Metabolic Characterization of Folate Precursor Paba Uncovers Its Folate Independent Activity on Root Growth of Arabidopsis Thaliana
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Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau Metabolic characterization of folate precursor pABA uncovers its folate independent activity on root growth of Arabidopsis thaliana . Philip Kochersperger Institut für Biologie II (Botanik) September 2011 Dekan: Prof. Dr. Gunther Neuhaus Promotionsvorsitzender: Prof. Dr. Samuel Rossel Betreuer der Arbeit: Prof. Dr. Klaus Palme und Dr. Franck Ditengou Kogutachter: Prof. Dr. Thomas Laux Drittprüfer: Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski Tag der Verkündigung des Prüfungsergebnisses: 04.05.2012 2 I Table of contents I Table of contents ...................................................................................................... 3 II Figure index ............................................................................................................. 6 III Table index ............................................................................................................. 6 IV Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... 7 V Zusammenfassung auf Deutsch ............................................................................ 11 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 12 1.1 Abstract ........................................................................................................... 12 1.2 Folates are essential cofactors for almost all living organisms ........................ 12 1.3 Folates synthesis in plants .............................................................................. 13 1.4 Folates synthesis in plant tissues .................................................................... 14 1.5 Folate biofortification in tomato and rice .......................................................... 14 1.6 pABA metabolism ............................................................................................ 15 1.7 pABA and other important benzoic acid derivatives ........................................ 17 1.8 The plant hormone auxin ................................................................................. 17 1.9 Definition of auxins based on their molecular structure and bioassays ........... 18 1.10 Definition of auxins based on receptor binding .............................................. 20 1.11 Auxin transport .............................................................................................. 21 1.11 The root of Arabidopsis thaliana .................................................................... 22 1.12 Organization of the root apical meristem ....................................................... 23 1.13 Cell files of the Arabidopsis root .................................................................... 24 1.14 Gravity perception and response in the Arabidopsis root tip ......................... 25 1.15 Aims of the study ........................................................................................... 26 2 Results ................................................................................................................... 27 2.1 pABA activity on root growth ........................................................................... 27 2.2 EMS mutants resistant to pABA activity .......................................................... 28 2.3 pABA activity compared to auxin activity ......................................................... 30 2.4 Molecular properties of pABA compared to auxins .......................................... 32 2.5 ADCS is the key enzyme for pABA synthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana ............. 33 2.6 Overexpression of ADCS affects plant development ....................................... 36 2.7 Sensitivity of ugt75b to pABA .......................................................................... 38 2.8 Expression pattern of ADCS, DHPS and UGT75B in roots ............................. 39 3 2.9 IAA activity in lex::UGT75B background .......................................................... 43 3 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 44 3.1 pABA activity depends on the auxin pathway .................................................. 44 3.2 Anti-auxinic activity of pABA ............................................................................ 44 3.3 Auxinic activity of pABA ................................................................................... 45 3.4 pABA molecular structure and auxinic properties ............................................ 46 3.5 The importance of ADCS for pABA synthesis ................................................. 46 3.6 Overexpression of ADCS results in alteration in plant growth. ........................ 47 3.7 Importance of UGT75B for pABA activity ........................................................ 48 3.8 Role of UGT75B for root growth ...................................................................... 48 3.9 Expression domains of genes involved in pABA metabolism .......................... 49 3.10 A possible model for pABA activity ................................................................ 51 3.11 Achievements ................................................................................................ 51 4 Material and Methods ............................................................................................ 53 4.1 Materials .......................................................................................................... 53 4.1.1 Plant lines ................................................................................................. 53 4.1.2 Accession numbers ................................................................................... 53 4.1.3 Bacterial lines ............................................................................................ 54 4.1.4 Plasmids ................................................................................................... 54 4.1.5 Oligonucleotides ........................................................................................ 55 4.1.6 Molecular biology material......................................................................... 56 4.1.7 Chemicals ................................................................................................. 56 4.1.8 Other materials .......................................................................................... 58 4.1.9 Devices ..................................................................................................... 58 4.1.10 Programs................................................................................................. 59 4.1.11 Plant media ............................................................................................. 59 4.1.12 Bacterial media ....................................................................................... 60 4.1.13 Buffers and solutions ............................................................................... 61 4.2 Methods........................................................................................................... 63 4.2.1 Arabidopsis thaliana seed sterilization ...................................................... 63 4.2.2 Plant growth conditions ............................................................................. 63 4.2.3 Extraction of plant DNA ............................................................................. 63 4.2.4 Transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana ..................................................... 64 4.2.5 Selection of transformed plants ................................................................. 64 4 4.2.6 Analysis of putative transformed lines ....................................................... 64 4.2.7 RNA extraction from plants ....................................................................... 65 4.2.8 GUS staining of Arabidopsis thaliana ........................................................ 65 4.2.9 Root length measurements ....................................................................... 65 4.2.10 Measurement of root hair length ............................................................. 65 4.2.11 Count of lateral and adventitious roots .................................................... 65 4.2.12 Genotyping of the T-DNA insertion lines ................................................. 65 4.2.13 EMS mutagenesis of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds ................................... 66 4.2.14 Identification of pABA resistant EMS mutants ......................................... 66 4.2.15 Microscopy .............................................................................................. 66 4.2.16 Preparation of electro-competent E. coli cells ......................................... 66 4.2.17 Preparation of competent A. tumefaciens cells ....................................... 67 4.2.18 Transformation of chemically competent E. coli ...................................... 67 4.2.19 Transformation of competent A. tumefaciens cells .................................. 67 4.2.20 Minipreparation of plasmid DNA .............................................................. 68 4.3 Cloning procedures ......................................................................................... 68 4.3.1 General procedures .................................................................................. 68 4.3.2 BP Cloning ...............................................................................................