Functional characterization of the galacturosyltransferase 4 gene of tomato

• Grant number: 11/20068-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2011
• End date: May 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Maria Magdalena Rossi
• Grantee: Bruno Silvestre Lira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The galacturnosyltranferases are enzymes involved in the pectin synthesis, which is a fundamental constituent of the cell wall. Research with Arabidopsis thaliana identified 25 genes with similarities to galacturnosyltransferases, being grouped in two families: galacturonosyltransferases (GAUTs) with 15 members, and galacturonosyltransferases-like (GATLs) with 10 members. Although these enzymes great importance to plant development, up to date only one of Arabidopsis, named GAUT1, had its activity proved and characterized. Interestingly, mutants for all GAUTs were recovered except for GAUT4, indicating a specific and fundamental role of this protein during its development. Solanum lycopersicum is a specie of great nutritional and economic importance that became a model organism for the fleshy fruit plants. Recently, our research group identified the GAUT4 gene associated with a QTL to galacturonic acid content in the tomato fruit. Due to the importance of further knowledge about the composition and structure of the plant's cell wall for the tomato as much as for various biotechnological uses regarding bioenergy production, this project aims to the functional characterization of tomato GAUT 4. In order to fulfill this goal, the phenotypic characterization of silenced tomato plants for the gene of interest with different approaches and techniques will be done.(AU)