Maize gene expression UV response patterns reveal coordinate regulation of many genes

UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Carletha R Blanding (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
Advisor
Ann Stapleton

Abstract: Understanding the mechanisms plants use for acclimation to ultraviolet radiation stress is key in predicting plant responses to our changing environment. Maize inbred line B73 plants were grown in sterilized vermiculite in a greenhouse under low fluence white light for 16 h/day until the majority of the plants were at the three-leaf stage. Plants were then subdivided into five groups of approximately 20 plants for treatments of one, two, four, eight, or twelve hours of UV-B irradiation at a dose rate of 0.024 W m-2. A sixth, control group was placed the same distance under an identical pair of UV bulbs that were covered with Mylar to block all UV-B radiation. Using transcripts from pools of leaf tissue, cDNA microarrays were used to monitor UV-induced alterations in gene expression to gain a better understanding of global gene expression in response to UV-B. Array data were standardized using a variance stabilizing procedure accounting for the many sources of systematic variation that affect measured gene expression levels. Examination of the effects after irradiation at different times indicated that the largest transcriptome response was evident after 12 hr of UV exposure followed by 8 hr, 2 hr, 1 hr, and 4 hr It was also determined that different suites of genes are expressed after specific UV treatments. Overall, it was determined that after 2 hr of UV exposure, rapid transcriptome responses occurred followed by a decrease in gene expression after 4 hr of UV exposure. After 8 hr of UV an increase in gene expression occurred that appeared to level off after 12 hr of UV exposure. With the analysis of gene expression over time, we have been able to identify new gene regulatory patterns in response to UV.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters of Science
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
Plant molecular biology, Corn--Effect of ultraviolet radiation on, Corn--Genetics, Plant gene expression, Plant genetic regulation, Plants--Effect of ultraviolet radiation on, Ultraviolet radiation--Physiology
Subjects
Corn -- Effect of ultraviolet radiation on
Plant genetic regulation
Plant gene expression
Plant molecular biology
Corn -- Genetics
Ultraviolet radiation -- Physiology
Plants -- Effect of ultraviolet radiation on

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