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Early Changes in Gene Expression Induced by Acute UV Exposure in Leaves of Psychotria brachyceras, a Bioactive Alkaloid Accumulating Plant

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Abstract

UV-B radiation can damage biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins, halting essential cellular processes; this damage is partly due to ROS generation. Plant secondary metabolites may protect against UV-B. Psychotria brachyceras Müll. Arg. (Rubiaceae), a subtropical shrub, produces brachycerine, a monoterpene indole alkaloid mainly accumulated in leaf tissues, which displays antioxidant and antimutagenic activities. Exposure of P. brachyceras cuttings to UV-B radiation significantly increases leaf brachycerine concentration. It has been suggested that this alkaloid might contribute to protection against UV-B damage both through its quenching activity on ROS and as UV shield. To identify differentially expressed genes of P. brachyceras in response to UV-B and investigate a possible influence of this stimulus on putative brachycerine-related genes, suppressive subtractive hybridization was applied. Complementary DNA from UV-B-treated leaves for 24 h was used as tester, and cDNA from untreated leaves, as driver. After BLASTX alignments, 134 sequences matched plant genes. Using quantitative RT-PCR, selected genes potentially related to brachycerine showed significant increases in transcription after UV-B exposure: tryptophan decarboxylase, ACC oxidase, UDP-glucose glucosyltransferase, lipase, and serine/threonine kinase. Results suggest a possible involvement of brachycerine in acute UV-B responses and show that alkaloid accumulation seems at least partly regulated at transcriptional level.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Brazilian Science Agencies CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), CAPES (National Commission for Graduate Program Evaluation), and Fapergs (State Foundation for Research Support of Rio Grande do Sul). The authors thank Felipe K. Ricachenevsky, Plant Physiology Laboratory, Center for Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, for helpful technical tips and discussions, and Shana de Souto Weber, Center for Biotechnology, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil for providing bacterial competent cells.

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  1. Raul Antonio Sperotto

    Present address: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, UNIVATES, Lajeado, RS, 95900-000, Brazil

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Physiology Laboratory, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Center for Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), CP 15005, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil

    Naíla Cannes do Nascimento, Raul Antonio Sperotto, Márcia Rodrigues de Almeida & Arthur Germano Fett-Neto

  2. Plant Physiology Laboratory, Graduate Program in Botany, Biosciences Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), CP 15005, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil

    Paloma Koprovski Menguer & Arthur Germano Fett-Neto

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  1. Naíla Cannes do Nascimento
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Correspondence to Arthur Germano Fett-Neto.

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do Nascimento, N.C., Menguer, P.K., Sperotto, R.A. et al. Early Changes in Gene Expression Induced by Acute UV Exposure in Leaves of Psychotria brachyceras, a Bioactive Alkaloid Accumulating Plant. Mol Biotechnol 54, 79–91 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12033-012-9546-3

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