FIGURE 5.

Growth phenotype and physiological responses of soybean hairy root composite plants (GmCLC1) under NaCl treatment. (A) PCR verification of the presence of the transgene, GmCLC1, in the soybean hairy root composite plants (lines 1–6 and 8–9). M: DNA markers; Vector: Empty vector-transformed plants (negative control); ddH₂O: distilled deionized water (negative control). (B) Phenotypes of empty vector-transformed and GmCLC1-transgenic plants. Surface-sterilized soybean seeds were sown in container till the first pair of unifoliate leaves was fully expanded, the cotyledon node site of soybean seedlings were infected with the A. rhizogenesin K599 for 1 h at room temperature. The wound was then covered with moist vermiculite and co-cultivated with A. rhizogenesin K599 for 5 days at 25 ± 2°C under a 12/12 h light/dark cycle. After 7 days, hairy root lines were identified by PCR for free of bacterium. The original roots were removed and the seedlings with positive hairy roots were cultured in 1/2 Hoagland solution. After 10 days, seedlings were treated with 1/2 Hoagland solutions containing 120 mM NaCl for 3 or 5 days, respectively, and solutions without NaCl as the untreated control. (C) REL and (D) Cl^- content of GmCLC1-transgenic soybean plants versus empty vector-transformed controls (Vector) in different parts of the plant. Control: no NaCl was given to the growth medium; DW: dry weight; ^∗/^∗∗: The difference between was significant at p < 0.05/0.01, using Duncan’s test. Each bar represents the mean and SD of three replicates.