Physiology and transcriptome of maize grown on acid soil

Author(s)

Lucia Mattiello

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
• Defense date: 2010-08-23

Examining board members

Marcelo Menossi; Victor Alexandre Vitorello; Jurandir Vieira de Magalhães; José Andrés Yunes; Paulo Cavalcanti Gomes Ferreira

• Advisor: Marcelo Menossi; Jorge Renato Johann

Abstract

The presence of aluminum (Al) is the main factor limiting crops yield in Brazil and worldwide. The plant responses developed against this ion are complex and the identification of responsive genes after exposure to the ion with the use of a large scale technique, such as microarrays, can facilitate its comprehension. This project aimed to amplify the knowledge about physiology and gene expression regulation of roots and leaves associated towards Al resistance using contrasting maize genotypes (Cat100-6 (Al-tolerant) and S1587-17 (Al-sensitive) cultivated in acid soil containing phytotoxic concentrations of Al. Maize lines Cat100-6 and S1587-17 were cultivated for one or three days in acid soil (pH 4,1) or limed soil with Ca(OH)2 (pH 5,5). The genotype S1587-17 presented a higher root growth inhibition, which is highly correlated with Al accumulation in the root apexes and callose deposition. The physiological data confirms the discrimination of the two maize lines cultivated in soil, opening perspective to understand for the first time the molecular bases of alterations in plants on a closer condition to the field. Transcriptome from roots made possible the identification of possible tolerance candidates and genes constitutively expressed genes in the tolerant line. Additionally, throw a hydroponic experiment we splited the variables pH and Al presence, both differential conditions between soil treatments. It was possible to identify, among the candidates, genes responsive in the presence of Al in acid soil rather than acidity limiting genes with a possible roles in Al present in the acid soil tolerance to only three: retinol dehydrogenase, the transcription factor WRKY and an unknown protein. These results allow the conclusion that the soil culture is different in relation to hydropony, and other factors present only in soil substrate could provoke the induction of some genes. Several metabolic pathways were affected in the sensitive line after acid soil growth and could be involved on root growth inhibition such as lignin, cellulose and callose production and ethylene and auxin synthesis. The mapping of the identified genes through the microarray experiments into the chromosomes allowed the identification of genes localized into maize QTLs previously reported in the literature as responsible for the tolerant phenotype. Facing these results, we can speculate the role of these genes such as a RNA binding protein, a protease inhibitor, and cyclines in the Al present in the acid soil tolerance. For the first time in literature, the transcriptome of leaves collected after three days in culture with acid soil or limed soil with the Affymetrix microarrays. This analysis indicated great alterations in Cat100-6, meanwhile S1587-17 showed no significative alteration. Genes related to photosynthesis and photorespiration were down-regulated due acid soil treatment in the tolerant genotype. However, citric acid cycle was activated indicating the putative partitipation of organic acids produced in the leaves in thr Al response (AU)