Tomatoes Are Useful For More Than Just Bruschetta!

In my previous blogs, I have explained my overall goals for my research involving phosphate stress. I hope to learn more about the two main secreted PAPs (12 and 26) found in Arabidopsis and eventually over-express these proteins. However, I recently came across some research with a very similar approach to the issue of declining available phosphate and the need to produce transgenic phosphate-efficient crops.

Dr Gao and her colleagues published a very detailed research paper this past summer in the Plant Soil Journal. Previous studies found a regulatory element, miR399, involved in the phosphate starvation response. The main research focus of this regulatory element has been in tobacco plants. However, Dr Gao wished to evaluate whether miR399s can be over-expressed in tomatoes. From there, they wished to study the phenotypes associated with phosphate stress when this over-expression occurs. 

 

You’re Purple So Maybe You Can Brighten My Day

 A little background to start today. 

Plants contain a Pi-starvation-inducible (PSI) gene expression and complex morphological, physiological, and biochemical adaptations to low phosphorus. Plants have shown to up-regulate intracellular and secreted acid phosphatases in order to catalyze the hydrolysis of Pi from various phosphate monoesters when in an acidic environment. Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are a specific acid phosphatase class characterized by a bimetallic active site that causes a purple color. 29 PAP genes have been identified in Arabidopsis. Both transcriptional and posttranscriptional factors have been implicated in the control of  these PAPs. 

Ok, so maybe I am a bit biased in this post because I work on the above PAPs. To make this post even less credible, the paper I want to discuss is written by a PhD student I know. However, the recent work that has been conducted on PAPs provides some very helpful information about how plants respond to phosphorus deficiency that cannot be ignored simply due to some predispositions.