Bose R, Sengupta M, Basu D, Jha S. The
rolB-transgenic
Nicotiana tabacum plants exhibit upregulated
ARF7 and
ARF19 gene expression.
PLANT DIRECT 2022;
6:e414. [PMID:
35774625 PMCID:
PMC9219009 DOI:
10.1002/pld3.414]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Agrobacterium rhizogenes root oncogenic locus B (rolB) is known to induce hairy roots along with triggering several physiological and morphological changes when present as a transgene. However, it is still unknown how this gene triggers these changes within the plant system. In this study, the effect of rolB in-planta, when present as a transgene, was assessed on the gene expression levels of auxin response factors (ARFs)-transcription factors which are key players in auxin-mediated responses. The goal was to uncover Auxin/ARF-driven transcriptional networks potentially active and working selectively, if any, in rolB transgenic background, which might potentially be associated with hairy root development. Hence, the approach involved establishing rolB-transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants, selecting ARFs (NtARFs) for context-relevance using bioinformatics followed by gene expression profiling. It was observed that out of the chosen NtARFs, NtARF7 and NtARF19 exhibited a consistent pattern of gene upregulation across organ types. In order to understand the significance of these selective gene upregulation, ontology-based transcriptional network maps of the differentially and nondifferentially expressed ARFs were constructed, guided by co-expression databases. The network maps suggested that NtARF7-NtARF19 might have major deterministic, underappreciated roles to play in root development in a rolB-transgenic background-as observed by higher number of "root-related" biological processes present as nodes compared to network maps for similarly constructed other non-differentially expressed ARFs. Based on the inferences drawn, it is hypothesized that rolB, when present as a transgene, might drive hairy root development by selective induction of NtARF7 and NtARF19, suggesting a functional link between the two, leading to the specialized and characteristic rolB-associated traits.
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