Identification of CBF transcription factors in eucalyptus and evaluation of their potential against abiotic stresses

• Grant number: 14/23541-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: March 01, 2015 - February 28, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Mazzafera
• Grantee: Paulo Mazzafera
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Low temperature adversely affects the growth and development of plants. DREBs genes belong to the family of transcription factors APETALA2 (AP2) that bind to the cis-element DRE/CRT and regulate the expression of genes related to stress responses, and DREB1/CBF genes appear to be closely related to tolerance to low temperature in plants. Much of what we know about it is based on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. In this species four genes (CBF1-4) are known, and three (CBF1-3) are related to cold tolerance and the other with water stress. However there are exceptions in the literature sugesting that CBF1-3 homologous to A. thaliana can confer tolerance to other types of stress in other plants, such as salinity. Due to the large number of species of Eucalyptus and its wide distribution in the Australias territory, its center of origin, it is expected adaptation of some species to different forms of stresses. The eucalyptus plantation has economical significance in Brazil, the world's largest pulp producer. Studies on the genetic diversity of CBF genes in Eucalyptus may contribute to improve stress tolerance and thus maintain high productivity under adverse environmental conditions. The objective of this work is to identify new CBF genes in species of Eucalyptus and check their functionality to other stresses like salinity, drought and heavy metal Cu, in addition to cold. The strategy for identification of tolerant species will be based on the ability of plants to tolerate cold, by evaluating the efficiency of photosystem II and the ability to eliminate reactive oxygen species. The tests of gene functionality will be done through expression of the genes isolated in mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana deficient for CBF genes. (AU)

Scientific publications

(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)

SCHIMPL, FLAVIA CAMILA; RIBEIRO, RAFAEL VASCONCELOS; PEREIRA, LUCIANO; RODRIGUES, HAROLDO SILVA; MAZZAFERA, PAULO. Photochemical responses to abrupt and gradual chilling treatments in eucalyptus species. THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, v. 30, n. 1, p. 9-17, MAR 2018. (14/23541-0)

DE SANTANA COSTA, MARILIA GABRIELA; MAZZAFERA, PAULO; BALBUENA, TIAGO SANTANA. Insights into temperature modulation of the Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus grandis antioxidant and lignification subproteomes. Phytochemistry, v. 137, p. 15-23, MAY 2017. (11/11650-0, 14/23541-0)

DE SANTANA COSTA, MARILIA GABRIELA; FELTRIM, DANIELA; MAZZAFERA, PAULO; BALBUENA, TIAGO SANTANA. Revisiting the stem proteome of Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus globulus: Identification of temperature-induced changes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS, v. 1868, n. 12, p. 4-pg., 2020-12-01. (14/23541-0, 11/11650-0)