Nitric oxide signaling in plant defense response against pathogen attack: analysis of gene expression, production of secundary compounds and mitochondrial bioenergetics

• Grant number: 08/11636-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2009
• End date: August 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Pant Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Ione Salgado
• Grantee: Ione Salgado
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Recent research has demonstrated that the radical nitric oxide (NO) is an important signal in the mechanism of plant resistance against pathogen attack and this present research project aims to deepen our knowledge in this area. Nitrate reductase (NR) double-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana (nia1 nia2) plants become susceptible to the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae and the loss of resistance was attributed to the inability of this mutant promptly to produce NO in response to the attack of the bacteria, inability that resulted from the low content of arginine and nitrite, the substrates for NO synthesis. Resistance to pathogens is also affected in mutant A. thaliana plants with different expression levels of the gene encoding S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR), an enzyme that, by changing S-nitrosothiol content in the plant, interferes with NO homeostasis. The role of NO in plant defense has been related to its effect in gene expression, leading to an increase in the production of defensive compounds, including flavonoids and other products of secondary metabolism. Mitochondria are a target and also, an organelle essential for NO metabolism. In this context, this research project aims to: (1) perform large scale analysis of gene expression in A. thaliana in response to inoculation of the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae, comparing changes found in the wild type with that of the nia1 nia2 mutant, before and after recovery of amino acids or NO levels; (2) examine in the model Arabidopsis-Pseudomonas the profile of products of secondary metabolism, particularly defense-related compounds, and correlate with changes in gene expression; (3) analyze the effect of soybean and Citrus extracts, which enriched levels of defense-related secondary metabolites, in NO synthesis by arginine auto-oxidation or nitrite acidic reduction; (4) examine the effects of GSNOR mutation in the respiratory activity and NO metabolism in mitochondria of A. thaliana. The results to be obtained may increase our knowledge about NO-mediated plant defense mechanisms against pathogen attack. (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FERREIRA, PABLO G.; FRUNGILLO, LUCAS; ROSSO, VERIDIANA V.; MACHADO, DAISY; MERCADANTE, ADRIANA Z.; FERREIRA, CARMEN V.; SALGADO, IONE. Soybean extracts enriched with free isoflavones promote nitric oxide synthesis and affect the proliferation of breast adenocarcinoma cells. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE FARMACOGNOSIA-BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOGNOSY, v. 23, n. 1, p. 86-93, JAN-FEB 2013. (08/11636-5)

SANTOS-FILHO, P. R.; VITOR, S. C.; FRUNGILLO, L.; SAVIANI, E. E.; OLIVEIRA, H. C.; SALGADO, I.. Nitrate Reductase- and Nitric Oxide-Dependent Activation of Sinapoylglucose:malate sinapoyltransferase in Leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant and Cell Physiology, v. 53, n. 9, p. 1607-1616, SEP 2012. (08/11636-5)

FERREIRA, PABLO GOMES; SUEDAN SOUZA LIMA, MARIA ANGELICA; BERNEDO-NAVARRO, ROBERT ALVIN; CONCEICAO, ROGERIO ARCURI; LINHARES, EDLAINE; HELENA FRANKLAND SAWAYA, ALEXANDRA CHRISTINE; YANO, TOMOMASA; SALGADO, IONE. Stimulation of Acidic Reduction of Nitrite to Nitric Oxide by Soybean Phenolics: Possible Relevance to Gastrointestinal Host Defense. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, v. 59, n. 10, p. 5609-5616, MAY 25 2011. (08/11636-5)

SANTOS-FILHO, PLINIO RODRIGUES; SAVIANI, ELZIRA ELISABETH; SALGADO, IONE; OLIVEIRA, HALLEY CAIXETA. The effect of nitrate assimilation deficiency on the carbon and nitrogen status of Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Amino Acids, v. 46, n. 4, p. 1121-1129, APR 2014. (08/11636-5)

FRUNGILLO, LUCAS; PALAMIM DE OLIVEIRA, JUSCELEY FATIMA; SAVIANI, ELZIRA ELISABETH; OLIVEIRA, HALLEY CAIXETA; CARMEN MARTINEZ, M.; SALGADO, IONE. Modulation of mitochondrial activity by S-nitrosoglutathione reductase in Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic cell lines. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS, v. 1827, n. 3, p. 239-247, MAR 2013. (08/11636-5)