Aura I. Urrea

Stress responses of tomato protoplasts to copper and paraquat

Plants are often exposed to external biotic or abiotic agents that can damage cells. Biotic agents include molecules produced by pathogens, and abiotic agents include ultraviolet radiation, heavy metals and xenobiotic agents such as herbicides. Because of the importance of abiotic stresses and the limited knowledge of the defense responses of plants to stresses, a study was conducted using flow cytometry to evaluate endocellular events in protoplasts of two tomato species, Lycopersicon hirsutum and Lycopersicon esculentum, following exposure to 10 mM CuCl2 and 1% paraquat. During the first 30 min of exposure to 10 mM CuCl2, mean fluorescence intensity values in both species decreased by more than 50% compared to the untreated control. During the first 30 min of paraquat treatment, the production of reactive oxygen species, evaluated as the incidence of protoplasts in which the superoxide anion was present, was 32.9 % and 25.4%, respectively, for L. hirsutum and L. esculentum. Hyperpolarization of the mitochondria for both tomatoes species was observed during the first 2 h. The absence of early membrane damage and the markedly detrimental effects of the treatments on the mitochondria suggest that additional mechanisms which lead to cell death may be involved in these processes, and that these mechanisms may be associated with apoptosis.

Transcriptomic analyses of cacao cell suspensions in light and dark provide target genes for controlled flavonoid production.

Catechins, including catechin (C) and epicatechin (E), are the main type of flavonoids in cacao seeds. They play important roles in plant defense and have been associated with human health benefits. Although flavonoid biosynthesis has been extensively studied using in vitro and in vivo models, the regulatory mechanisms controlling their accumulation under light/dark conditions remain poorly understood. To identify differences in flavonoid biosynthesis (particularly catechins) under different light treatments, we used cacao cell suspensions exposed to white-blue light and darkness during 14 days. RNA-Seq was applied to evaluate differential gene expression. Our results indicate that light can effectively regulate flavonoid profiles, inducing a faster accumulation of phenolic compounds and shifting E/C ratios, in particular as a response to switching from white to blue light. The results demonstrated that HY5, MYB12, ANR and LAR were differentially regulated under light/dark conditions and could be targeted by overexpression aiming to improve catechin synthesis in cell cultures. In conclusion, our RNA-Seq analysis of cacao cells cultured under different light conditions provides a platform to dissect key aspects into the genetic regulatory network of flavonoids. These light-responsive candidate genes can be used further to modulate the flavonoid production in in vitro systems with value-added characteristics.