IDENTIFICATION OF GENES RELATED TO ABIOTIC STRESS TOLERANCE IN JATROPHA CURCAS

摘要

The present invention provides a novel method for identifying genes in Jatropha plants, such as Jatropha curcas L., that confer tolerance to abiotic stress such as salinity, drought, and ion stresses. Such genes allow the development of Jatropha curcas cultivars that display enhanced salinity and stress tolerance, which can be accomplished by genetic modification approaches, directed breeding or selecting for desirable mutations in the identified genes for salinity, drought and ion stress. The present invention also provides methods for generating random mutants in yeast sensitive to salinity, acid or alkaline stress that facilitate the identification of additional novel genes from Jatropha curcas. The present invention also provides novel genes from Jatropha curcas that confer tolerance to salinity, drought and abiotic stress. In a related embodiment, the invention also provides polypeptides that mediate tolerance to salinity, drought and abiotic stress.