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Plant function and evolutionary biology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Role of geranylgeranyl reductase gene in organ development and stress response in olive (Olea europaea) plants

Leonardo Bruno A E , Adriana Chiappetta A E , Innocenzo Muzzalupo B C , Cinzia Gagliardi A , Domenico Iaria A , Alessandro Bruno A , Maria Greco A , Donato Giannino D , Enzo Perri B and Maria Beatrice Bitonti A F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Ecology, University of Calabria, Ponte Bucci, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy.

B CRA – Centro di Ricerca per l’Olivicoltura e l’Industria Olearia (CRA-OLI), C.da Li Rocchi, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy.

C CRA – Centro di Ricerca per le produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie (CRA-FLC), Via A. Lombardo, 11, 26900, Lodi, Italy.

D Institute of Biology and Agricultural Biotechnology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), via Salaria km 29300, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy.

E These authors contributed equally to this work.

F Corresponding author. Email: b.bitonti@unical.it

Functional Plant Biology 36(4) 370-381 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP08219
Submitted: 9 August 2008  Accepted: 29 January 2009   Published: 1 April 2009

Abstract

The NADPH-dependent geranylgeranyl reductase gene (OeCHLP) was characterised in olive (Olea europaea L.). OeCHLP catalyses the formation of carbon double bonds in the phytolic side chain of chlorophyll, tocopherols and plastoquinones and, therefore, is involved in metabolic pathways related to plant productivity and stress response, besides to nutritional value of its products. The nuclear OeCHLP encodes a deduced product of 51 kDa, which harbours a transit peptide for cytoplasm-to-chloroplast transport and a nicotinamide binding domain. Two estimated identical copies of gene are harboured per haploid genome of the cv. ‘Carolea’ used in the present study. Levels and cytological pattern of OeCHLP transcription were investigated by quantitative RT–PCR and in situ hybridisation. In line with the presence of ubiquitous tocopherols and/or chlorophyll, OeCHLP transcripts were present in various organs of plants. In leaves and fruits at different developmental stages, OeCHLP was differentially expressed in relation to their morpho-physiological features. An early and transient enhancement of gene transcription was detected in leaves of different age exposed to cold treatment (4°C), as well as in fruits mechanically wounded. Moreover, OeCHLP transcripts locally increased in specific cell domains of fruits severely damaged by the pathogen Bactrocera olea. Combined, these data show that OeCHLP expression early responds to biotic and abiotic stressful factors. Levels of tocopherols also increased in leaves exposed to cold conditions and fruits severely damaged by pathogen. We suggest that gene activity under stress condition could be related to tocopherol action.

Additional keywords: developmental regulation, drupe, geranylgeranyl reductase, leaf, stress factor.


Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Italian ‘OLIBIO’ and ‘RIOM’ Projects granted by MIPAAF.


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