Project description:Mature seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana are desiccation tolerant, but they lose DT while progressing to germination. Yet, there is a small developmental window during which DT can be rescued by treatment with polyethylene glycol (PEG). We used microarrays to identify relevant genes in the re-establishment of desiccation tolerance by PEG.
Project description:Mature seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana are desiccation tolerant, but they lose DT while progressing to germination. Yet, there is a small developmental window during which DT can be rescued by treatment with abscisic acid (ABA). We used a time-series of microarrays to gain temporal resolution and identify relevant genes in the re-establishment of desiccation tolerance with ABA.
Project description:The combination of robust physiological models with “omics” studies holds promise for the discovery of genes and pathways linked to how organisms deal with drying. Here we used a transcriptomics approach in combination with an in vivo physiological model of re-establishment of desiccation tolerance (DT) in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds. We show that the incubation of desiccation-sensitive (DS) germinated Arabidopsis seeds in a polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution re-induces the mechanisms necessary for expression of DT. Based on a SNP-tile array gene expression profile, our data indicates that the re-establishment of DT, in this system, is related to a programmed reversion from a metabolic active to a quiescent state similar to prior to germination. Our findings show that transcripts of germinated seeds after the PEG treatment are dominated by those encoding LEA, seed storage and dormancy-related proteins. On the other hand, a massive repression of genes belonging to many other classes such as photosynthesis, cell wall modification and energy metabolism occurs in parallel. Furthermore, comparison with a similar system for Medicago truncatula reveals a significant overlap between the two transcriptomes. Such overlap may highlight core mechanisms and key regulators of the trait DT. Taking into account the availability of the many genetic and molecular resources for Arabidopsis, the described system may prove useful for unraveling DT in higher plants. Desiccation-sensitive seeds vs. desiccation-tolerant seeds in the same developmental stage in triplicate.
Project description:The combination of robust physiological models with “omics” studies holds promise for the discovery of genes and pathways linked to how organisms deal with drying. Here we used a transcriptomics approach in combination with an in vivo physiological model of re-establishment of desiccation tolerance (DT) in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds. We show that the incubation of desiccation-sensitive (DS) germinated Arabidopsis seeds in a polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution re-induces the mechanisms necessary for expression of DT. Based on a SNP-tile array gene expression profile, our data indicates that the re-establishment of DT, in this system, is related to a programmed reversion from a metabolic active to a quiescent state similar to prior to germination. Our findings show that transcripts of germinated seeds after the PEG treatment are dominated by those encoding LEA, seed storage and dormancy-related proteins. On the other hand, a massive repression of genes belonging to many other classes such as photosynthesis, cell wall modification and energy metabolism occurs in parallel. Furthermore, comparison with a similar system for Medicago truncatula reveals a significant overlap between the two transcriptomes. Such overlap may highlight core mechanisms and key regulators of the trait DT. Taking into account the availability of the many genetic and molecular resources for Arabidopsis, the described system may prove useful for unraveling DT in higher plants.
Project description:Desiccation tolerance (DT) allowed seed plants to conquer ecosystems with long periods of limited water availability. This adaptive features allows seeds to remain dried for very long times without losing their ability to germinate. There is little information about all the signaling components required to achieve DT and on how transcription factors (TFs) modulate global DT processes. We performed RNA-seq experiment and carbohydrates profiles of lec1, lec2, fus3 and abi3, as well as their corresponding wild types, at three stages of seed development 15, 17 and 21 DAF (day after open flower) belonging to the seed desiccation period. A complex experimental design approach and regulatory networks prediction were used to identify differentially expressed genes specifically involved in DT process.