Modulation of mitochondrial activity by S-nitrosoglutathione reductase in response to nutritional stress in Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspensions

Author(s)

Lucas Frungillo

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
• Defense date: 2011-07-07

Examining board members

Ione Salgado; Ivan de Godoy Maia; Michel Georges Albert Vincentz

• Advisor: Ione Salgado

Abstract

Although the radical nitric oxide (NO) is an important sign in plants, little is known about the mechanisms that control it's homeostasis in cell. It is believed that the enzyme Snitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) has an important role in the metabolism of Snitrosothiols (SNO), and consequently of NO homeostasis through catabolism of Snitrosoglutathione (GSNO). Although mitochondria are an important target of NO, the role of GSNOR on plant mitochondria functionality has not been described yet. This study aimed to characterize mitochondria isolated from liquid cell culture of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana with higher (L1) and lower (L5) GSNOR expression relative to wild type. The content of S-nitrosothiols and hydrogen peroxide and the NO emissions, determined spectrophotometrically and fluorimetric with DAF-2, respectively, were compared between cells in the linear (5 days culture) and stationary (10 days culture, nutritional stress) growth phases. Oxygen uptake and NO degradation by mitochondria isolated at different stages of cell culture were determined with specific electrodes. In the linear phase L1 showed lower (81%) and L5 increased (162%) content of S-nitrosothiols compared to wild type. At stationary phase S-nitrosothiols contents has been reduced and the pattern was reversed. The emission of NO by the cells after 5 days of culture was higher in L5 and do not statistically different between the L1 and wild type. At 10 days culture the genotypes showed an increase in the NO emission, but L5 showed lower emissions than the other genotypes. At 5 culture transgenic lines L1 and L5 showed a lower content of hydrogen peroxide than the wild type. However, in a condition of nutritional stress, the content of hydrogen peroxide was statistically the same for all genotypes. Tests with isolated mitochondria showed that transgenic L1 was the only one unable to increase the activity of alternative oxidase (AOX) and had the activities of complex I and NADH dehydrogenase at stress. The L5 showed a constitutive higher activity of the external NADH dehydrogenase and uncoupling protein (UCP) activity at the tenth day. Furthermore, NO degradation capability by mitochondria at nutritional stress situation of NO was increased in transgenic L1 and L5. However, L5 mitochondria showed greater resistance to respiration inhibition caused by NO, probably due to increased activity of AOX. The overall results suggest an important GSNOR role in controlling the mitochondria functional changes of A. thaliana mediated by NO (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/07862-0 - Study of the effect of increased nitric oxide endogenous levels in the functional characteristics of plant mitochondria.
• Grantee: Lucas Frungillo Lima
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master