Overexpression of constitutively active mitogen activated protein kinase kinase 6 enhances tolerance to salt stress in rice

BACKGROUND: Salinity is one of the most common abiotic stresses encountered by plants in the environment and transgenic approaches offer new opportunities to improve tolerance. The mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MKK) is a key component of MAPK cascade that plays important roles in intra and extra cellular signaling in plants. In the present study, a MKK from rice (Oryza sativa), OsMKK6 was functionally characterized in salt stress by transforming its constitutively active form. FINDINGS: OsMKK6 was made constitutively active by mutating serine and threonine to glutamic acid by site directed mutagenesis, and transformed in indica cultivar rice var. Pusa Basmati-1. The transgenic seedlings growing in 200 mM NaCl solution showed increased root/shoot length and weight, less chlorophyll beaching and higher MAPK activity compared to the wild types. CONCLUSION: Present work suggest role of OsMKK6 gene in salt stress signaling in rice. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1939-8433-6-25) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.