Analysis of gene expression and production of secondary metabolites induced by nitric oxide in the defense response of Arabidopsis thaliana to Pseudomonas syringae

• Grant number: 11/02465-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2011
• End date: February 28, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Pant Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Ione Salgado
• Grantee: Simone Cespedes Vitor
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

NO is a versatile signaling molecule important in several processes in plants. One of its main activities is in cell signaling during the process of defense against attack by pathogens. Arabidopsis thaliana plants of the mutant genotype nia1 nia2, defective for two structural genes coding for nitrate reductase (NR), are susceptible to Pseudomonas syringae. It was suggested that the impaired defense response in NR-deficient mutant could have resulted from their low levels of NO, when compared to those of the wild genotype. Indeed, a recent study from our group, observed by means of a DNA microarray that fumigation with NO gas in the mutant nia1 nia2 was able to modulate several genes related to defense, some of which have not previously registered as responsive to this radical. In order to continue these studies in this project, we propose the realization of the fumigation of nia1 nia2 plants with NO gas to verify, by real time PCR, the effects of this treatment on gene expression during plant defense response. The expression of 22 genes will be analyzed, with the aim of validating the results of DNA microarray. Still, the expression of certain genes in the mutant nia1 nia2, infected or not, will be compared to that of the wildtype, in order to verify the importance of endogenous NO in modulating gene expression, what was not previously carried out in the microarray analysis. Besides the analysis of gene expression, it will be checked the effects of NO on phenotypic aspects of defense, including the macroscopic symptoms of infection, bacterial growth and production of secondary metabolites in the leaves, such as flavonoids, lignin and sinapic acid derivatives. Thus, this work intent to expand our knowledge about the roles of NO as signaling molecule in plant defense response. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

VITOR, Simone Cespedes. Analysis of gene expression modulated by nitric oxide in the defense response of Arabidopsis thaliana to the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae. 2013. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia Campinas, SP.