Project description:Aim: To determine the effect of an AtrbohC mutation on the gene expression pattern in primary root tissue, to identify candidate genes acting downstream of AtrbohC, particularly any encoding antioxidant-related proteins, signal transduction components or proteins known to be required for normal root-hair development. Background: Root-hairs are a model system for investigating plant cell polarity. The root-hair mutant rhd2 (Schiefelbein and Somerville, 1990. Plant Cell, 2:235) has short hairs that burst at their tips, (Jones and Smirnoff, unpublished). RHD2 has been cloned and is identical to AtrbohC (L. Dolan, pers. comm.), which encodes a homologue of the superoxide-generating neutrophil respiratory burst oxidase catalytic subunit gp91phox (Torres et al., 1998. Plant J., 14:365). Superoxide rapidly dismutates to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), suggesting that the rhd2 phenotype may result from reduced H2O2 levels in root-hair cells. Low doses of exogenous antioxidants phenocopy the rhd2 root-hair phenotype in wild-type plants (Jones and Smirnoff, unpublished) further supporting a role for H2O2 in root-hair growth. Fluorescent dyes that detect H2O2 show distinct localisation patterns in growing root-hair cells, (Jones and Smirnoff, unpublished). H2O2 may be an important second messenger in plant cell signalling with proposed roles in the development of cotton fibres (Potikha et al., 1999. Plant Physiol., 119: 849) and in ABA-induced stomatal closure (Zhang et al., 2001. Plant Physiol., 126: 1438). In cultured Arabidopsis cells H2O2 induces gene expression, including that of a gp91phox homologue, (Desikan et al., 1998. J. Exp. Bot., 49: 1767; Desikan, et al., 2000. Free Rad. Biol. Med., 28: 773; Baxter-Burrell et al., 2002. Science, 296: 2026) and activates a MAP kinase cascade (Desikan et al., 1999. J. Exp Bot., 50: 1863). cDNA microarray technology has been used previously to examine the effects of H2O2 on gene expression during oxidative stress (Desikan et al., 2001. Plant Physiol., 127: 159). We wish to investigate the effects of H2O2 on gene expression during root development using the rhd2 mutant. We are currently determining the expression pattern of RHD2. By extracting RNA from the small region of the primary root (for wild-type and rhd2 plants grown in sterile conditions) where root hairs are growing we hope to enrich for root-hair RNAs. This may reveal candidate genes that could be examined more closely at the single-cell level. This approach will provide new insights into the role of H2O2 in root-hair development.

Project description:Aim: To determine the effect of an AtrbohC mutation on the gene expression pattern in primary root tissue, to identify candidate genes acting downstream of AtrbohC, particularly any encoding antioxidant-related proteins, signal transduction components or proteins known to be required for normal root-hair development. Background: Root-hairs are a model system for investigating plant cell polarity. The root-hair mutant rhd2 (Schiefelbein and Somerville, 1990. Plant Cell, 2:235) has short hairs that burst at their tips, (Jones and Smirnoff, unpublished). RHD2 has been cloned and is identical to AtrbohC (L. Dolan, pers. comm.), which encodes a homologue of the superoxide-generating neutrophil respiratory burst oxidase catalytic subunit gp91phox (Torres et al., 1998. Plant J., 14:365). Superoxide rapidly dismutates to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), suggesting that the rhd2 phenotype may result from reduced H2O2 levels in root-hair cells. Low doses of exogenous antioxidants phenocopy the rhd2 root-hair phenotype in wild-type plants (Jones and Smirnoff, unpublished) further supporting a role for H2O2 in root-hair growth. Fluorescent dyes that detect H2O2 show distinct localisation patterns in growing root-hair cells, (Jones and Smirnoff, unpublished). H2O2 may be an important second messenger in plant cell signalling with proposed roles in the development of cotton fibres (Potikha et al., 1999. Plant Physiol., 119: 849) and in ABA-induced stomatal closure (Zhang et al., 2001. Plant Physiol., 126: 1438). In cultured Arabidopsis cells H2O2 induces gene expression, including that of a gp91phox homologue, (Desikan et al., 1998. J. Exp. Bot., 49: 1767; Desikan, et al., 2000. Free Rad. Biol. Med., 28: 773; Baxter-Burrell et al., 2002. Science, 296: 2026) and activates a MAP kinase cascade (Desikan et al., 1999. J. Exp Bot., 50: 1863). cDNA microarray technology has been used previously to examine the effects of H2O2 on gene expression during oxidative stress (Desikan et al., 2001. Plant Physiol., 127: 159). We wish to investigate the effects of H2O2 on gene expression during root development using the rhd2 mutant. We are currently determining the expression pattern of RHD2. By extracting RNA from the small region of the primary root (for wild-type and rhd2 plants grown in sterile conditions) where root hairs are growing we hope to enrich for root-hair RNAs. This may reveal candidate genes that could be examined more closely at the single-cell level. This approach will provide new insights into the role of H2O2 in root-hair development. Keywords: strain_or_line_design

Project description:Nitric oxide (NO.) is a well-established signal in mammalian cells regulating e.g. smooth muscle tone, neurotransmission and apoptosis. NO interacts with superoxide (O2-) to derive the highly reactive peroxynitrite (ONOO-) radical leading to the generation of lipid hydroxy-peroxides (ROO.) and cell death. Thus the recent reports implicating of .NO in the Hypersensitive Response (HR) a form of programmed cell death elicited by pathogens in plantsis suggestive of parallel roles in animals and plants. As part of BBSRC funded programmes which are investigating oxidative signaling and cell death in Arabidopsis we have collaborated with the Trace Gas Detection facility at the University of Nijmegen to be the first to measure NO in planta from a developing HR (Mur et al.paper in prep). The challenge remains to understand the spatio-temporal role(s) of .NO during the HR and disease development. In line with other groups e.g. Klessig et al.(2000) PNAS 978849-55 we have observed that .NO mediated event are both SA- dependent and independent. We propose a two-stage programme to investigate NO events which will lead to subsequent BBSRC grant bids. Firstly to exploit the GARNET Affymetrix transcriptomic service to identify genes which are upregulated by .NO (see programme below). These will be compared with similar data generated by other members of the consortium; Dr. Steve Neill for oxidative stress (Desikan et al. (2001). Plant Physiol 127(1): 159-72; Clarke et al.2000 Plant J.; 24:667-77); Dr. Paul Kenton who is mainly interested in signaling by the oxylipid Jasmonic acid (Kentonet al. (1999). MPMI 12(1): 74-78) as well as from other sources. Though these data in themselves will suggest modes of NO action. However as a second approach we will clone the promoter of a strongly NO-responsive gene which will be fused to positive and negative selectable markers as well as reporter genes e.g. LUC. to identify Arabidopsis EMS mutants which are perturbed in NO-mediated events. Programme. Our in planta measurement show that from a baseline production of 1nl.g fwt-1h-1 NO levels rise to 6nl. g fwt-h-1 (_plus/- 1.1 SE) prior to cell death and to 25nl g fwt-h-1 (_plus/- 4.2 SE) at cell death following which the concentration falls. At this juncture we will intend to gas Arabidopsis to ~75ppb (the head-space concentration when NO production was at 6nl. g fwt-h-1). Prior to using the DNA RNA will establish that this does not elicit cell death over the proposed treatment period and that both PR1 (SA-dependent) and PAL1 (SA-independent) genes are induced. We will compare this plant with sealed but non-treated Arabidopsis. Future targets for DNA RNAs analysis induce plant treated with both NO (Sodium Nitro Prusside) and O2- (Xanthine oxidase) generators and depending on their effectiveness (to be assessed by NO measurement) HR lesions treated with Nitric Oxide Synthase inhibitors. Experiment Overall Design: Number of plants pooled:8

Project description:The proposal aims to characterise the pathways of DSB repair and recombination in Arabidopsis with the main focus of this research being the NHEJ pathway of illegitimate recombination. We will build on our expertise and resources in the field of DSB repair in plants, using the Arabidopsis NHEJ mutant atku80 which is an excellent model system for the study of DSB repair in higher eukaryotes (West et al., 2002 Plant J. 31, 517-28). Comparison of the transcriptome in NHEJ mutant and wild type plants under different experimental conditions will identify novel candidate genes involved in DNA DSB repair or damage signalling pathways.We will conduct 4 separate experiments on Arabidopsis seedlings grown on 0.5 MS media: the first will be a control consisting of Wassilewskija (WS-2) plants grown under standard conditions. In the second experiment WS plants will be exposed to the chemotherapeutic agent bleomycin (1 microgram per ml). This agent has been shown to cause both single and double strand breaks in the genome of Arabidopsis seedlings (Menke et al., 2001 Mut. Res. 493, 87-93). This agent is used in preference to gamma irradiation, which causes high levels of oxidative damage to cellular components. These experiments will characterise for the first time the transcriptional responses of Arabidopsis cells to the specific induction of DNA strand breaks. The transcript profile will also be determined in untreated atku80 mutants. This experiment will identify the components of novel and previously characterised DNA repair pathways up regulated in the mutant background. Finally, transcript analysis of bleomycin treated atku80 mutants and comparison with untreated mutant plants and both untreated and treated WS plants will identify novel putative DSB repair genes up regulated in response to genotoxic stress in the absence of a Ku80 mediated DSB repair pathway.The results of these studies will provide new and important information which will be instrumental in identifying novel genes and pathways involved in DNA repair and genome stability in plants and help elucidate the fundamental differences that exist between animal and plant DSB repair processes. Experiment Overall Design: Number of plants pooled:20

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Transcription profiling by array of Arabidopsis mutant for rhd2/ArtbohC

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