donor for a number of biomolecules. A full-length cDNA of SAMS from Solanum brevidens was expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana to study its physiological function. RT-PCR analysis showed that SbSAMS expression was enhanced significantly in S. brevidens leaves upon treatment with salt, mannitol, ethephon, IAA and ABA. The transgenic SbSAMS overexpression lines accumulated higher levels S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAHC) and ethylene concomitantly with increased SAM level. Expression levels of genes related to ethylene biosynthesis such as ACC synthase, but not polyamine biosynthesis genes were enhanced in SbSAMS overexpressing Arabidopsis lines. In addition, ABA responsive, wound and pathogen-inducible genes were upregulated in SbSAMS transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Transgenic Arabidopsis lines exhibited higher salt and drought stress tolerance compared to those of vector control. Based on these results we conclude that SbSAMS is expressed under abiotic stress to produce SAM as a broad-spectrum signal molecule to upregulate stress-related genes including ethylene and ABA biosynthetic pathway genes responsible for ABA, pathogen and wound responses.