Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “transcript abundance”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,063 records · Page 59Linked to original sources

Nitric oxide induces stomatal closure and enhances the adaptive plant responses against drought stress.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a very active molecule involved in many and diverse biological pathways where it has proved to be protective against damages provoked by oxidative stress conditions. In this work, we studied the effect of two NO donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine SNP-treated on the response of wheat (Triticum aestivum) to water stress conditions. After 2 and 3 h of drought, detached wheat leaves pretreated with 150 microM SNP retained up to 15% more water than those pretreated with water or NO(2)(-)/NO(3)(-). The effect of SNP treatment on water retention was also found in wheat seedlings after 7 d of drought. These results were consistent with a 20% decrease in the transpiration rate of SNP-treated detached wheat leaves for the same analyzed time. In parallel experiments, NO was also able to induce a 35%, 30%, and 65% of stomatal closure in three different species, Tradescantia sp. (monocotyledonous) and two dicotyledonous, Salpichroa organifolia and fava bean (Vicia faba), respectively. In SNP-treated leaves of Tradescantia sp., the stomatal closure was correlated with a 10% increase on RWC. Ion leakage, a cell injury index, was 25% lower in SNP-treated wheat leaves compared with control ones after the recovery period. Carboxy-PTIO (2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide), a specific NO scavenger, reverted SNP action by restoring the transpiration rate, stomatal aperture, and the ion leakage to the level found in untreated leaves. Northern-blot analysis showed that SNP-treated wheat leaves display a 2-fold accumulation of a group three late embryogenesis abundant transcript with respect to control leaves both after 2 and 4 h of drought periods. All together, these results suggest that the exogenous application of NO donors might confer an increased tolerance to severe drought stress conditions in plants.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Leaf vitamin C contents modulate plant defense transcripts and regulate genes that control development through hormone signaling.

Vitamin C deficiency in the Arabidopsis mutant vtc1 causes slow growth and late flowering. This is not attributable to changes in photosynthesis or increased oxidative stress. We have used the vtc1 mutant to provide a molecular signature for vitamin C deficiency in plants. Using statistical analysis, we show that 171 genes are expressed differentially in vtc1 compared with the wild type. Many defense genes are activated, particularly those that encode pathogenesis-related proteins. Furthermore, transcript changes indicate that growth and development are constrained in vtc1 by the modulation of abscisic acid signaling. Abscisic acid contents are significantly higher in vtc1 than in the wild type. Key features of the molecular signature of ascorbate deficiency can be reversed by incubating vtc1 leaf discs in ascorbate. This finding provides evidence that many of the observed effects on transcript abundance in vtc1 result from ascorbate deficiency. Hence, through modifying gene expression, vitamin C contents not only act to regulate defense and survival but also act via phytohormones to modulate plant growth under optimal conditions.

Abscisic Acid↗

Genetic characterization and functional analysis of the GID1 gibberellin receptors in Arabidopsis.

We investigated the physiological function of three Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of the gibberellin (GA) receptor GIBBERELLIN-INSENSITIVE DWARF1 (GID1) by determining the developmental consequences of GID1 inactivation in insertion mutants. Although single mutants developed normally, gid1a gid1c and gid1a gid1b displayed reduced stem height and lower male fertility, respectively, indicating some functional specificity. The triple mutant displayed a dwarf phenotype more severe than that of the extreme GA-deficient mutant ga1-3. Flower formation occurred in long days but was delayed, with severe defects in floral organ development. The triple mutant did not respond to applied GA. All three GID1 homologs were expressed in most tissues throughout development but differed in expression level. GA treatment reduced transcript abundance for all three GID1 genes, suggesting feedback regulation. The DELLA protein REPRESSOR OF ga1-3 (RGA) accumulated in the triple mutant, whose phenotype could be partially rescued by loss of RGA function. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro pull-down assays confirmed that GA enhances the interaction between GID1 and DELLA proteins. In addition, the N-terminal sequence containing the DELLA domain is necessary for GID1 binding. Furthermore, yeast three-hybrid assays showed that the GA-GID1 complex promotes the interaction between RGA and the F-box protein SLY1, a component of the SCF(SLY1) E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets the DELLA protein for degradation.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗

Heat shock protein HSP101 binds to the Fed-1 internal light regulator y element and mediates its high translational activity.

The internal light-regulatory element (iLRE) of ferredoxin (Fed-1) mRNA, comprising the 5' leader and at least the first 13 codons of the open reading frame, controls transcript abundance after illumination of the plant in a translation-dependent manner. We have characterized the RNA binding activities associated with the Fed-1 iLRE and have identified one activity as the heat shock protein HSP101, a protein shown to bind the 5' leader of tobacco mosaic virus. HSP101 was sufficient and necessary to mediate a high level of translational activity from a Fed-1 iLRE-containing mRNA in yeast. Moreover, the Fed-1 iLRE substantially enhanced translation of reporter mRNAs in plant protoplasts expressing HSP101. Expression of HSP101 was subject to developmental regulation in leaves in that expression was highest in young leaves. These data suggest that Fed-1 mRNA may use the HSP101 regulatory mechanism as a means of ensuring a high level of translation required for the light-mediated regulation of Fed-1 mRNA stability.

Binding Sites↗

Differential regulation of superoxide dismutases in plants exposed to environmental stress.

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are metalloproteins that catalyze the dismutation of superoxide radicals to hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. The enzyme is ubiquitous in aerobic organisms where it plays a major role in defense against oxygen radical-mediated toxicity. In plants, environmental adversity often leads to the increased generation of reduced oxygen species and, consequently, SOD has been proposed to be important in plant stress tolerance. Here we describe the isolation of a cDNA clone encoding a cytosolic copper/zinc SOD from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. Using this, together with previously isolated cDNAs encoding the mitochondrial manganese SOD and the chloroplastic iron SOD as probes in RNA gel blot analyses, we have studied SOD transcript abundance during different stress conditions: in response to light, during photoinhibitory conditions (light combined with high or low temperatures), and in response to a xenobiotic stress imposed by the herbicide paraquat. Evidence is presented that iron SOD mRNA abundance increases whenever there is a chloroplast-localized oxidative stress, similar to the previous finding that manganese SOD responds to mitochondria-localized events. The diverse effects of the different stress conditions on SOD mRNA abundance thus might provide an insight into the way that each treatment affects the different subcellular compartments.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A horizontally transferred bacterial gene for pantothenic acid biosynthesis regulates diapause and reproduction in the spider mite Amphitetranychus viennensis.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has contributed substantially to the evolution of arthropod genomes, yet the functional significance of many horizontally acquired genes remains poorly understood. The hawthorn spider mite, Amphitetranychus viennensis, is a devastating agricultural pest whose high fecundity and overwintering diapause afford its exceptional ecological resilience. Through a genome-wide screen, we identified 37 high-confidence horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) in A. viennensis. Among these candidates, we prioritized AvPBL, a gene encoding pantothenate-β-alanine ligase, for functional characterization because it controls the rate-limiting step of a distinctly non-metazoan pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) biosynthesis pathway. RNAi-mediated suppression of AvPBL significantly reduced transcript abundance and endogenous pantothenic acid levels, triggering a 23.7% reduction in cumulative fecundity and severely compromising the mites' ability to enter winter diapause. Importantly, exogenous pantothenic acid supplementation rescued these reproductive and diapause defects, directly linking the observed phenotypes to the disruption of pantothenic acid biosynthesis. Our results demonstrate that the horizontally transferred bacterial gene AvPBL has been functionally integrated into the endogenous metabolic network of A. viennensis, playing a critical role in vitamin B5 biosynthesis, reproduction, and diapause regulation. These findings provide direct evidence that horizontally acquired metabolic genes can shape key life-history traits and drive adaptive evolution in arthropods.

Amphitetranychus viennensis↗

Postnatal changes in the expression of genes located in the callipyge region in sheep skeletal muscle.

The expression of five genes surrounding the callipyge (CLPG) mutation was analysed in skeletal muscles from lambs at one prenatal and two postnatal ages that coincide with the onset and establishment of muscle hypertrophy. Genotype-specific changes in transcript abundance were detected for paternal allele-specific DLK1 and PEG11 (the official symbol of the latter is RTL1) and the maternal allele-specific MEG3, PEG11AS and MEG8 when the mutation was inherited in cis. There were differences in the temporal and muscle-specific effects on expression between the maternal allele-specific genes and paternal allele-specific genes. Maternal inheritance of the CLPG allele had a significant effect on the expression of MEG3 and MEG8 at prenatal and postnatal ages, whereas paternal inheritance of DLK1 and PEG11 only affected postnatal expression. Genotype-specific changes in PEG11AS expression were detected only in prenatal muscle. Maternal inheritance of the mutation caused similar changes in MEG3 and MEG8 expression in the semimembranosus, which undergoes hypertrophy, and the supraspinatus, which does not hypertrophy. Paternal inheritance of the mutation caused changes in PEG11 expression in both muscles, although the magnitude of expression in semimembranosus was more than 100-fold greater than in supraspinatus. DLK1 expression was upregulated in callipyge animals at both postnatal ages in the semimembranosus, but there was no effect of genotype on DLK1 expression in the supraspinatus at any age. Increased DLK1 expression was likely the primary cause of muscle hypertrophy, but a contribution of PEG11 to the phenotype cannot be ruled out based on gene expression.

Animals↗

A glutathione S-transferase gene of the vector mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.

A cDNA (D7-8B) 1456 nucleotides in length was isolated from an adult, female-specific Anopheles gambiae library and identified as a member of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene family by virtue of the inferred amino acid sequence. The gene, AgGST2-1, specifies a protein that is 57% identical to the Drosophila melanogaster gene, DmGST-2. The conceptual translation product also shows similarity to the pi family of vertebrate GSTs. Northern analysis reveals multiple and abundant transcription products in larval, pupal and adult RNA preparations. Southern analyses of genomic DNA and hybridizations in situ to polytene chromosomes both suggest that there are multiple members of the GST gene family in Anopheles gambiae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

An immune responsive factor D-like serine proteinase homologue identified from the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis.

A Dermacentor variabilis cDNA encoding a clip-domain serine proteinase homologue with glycine replacing the catalytic serine was identified from tick haemocytes. The D. variabilis product was most similar to Tachypleus tridentatus haemocyte antimicrobial factor D and shared significant homologies with a number of immune-responsive gene products of arthropods, including insect prophenoloxidase-activating cofactors. Northern blotting analyses confirmed that the tick serine proteinase homologue expression levels were highest in haemocytes, and to lesser degrees in ovaries and then salivary glands whereas steady-state levels of expression in whole ticks were found to be slightly higher in fed versus unfed adults or eggs. Challenge of fed adults by Escherichia coli injection demonstrated that transcript abundance was significantly increased above those of naive controls in a temporal fashion. Additionally, an apparent orthologue of the D. variabilis clip-domain molecule was cloned, and expression detected, from a Dermacentor andersoni cell line indicating cross species conservation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cloning and analysis of mRNAs expressed specifically in the human epididymis.

Differential cDNA screening identified four new genes that are expressed specifically in the human epididymis. Their corresponding mRNAs are relatively short, ranging from 0.7 to 1.0 kb, and belong to a class of abundant or moderately abundant transcripts. Tissue-specific expression was pronounced for all four sequences, which showed no hybridization signals with RNA from eight different human tissues. Cross-hybridization with epididymal RNAs from some non-rodent mammalian species was observed with two cDNAs; the remaining two transcripts failed to cross-hybridize with any of the animal epididymal RNAs tested.

Aged↗

Parallel analysis of transcript levels and physiological key parameters allows the identification of stress phase gene markers in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under copper excess.

Excessive copper concentrations, known to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, have been tested with respect to their effects on transcript abundance and related proteins involved in oxidative stress responses. The results show that the stromal photosynthetic functions were more ROS sensitive than the membrane-located reactions. The rbcL over-expression compensated for the damage only at 10 microM Cu, whereas the genetic stimulation of alpha-tocopherol biosynthesis led to the protection of membrane reactions up to 50-100 microM Cu. For this reason, the gradual growth drop of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cultures observed under increasing Cu(2+) concentrations matched better with the loss of photosynthetic capacity than with those of photosynthetic quantum yields. According to Larcher's stress concept, the results allow the identification of gene markers for the alarm (rbcL), the hardening (FeSOD, VTE3) and the exhaustion [cyclin-dependent protein kinase (cdk), psbA] phases. These genes can be used to rapidly evaluate the state of oxidative stress in algae and putatively in other plant cells.

Animals↗

Quantification of allele-specific expression of a gene encoding strawberry polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein (PGIP) using Pyrosequencing.

Recent studies indicate that allele-specific differences in gene expression are a common phenomenon. The extent to which differential allelic expression exists might be underestimated, due to the limited accuracy of the methods used so far. To demonstrate allele-specific expression, we investigated the transcript abundance of six individual, highly homologous alleles of a polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein gene (FaPGIP) from octoploid strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa). We applied the highly quantitative Pyrosequencing method which, for the gene under study, detected allele frequency differences as small as 4.0 +/- 2.8%. Pyrosequencing of RT-PCR products showed that one FaPGIP allele was preferentially expressed in leaf tissue, while two other alleles were expressed in a fruit-specific way. For fruits that were inoculated with Botrytis cinerea a strong increase in overall FaPGIP gene expression was observed. This upregulation was accompanied by a significant change in FaPGIP allele frequencies when compared with non-treated fruits. Remarkably, in the five cultivars tested, the allele frequency in cDNA from the inoculated fruits was similar to that in genomic DNA, suggesting uniform upregulation of all FaPGIP alleles present as a result of pathogenesis-related stress. The results demonstrate that when Pyrosequencing of RT-PCR products is performed, novel allele-specific gene regulation can be detected and quantified.

Alleles↗

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals significant differences in gene expression and signalling pathways between developmental and dark/starvation-induced senescence in Arabidopsis.

An analysis of changes in global gene expression patterns during developmental leaf senescence in Arabidopsis has identified more than 800 genes that show a reproducible increase in transcript abundance. This extensive change illustrates the dramatic alterations in cell metabolism that underpin the developmental transition from a photosynthetically active leaf to a senescing organ which functions as a source of mobilizable nutrients. Comparison of changes in gene expression patterns during natural leaf senescence with those identified, when senescence is artificially induced in leaves induced to senesce by darkness or during sucrose starvation-induced senescence in cell suspension cultures, has shown not only similarities but also considerable differences. The data suggest that alternative pathways for essential metabolic processes such as nitrogen mobilization are used in different senescent systems. Gene expression patterns in the senescent cell suspension cultures are more similar to those for dark-induced senescence and this may be a consequence of sugar starvation in both tissues. Gene expression analysis in senescing leaves of plant lines defective in signalling pathways involving salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene has shown that these three pathways are all required for expression of many genes during developmental senescence. The JA/ethylene pathways also appear to operate in regulating gene expression in dark-induced and cell suspension senescence whereas the SA pathway is not involved. The importance of the SA pathway in the senescence process is illustrated by the discovery that developmental leaf senescence, but not dark-induced senescence, is delayed in plants defective in the SA pathway.

Arabidopsis↗

Identification and expression analysis of two inorganic C- and N-responsive genes encoding novel and distinct molecular forms of eukaryotic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC [Ppc]) has been previously purified and characterized in biochemical and immunological terms from two green microalgae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Selenastrum minutum. The findings indicate that these algae possess at least two distinct PEPC enzyme-forms, homotetrameric Class-1 and heteromeric Class-2, that differ significantly from each other and their plant and prokaryotic counterparts. Surprisingly, however, green-algal PEPC has been unexplored to date in molecular terms. This study reports the molecular cloning of the two Ppc genes in C. reinhardtii (CrPpc1, CrPpc2), each of which is transcribed in vivo and encodes a fully active, recombinant PEPC that lacks the regulatory, N-terminal seryl-phosphorylation domain that typifies the vascular-plant enzyme. These distinct catalytic subunit-types differ with respect to their (i) predicted molecular mass ( approximately 108.9 [CrPpc1] versus approximately 131.2 kDa [CrPpc2]) and critical C-terminal tetrapeptide; and (ii) immunoreactivity with antisera against the p102 and p130 polypeptides of S. minutum PEPC1/PEPC2 and PEPC2, respectively. Only the Ppc1 transcript encodes the p102 catalytic subunits common to both Class-1 and Class-2 enzyme-forms in C. reinhardtii. The steady-state transcript levels of both CrPpc1/2 are coordinately up-/down-regulated by changes in [CO2] or [NH] during growth, and generally mirror the response of cytoplasmic glutamine synthetase (Gs1) transcript abundance to changes in inorganic [N] at 5% CO2. These collective findings provide key molecular insight into the Ppc genes and corresponding PEPC catalytic subunits in the eukaryotic algae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Siderophore-mediated upregulation of Arabidopsis ferritin expression in response to Erwinia chrysanthemi infection.

Ferritins are multimeric iron storage proteins encoded by a four-member gene family in Arabidopsis (AtFer1-4). To investigate whether iron sequestration in ferritins is a part of an iron-withholding defense system induced in response to bacterial invasion, we used Arabidopsis thaliana as a susceptible host for the pathogenic bacterium Erwinia chrysanthemi. In this study, we used a T-DNA insertion mutant line to show that the lack of a functional AtFer1 gene resulted in an enhanced susceptibility of Arabidopsis plants to E. chrysanthemi. We found that the AtFer1 gene is upregulated during infection, with a biphasic accumulation of the transcript at critical time points 0.5 and 24 h post-infection (p.i.). The activation of AtFer1 expression observed at 24 h p.i. was independent of the iron-dependent regulatory sequence (IDRS) known to mediate the transcriptional response of the AtFer1 gene to iron excess and to nitric oxide. Upregulation of AtFer1 gene expression was compromised after inoculation with an E. chrysanthemi siderophore null mutant. Infiltration of the purified siderophores chrysobactin and desferrioxamine strongly increased AtFer1 transcript abundance and it did not occur with the iron-loaded forms of these siderophores. We found that neither oxidative stress nor nitric oxide was involved in the plant response to chrysobactin. Our data show that ferritin accumulation during infection of Arabidopsis by E. chrysanthemi is a basal defense mechanism which is mainly activated by bacterial siderophores. The potential role of siderophores in this process is discussed.

Arabidopsis↗

EgMYB2, a new transcriptional activator from Eucalyptus xylem, regulates secondary cell wall formation and lignin biosynthesis.

Summary EgMYB2, a member of a new subgroup of the R2R3 MYB family of transcription factors, was cloned from a library consisting of RNA from differentiating Eucalyptus xylem. EgMYB2 maps to a unique locus on the Eucalyptus grandis linkage map and co-localizes with a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for lignin content. Recombinant EgMYB2 protein was able to bind specifically the cis-regulatory regions of the promoters of two lignin biosynthetic genes, cinnamoyl-coenzyme A reductase (CCR) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), which contain MYB consensus binding sites. EgMYB2 was also able to regulate their transcription in both transient and stable expression assays. Transgenic tobacco plants over-expressing EgMYB2 displayed phenotypic changes relative to wild-type plants, among which were a dramatic increase in secondary cell wall thickness, and an alteration of the lignin profiles. Transcript abundance of genes encoding enzymes specific to lignin biosynthesis was increased to varying extents according to the position of individual genes in the pathway, whereas core phenylpropanoid genes were not significantly affected. Together these results suggest a role for EgMYB2 in the co-ordinated control of genes belonging to the monolignol-specific pathway, and therefore in the biosynthesis of lignin and the regulation of secondary cell wall formation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Reorganization of the alternative pathways of the Arabidopsis respiratory chain by nitrogen supply: opposing effects of ammonium and nitrate.

The mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system in plants possesses a variety of alternative pathways that decrease respiratory ATP production. These alternative pathways are mediated by three classes of bypass proteins: the type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases (which circumvent complex I of the electron transport chain), the alternative oxidases (AOXs; which circumvent complexes III and IV) and the uncoupling proteins (which circumvent ATP synthase). We have monitored the expression of all genes encoding respiratory bypass proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana growing with different sources of inorganic nitrogen (N). Resupply of nitrate (NO) to N-limited seedling cultures caused a decrease in the transcript abundance of several type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenase and AOX genes, while resupply of ammonium (NH) led to broad increases in expression in the same gene families. Similar results were observed upon switching between nitrate and ammonium in the absence of N stress. Nitrate signalling was found to be mediated primarily by the nitrate ion itself, whereas ammonium regulation was dependent upon assimilation and affected by changes in apoplastic pH. Corresponding alterations in alternative respiratory pathway capacities were apparent in seedlings supplied with either nitrate or ammonium as an N source and in mitochondria purified from the seedlings. Specifically, AOX capacity and protein abundance, as well as calcium-dependent external NADH oxidation, were substantially elevated after growth on ammonium. The increased capacity of respiratory bypass pathways after switching from nitrate to ammonium was correlated to an overall respiratory increase.

Arabidopsis↗

Time of day modulates low-temperature Ca signals in Arabidopsis.

We tested the hypothesis that the circadian clock modulates Ca(2+)-based signalling pathways, using low-temperature (LT)-induced Ca(2+) signals. We investigated the relationship between diurnal and circadian modulation of LT-induced increases in cytosolic-free calcium ([Ca(2+)](cyt)), and regulation of [Ca(2+)](cyt)-dependent outputs of the LT-signalling network (RD29A transcript abundance and stomatal closure). We measured [Ca(2+)](cyt) non-invasively using aequorin, and targeted aequorin to the guard cell using a guard cell-specific GAL4-green fluorescent protein enhancer trap line. LT caused transient increases in whole plant and guard cell [Ca(2+)](cyt). In guard cells, the LT-induced [Ca(2+)](cyt) elevation preceded stomatal closure. In whole plants, the magnitude of LT-induced [Ca(2+)](cyt) transients, measured from the entire plant or specifically the guard cell, varied with the time of day: LT-induced [Ca(2+)](cyt) transients were significantly higher during the mid-photoperiod than at the beginning or end. Diurnal variation in LT-induced guard cell [Ca(2+)](cyt) increases was not correlated to diurnal variation in LT-induced stomatal closure. There was circadian modulation of LT-induced whole plant [Ca(2+)](cyt) increases, which were correlated to the circadian pattern of RD29A induction. In order to understand the significance of LT-induced [Ca(2+)](cyt) increases, we used a computer simulation to demonstrate that, in guard cells, LT-induced [Ca(2+)](cyt) increases measured from a population of cells are likely to represent the summation of cold-induced single-cell [Ca(2+)](cyt) oscillations.

Aequorin↗