Dataset Information

Conserved Cu-MicroRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana Function in Copper Economy under Deficiency.

ABSTRACT: Copper (Cu) is a micronutrient for plants. Three small RNAs, which are up-regulated by Cu deficiency and target transcripts for Cu proteins, are among the most conserved microRNAs in plants. It was hypothesized that these Cu-microRNAs help save Cu for the most essential Cu-proteins under deficiency. Testing this hypothesis has been a challenge due to the redundancy of the Cu microRNAs and the properties of the regulatory circuits that control Cu homeostasis. In order to investigate the role of Cu-microRNAs in Cu homeostasis during vegetative growth, we used a tandem target mimicry strategy to simultaneously inhibit the function of three conserved Cu-microRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana. When compared to wild-type, transgenic lines that express the tandem target mimicry construct showed reduced Cu-microRNA accumulation and increased accumulation of transcripts that encode Cu proteins. As a result, these mimicry lines showed impaired photosynthesis and growth compared to wild type on low Cu, which could be ascribed to a defect in accumulation of plastocyanin, a Cu-containing photosynthetic electron carrier, which is itself not a Cu-microRNA target. These data provide experimental support for a Cu economy model where the Cu-microRNAs together function to allow maturation of essential Cu proteins under impending deficiency.

SUBMITTER: Shahbaz M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6631055 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Conserved Cu-MicroRNAs in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> Function in Copper Economy under Deficiency.

Shahbaz Muhammad M Pilon Marinus M

Plants (Basel, Switzerland) 20190529 6

Copper (Cu) is a micronutrient for plants. Three small RNAs, which are up-regulated by Cu deficiency and target transcripts for Cu proteins, are among the most conserved microRNAs in plants. It was hypothesized that these Cu-microRNAs help save Cu for the most essential Cu-proteins under deficiency. Testing this hypothesis has been a challenge due to the redundancy of the Cu microRNAs and the properties of the regulatory circuits that control Cu homeostasis. In order to investigate the role of C ...[more]

PMID: 31146453

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Project description:Copper and iron are essential micronutrients for most living organisms because they participate as cofactors in biological processes including respiration, photosynthesis and oxidative stress protection. In many eukaryotic organisms, including yeast and mammals, copper and iron homeostases are highly interconnected; however such interdependence is not well established in higher plants. Here we propose that COPT2, a high-affinity copper transport protein, functions under copper and iron deficiencies in Arabidopsis thaliana. COPT2 is a plasma membrane protein that functions in copper acquisition and distribution. Characterization of the COPT2 expression pattern indicates a synergic response to copper and iron limitation in roots. We have characterized a knockout of COPT2, copt2-1, that leads to increased resistance to simultaneous copper and iron deficiencies, measured as reduced leaf chlorosis and improved maintenance of the photosynthetic apparatus. We propose that COPT2 expression could play a dual role under Fe deficiency. First, COPT2 participates in the attenuation of copper deficiency responses driven by iron limitation maybe aimed to minimize further iron consume. On the other hand, global expression analyses of copt2-1 mutants versus wild type Arabidopsis plants indicate that low phosphate responses are increased in copt2-1 plants. In this sense, COPT2 function under Fe deficiency counteracts low phosphate responses. These results open up new biotechnological approaches to fight iron deficiency in crops. Four biological replicates of Arabidopsis seedlings were generated for 2 genotypes, Col-0 and copt2-1 mutant; and 3 growth condictions; first one an iron(Fe) and copper(Cu) sufficient medium (+Fe + Cu), second one an Fe deficient and Cu sufficient medium (-Fe+Cu) and third one an Fe and Cu deficient medium (-Fe-Cu). For each growth one comparasion was made, copt2-1 mutant versus Col-0; in each comparasion four biological replicates were made, two replicas were labeled with Cy5 for the mutant sample and Cy3 for the Col-0 sample, while the other two replicas were reversed-labeled.

Dataset Information

Conserved Cu-MicroRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana Function in Copper Economy under Deficiency.

Publications

Conserved Cu-MicroRNAs in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> Function in Copper Economy under Deficiency.

Similar Datasets

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