Conserved and differential transcriptional responses of peroxisome associated pathways to drought, dehydration and
Heba T Ebeed1,2, Sean R Stevenson2, Andrew C Cuming2
1Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt.
Abstract:
Plant peroxisomes are important components of cellular antioxidant networks, dealing with ROS generated by multiple metabolic pathways. Peroxisomes respond to environmental and cellular conditions by changing their size, number, and proteomic content. To investigate the role of peroxisomes in response to drought, dehydration and ABA treatment we took an evolutionary and comparative genomics approach. Colonisation of land required evolution of dehydration tolerance in the absence of subsequent anatomical adaptations. Therefore, the model bryophyte Physcomitrella patens, the model dicot Arabidopsis thaliana and wheat (Tricitcum aestivum), a globally important cereal crop were compared. Three sets of genes namely 'PTS1 genes' (a proxy for genes encoding peroxisome targeted proteins), PEX genes (involved in peroxisome biogenesis) and genes involved in plant antioxidant networks were identified in all 3 species and their expression compared under drought (dehydration) and ABA treatment. Genes encoding enzymes of β-oxidation and gluconeogenesis, antioxidant enzymes including catalase and glutathione reductase and PEX3 and PEX11 isoforms showed conserved up-regulation, and peroxisome proliferation was induced by ABA in moss. Interestingly, expression of some of these genes differed between drought sensitive and resistant genotypes of wheat in line with measured photosynthetic and biochemical differences. These results point to an underappreciated role for peroxisomes in drought response.
More Related Videos
03:08Using Human Differentially Expressed Gene Lists to Perform Downstream Pathway Enrichment Analysis and Target Prioritization
Published on: October 3, 2025
08:16Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics
Published on: July 23, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Responses to Drought and Flooding
Peroxisomes and Mitochondria
The peroxisome is a single membrane-bound cellular organelle that can perform several different functions, including lipid metabolism and chemical detoxification. The enzymes within...
Dehydration Synthesis
Dehydration synthesis (also called a condensation reaction) is the chemical process in which two molecules covalently link together to form a new molecule, along with the release of a water molecule. Many physiologically important compounds form by dehydration synthesis reactions, such as complex carbohydrates, proteins, DNA, and RNA.
Synthesis of carbohydrates
Sugar molecules are covalently linked together by dehydration synthesis. During the reaction, the hydroxyl (-OH) group from...
Peroxisomes
Conserved Binding Sites
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally...
Transcription Factors
