1.1.3.8	additional information	Arabidopsis thaliana lines overexpressing a myo-inositol oxygenase or an L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase, contain elevated ascorbate and display enhanced growth and biomass accumulation of both aerial and root tissues, marked positive effect in plant growth in lines engineered to contain elevated vitamin C content. The transgenic lines are tolerant to a wide range of abiotic stresses including salt, cold, and heat and ascorbate content of the transgenic lines remained higher than those of controls under the abiotic stresses tested. Also the effects of exposure to pyrene, a known inducer of oxidative stress in plants (leading to stunted growth of the aerial tissue, reduction in the number of root hairs, and inhibition of leaf expansion in wild-type plants) are less severe in the overexpressers	-, 742635