Comparative transcriptome analysis of Zea mays in response to petroleum hydrocarbon stress


Cevher-Keskin B., Selcukcan-Erol Ç., Yuksel B., Ertekin O., Yildizhan Y., Onarici S., ...More

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol.25, no.32, pp.32660-32674, 2018 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 25 Issue: 32
  • Publication Date: 2018
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s11356-018-3078-8
  • Journal Name: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.32660-32674
  • Keywords: Zea mays, Petroleum hydrocarbon, Phytoremediation, Transcriptome, Microarray, CYTOSOLIC GLUTAMINE-SYNTHETASE, POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS, OIL-CONTAMINATED SOIL, TRITICUM-AESTIVUM L., PROGRAMMED CELL-DEATH, GENE-EXPRESSION, ABSCISIC-ACID, ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA, POLYAMINE OXIDASE, CYSTEINE PROTEASE
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The use of plants for the improvement of soils contaminated with hydrocarbons has been a primary research focus in phytoremediation studies. Obtaining insights regarding genes that are differentially induced by petroleum hydrocarbon stress and understanding plant response mechanisms against petroleum hydrocarbons at molecular level is essential for developing better phytoremediation strategies to remove these hazardous contaminants. The purpose of this study was to analyze the transcriptomal profile changes under hydrocarbon stress in maize plants and identify the genes associated with the phytoremediative capacity. Zea mays GeneChips were used to analyze the global transcriptome profiles of maize treated with different concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons. In total, 883, 1281, and 2162 genes were differentially induced or suppressed in the comparisons of 0 (control) vs. 1% crude petroleum, 1 vs. 5% crude petroleum, and 0 vs. 5% crude petroleum, respectively. The differentially expressed genes were functionally associated with the osmotic stress response mechanism, likely preventing the uptake of water from the roots, and the phytoremediative capacity of plants, e.g., secretory pathway genes. The results presented here show the regulatory mechanisms in the response to petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in soil. Our study provides global gene expression data of Z. mays in response to petroleum hydrocarbon stress that could be useful for further studies investigating the biodegradation mechanism in maize and other plants.