PpAKR1A, a Novel Aldo-Keto Reductase from Physcomitrella Patens, Plays a Positive Role in Salt Stress

The moss is tolerant of highly saline environments. In plants, salinity stress may induce the production of toxic reactive carbonyl species (RCS) and oxidative damage. Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) are a large group of NADP-dependent oxidoreductases involved in RCS detoxification. However, many members in this superfamily remain uncharacterized. In this study, we cloned and characterised a putative AKR1 from , named PpAKR1A. Notably, the transcription level of was induced by salt and methylglyoxal (MG) stress, and the recombinant PpAKR1A protein catalysed the reduction of toxic aldehydes. knockout mutants of ( ) were sensitive to NaCl and MG treatment, as indicated by much lower concentrations of chlorophyll and much higher concentrations of MG and H O than those in WT plants. Meanwhile, plants exhibited decreases in the MG-reducing activity and reactive oxygen species-scavenging ability in response to salt stress, possibly due to decreases in the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD). Our results indicate that PpAKR1A is an aldo-keto reductase that detoxifies MG and thus plays an important role in salt stress tolerance in .