Determination of Expression Levels of Fatty Acid Desaturase-2 Genes in Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Varieties Exposed to Copper

Year 2022, Volume: 38 Issue: 2, 401 - 415, 23.08.2022

Ekrem Bölükbaşı , Sumer Aras

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution is an important environmental problem all over the world. It is known that high concentrations of heavy metals in soils and waters cause genotoxicity in living things and damage most of the functional biomolecules. For instance, while low concentration of copper, is essential for all organisms, high concentration of copper is toxic element that negatively affect every living organism from plants to humans. Safflower is an agricultural plant with high economic value grown for its seed oil. Safflower oil is source of Omega-9 and Omega-6 used in many food and industrial applications. In this study, it investigated the expression levels of CtFAD2 (FAD2-6, FAD2-7, FAD2-11) genes responsible for conversion of Omega-9 to Omega-6 at root, cotyledon and leaf tissues of four different safflower varieties subjected to copper heavy metals stress by qRT-PCR. RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis and qRT-PCR analysis were performed in root, cotyledon and leaf tissues exposed to copper stress for 24 hours after cultivation for 21 days. The increases were observed at concentrations of 40 and 80 mg L-1. It was determined that the expression levels of FAD2 genes decreased at increasing copper concentrations and increased again after 160 and 320 mg L-1. The decrease firstly in the expression of FAD2 genes at increasing copper concentrations and their re-increase after 160 and 320 mg L-1, which can be considered as critical points, are accepted as an indication that the defense mechanism against stress is activated and FAD2 genes play a role in the defense against stress.
In conclusion, it has been determined that FAD2 genes, which are responsible for fatty acid desaturation in safflower cultivars exposed to copper stress, are also associated with the stress mechanism and play a role in defense.

Keywords

Safflower, Copper, FAD2 Gene, Real Time PCR

Supporting Institution

Ankara University Scientific Research Unit

Project Number

16L0430009

Thanks

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of this work by Ankara University Scientific Research Unit (Project No: 16L0430009).

Bakır Stresine Maruz Kalan Aspir (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Çeşitlerinde Yağ Asitleri Desaturaz-2 Genlerinin İfade Düzeylerinin Belirlenmesi

Abstract

Ağır metal kirliliği tüm dünyada önemli bir çevre sorunudur. Ağır metallerin toprak ve sulardaki yüksek konsantrasyonlarının canlılarda genotoksisiteye neden olduğu ve fonksiyonel biyo-moleküllerin çoğuna zarar verdiği bilinmektedir. Örneğin, düşük bakır konsantrasyonu tüm organizmalar için gerekliyken, yüksek konsantrasyon bakır, bitkilerden insanlara kadar her canlı organizmayı olumsuz yönde etkileyen toksik bir elementtir. Aspir, tohum yağı için yetiştirilen, ekonomik değeri yüksek bir tarım bitkisidir. Aspir yağı, pek çok gıda ve endüstriyel uygulamalarda kullanılan Omega-9 ve Omega-6 kaynağıdır. Bu çalışmada, bakır ağır metal stresine maruz kalan dört farklı aspir çeşidinin kök, kotiledon ve yaprak dokularında Omega-9'un Omega-6'ya dönüştürülmesinden sorumlu CtFAD2 (FAD2-6, FAD2-7, FAD2-11) genlerinin qRT-PCR ile ekspresyon düzeyleri araştırılmıştır. 21 gün yetiştirildikten sonra, 24 saat boyunca bakır stresine maruz bırakılan kök, kotiledon ve yaprak dokularında RNA izolasyonu, cDNA sentezi ve qRT-PCR analizi yapılmıştır. 40 ve 80 mg L-1 konsantrasyonlarında artış gözlemlenmiştir. Artan bakır konsantrasyonlarında ise FAD2 genlerinin ekspresyon düzeylerinin azaldığı, 160 ve 320 mg L-1 'den sonra tekrar arttığı tespit edilmiştir. FAD2 genlerinin artan bakır konsantrasyonlarında ekspresyonunun önce azalması ve kritik nokta olarak kabul edilen 160 ve 320 mg L-1 sonrasında yeniden artması, strese karşı savunma mekanizmasının devreye girdiğinin ve FAD2 genlerinin strese karşı savunmada rol oynadığının bir göstergesi olarak kabul edilmiştir.
Sonuç olarak, bakır stresine maruz kalan aspir çeşitlerinde yağ desatürasyonundan sorumlu olan FAD2 genlerinin aynı zamanda stres mekanizmasıyla da ilişkili olduğu ve savunmada rol oynadığı tespit edilmiştir.

Keywords

Aspir, Bakır, FAD2 Gen, Real Time PCR

Project Number

16L0430009

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