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Zinc supply impacts on the relative expression of a metallothionein-like gene in Coffea arabica plants

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Abstract

Background and aims

Zinc (Zn) is an essential nutrient for plants, as it functions as a component and cofactor of enzymes. Metallothioneins (MTs), are known to participate in the process of metal homeostasis have been hypothesized to be partially responsible for the distribution of Zn in plants. We aimed to characterize putative MT-like genes and to analyze their expression in response to Zn supplementation in coffee.

Methods

Coffee seedlings were cultivated in Hoagland’s solution without Zn, and after 120 days, Zn was supplied at different concentrations. Fully expanded leaves were collected for analysis of MT relative gene expression, Zn concentrations and enzymatic activity.

Results

Seven putative genes were obtained in a search of the CAFEST database. Electronic Northern analysis revealed that MTs were expressed in different tissues, developmental stages and mostly under arachidonic acid treatment. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) quantification indicated that the Zn dose influenced the enzymatic activity; the lowest being at 0.6 % Zn. Quantitative expression analyses of putative MTs demonstrated that these genes are differentially expressed in response to Zn supplementation.

Conclusions

There is a positive correlation between MT relative expression and Zn concentration and we believe that MTs play an important role in Zn homeostasis in coffee.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Physiology of Plants (LBFMP) and the Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology (LFMP) of the Federal University of Lavras and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for providing the fellowships, the Minas Gerais Research Foundation (FAPEMIG) and National Institute for Science and Technology for Coffee (INCT-Café) for funding this work and the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education (CAPES) for providing grants.

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  1. Laboratório de Fisiologia Molecular de Plantas, Departamento de Biologia, Setor de Fisiologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Caixa Postal 3037, Lavras, Minas Gerais, CEP 37200-000, Brazil

    Bárbara Castanheira Ferrara Barbosa, Samuel Chaves Silva & Antonio Chalfun Jr.

  2. Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Avenida Cândido Rondon, 400 Cidade Universitária, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083875, Brazil

    Raphael Ricon de Oliveira

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  1. Bárbara Castanheira Ferrara Barbosa
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  2. Samuel Chaves Silva
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Barbosa, B.C.F., Silva, S.C., de Oliveira, R.R. et al. Zinc supply impacts on the relative expression of a metallothionein-like gene in Coffea arabica plants. Plant Soil 411, 179–191 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2983-1

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