Identification and functional analysis of genes coding for members of the Transcription Factors AP2 family involved in Abscisic acid response of the moss Pseudocrossidium replicatum
Resumen
Pseudocrossidium replicatum is a moss isolated in Mexico, considered a fully desiccation-tolerant plant and this moss exhibits unique characteristics in its response to abiotic stress, for recovering its biological activities under conditions of dehydration, freezing, high salinity, and osmotic stress. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone that plays the most important role in plant stress responses. In P. replicatum, ABA aids in preparing cells to face adverse developmental conditions by activating stress-responsive genes, which are activated or repressed through their interaction with transcription factors (TFs), proteins that can either activate or repress genes. Numerous families of TFs have been described in vascular and non-vascular plants, activated by ABA signaling pathways, and some may be specific to P. replicatum. This moss represents a potential model for non-vascular plants due to its abiotic stress response characteristics. However, the molecular mechanisms by which ABA regulates such responses remain undefined, heightening the interest in studying this moss. The aim of this research is to analyze the group of TFs belonging to the AP2 family in response to ABA, employing bioinformatic tools to analyze the transcriptome of protonemal tissue from P. replicatum treated with ABA. Subsequently, the expression of the identified genes will be validated through RT-qPCR analysis, which will allow the selection of AP2 domain genes for generating two transgenic lines in two model plants, Physcomitrella patens and Arabidopsis thaliana. Finally, a study will be conducted on the molecular, phenotypic, and physiological effects of the transgenic lines under abiotic stress conditions. This research will represent a first step towards understanding how ABA acts to regulate the molecular response of P. replicatum under abiotic stress conditions.
Keywords: abiotic stress, abscisic acid, transcription factors, molecular response, RT-qPCR analysis.