© 2007 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Gene expression induced by chronic ozone in the Mediterranean shrub Phillyrea latifolia: analysis by cDNA-AFLP
Anna Rita Paolacci (1), Cristiano Miraldi (1), Oronzo A. Tanzarella (1), Maurizio Badiani (2), Enrico Porceddu (1), Cristina Nali (3), Giacomo Lorenzini (3) and Mario Ciaffi (1, 4)
1. Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo De Lellis, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy / 2. Dipartimento BIOMAA Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Facoltà di Agraria, Loc. Feo di Vito, I-89124 Reggio Calabria,
Italy / 3. Dipartimento di Coltivazione e Difesa delle Specie Legnose “Giovanni Scaramuzzi” Università di Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80,
Pisa I-56124, Italy / 4. Corresponding author (ciaffi@unitus.it) / Received October 30, 2006; accepted February 1, 2007; published online August 1, 2007
Summary
Seedlings of Phillyrea latifolia L., a Mediterranean shrub, were exposed for 90 days to 110 nl l–1 ozone (O3). Comparison of the cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) patterns for treated and control plants allowed
the identification and cloning of 88 differential sequences induced by O3. The differential expression of 67 cloned sequences was further confirmed by RT-PCR. The functions of 36 cloned sequences,
corresponding to seven of the twelve gene functional classes of Arabidopsis, were presumed on the basis of their homology with characterized gene sequences. Ozone induction of genes homologous to 24
of the clones has been reported in other plant species, whereas the induction of the 12 remaining sequences has not been observed
before. Ozone activation of these newly identified genes could be a result of the chronic exposure to low O3 concentration, because in most previous studies, acute treatments, involving high O3 dosages, were applied. Possible roles of the cloned sequences in the response of P. latifolia to O3 and other causes of oxidative stress are discussed.
Keywords:
air pollution, gene differential expression, oxidative stress, RT-PCR.
