Promoter activity of genes encoding the Specific Tissue protein family in the reproductive organs of Medicago truncatula

The "Specific Tissue" (ST) are proteins of unknown function present only in some plant families, mainly Fabaceae and Asteraceae. They are included in the PF10950 protein family and characterized by the presence of at least one domain of unknown function (DUF)2775. In this work we studied t...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Albornos, Lucía, Martín Sánchez, José Ignacio, Labrador, Emilia, Dopico, Berta
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
Repositorio:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
OAI Identifier:oai:gredos.usal.es:10366/156674
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156674
Access Level:acceso embargado
Palavra-chave:Barrel medic
DUF2775
Flowers
Fruits
Nutrient mobilisation
Vascular bundles
Descrição
Resumo:The "Specific Tissue" (ST) are proteins of unknown function present only in some plant families, mainly Fabaceae and Asteraceae. They are included in the PF10950 protein family and characterized by the presence of at least one domain of unknown function (DUF)2775. In this work we studied the involvement of the six members of the Medicago truncatula ST family (ST1 to ST6) in the development of flowers, fruits, and seeds by analysing the activity of their promoters (pST) after the construction of M. truncatula transgenic plants expressing the b-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene under the control of the six pSTs. The GUS activity was analysed in whole flowers and fruits and also in histological sections of these organs. The pST expression in the reproductive organs was mainly associated with the vascular bundles, especially throughout fruit development. These results pointed to an important role of ST proteins during the reproductive development stage, related to nutrient mobilization during the fruit and seed formation, that could be facilitated by their presence in the pod vascular bundles, as well as in the connective tissue of the anthers (ST3, ST4, ST6), in the placenta, the funiculus, and the outer parts of the developing seed (ST2, ST3, ST6). The observations made in this study were in agreement with the functions previously established for the three groups of M. truncatula ST proteins, as in the proposed function for ST1 in the transport and assimilation of nutrients, or the involvement of ST4, ST5, and ST6 in floral defence.