Effect of lead treatment on medicarpin accumulation and on the gene expression of key enzymes involved in medicarpin biosynthesis in Medicago sativa L. 2014

Sima Ghelich, and Fatemeh Zarinkamar, and Bahram Mohammad Soltani, and Vahid Niknam
Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Jalal Ale Ahmad Highway, P.O.Box: 14115-111, Tehran, Iran.

Lead (Pb) is the most common heavy metal contaminant in the environment. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of Pb treatment on medicarpin production and accumulation in Medicago sativa L. To this aim, 7- and 30-day-old plants were treated with 0, 120, 240, 500, and 1,000 μM Pb during 10 days. The content of medicarpin was determined by HPLC, and the extent of medicarpin production was deduced from the result of semiquantitative RT-PCR performed on PAL, CHS, and VR genes. HPLC results indicated that medicarpin concentration has been reduced in the roots, while its exudation to the culture medium has been increased. RT-PCR results indicated that the transcript levels of PAL, CHS, and VR genes have not been affected following Pb stress in seedlings. At the vegetative stage, transcript levels of PAL and CHS genes have been reduced in the roots. However, the transcript level of VR gene increased at 120 and 240 μM Pb, while it decreased at higher concentrations. In the shoot, the transcript levels of PAL, CHS, and VR genes were increased following increased concentration of lead in the medium. Overall, q-PCR results suggest that medicarpin biosynthesis has been induced in the shoots and reduced in the roots of the plants treated with a toxic concentration of Pb.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007854 Lead A soft, grayish metal with poisonous salts; atomic number 82, atomic weight 207.2, symbol Pb.
D010088 Oxidoreductases The class of all enzymes catalyzing oxidoreduction reactions. The substrate that is oxidized is regarded as a hydrogen donor. The systematic name is based on donor:acceptor oxidoreductase. The recommended name will be dehydrogenase, wherever this is possible; as an alternative, reductase can be used. Oxidase is only used in cases where O2 is the acceptor. (Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992, p9) Dehydrogenases,Oxidases,Oxidoreductase,Reductases,Dehydrogenase,Oxidase,Reductase
D004785 Environmental Pollutants Substances or energies, for example heat or light, which when introduced into the air, water, or land threaten life or health of individuals or ECOSYSTEMS. Environmental Pollutant,Pollutant,Pollutants,Pollutants, Environmental,Pollutant, Environmental
D000455 Medicago sativa A plant species of the family FABACEAE widely cultivated for ANIMAL FEED. Alfalfa,Lucerne
D015971 Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control of gene action in enzyme synthesis. Enzymologic Gene Expression Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression, Enzymologic,Regulation, Gene Expression, Enzymologic
D018506 Gene Expression Regulation, Plant Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control of gene action in plants. Plant Gene Expression Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression, Plant,Regulation, Gene Expression, Plant
D018517 Plant Roots The usually underground portions of a plant that serve as support, store food, and through which water and mineral nutrients enter the plant. (From American Heritage Dictionary, 1982; Concise Dictionary of Biology, 1990) Plant Bulbs,Plant Root,Bulb, Plant,Bulbs, Plant,Plant Bulb,Root, Plant,Roots, Plant
D036226 Seedlings Young plants produced at the completion of GERMINATION of SEEDS. Seedling,Malted Grain,Sprouted Seeds,Sprouts, Plant,Grain, Malted,Grains, Malted,Malted Grains,Plant Sprout,Plant Sprouts,Seed, Sprouted,Seeds, Sprouted,Sprout, Plant,Sprouted Seed
D036343 Pterocarpans A group of compounds which can be described as benzo-pyrano-furano-benzenes which can be formed from ISOFLAVONES by internal coupling of the B ring to the 4-ketone position. Members include medicarpin, phaseolin, and pisatin which are found in FABACEAE.

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