Abstract
The exposure of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to environmental stress, such as that caused by the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) can alter its gene expression. Expression analysis was conducted using a microarray composed of 3079 Chlamydomonas ESTs to characterize the broad range of responses of gene expression exposed to this common ordnance compound. TNT treatment conditions were determined by growth analysis of Chlamydomonas in 0-5μg/mL TNT. One and 3μg/mL were used for microarray analysis since 1μg/mL of TNT did not decrease the cell count after 7 days of treatment, whereas 3μg/mL of TNT was the maximum TNT concentration that allowed growth, respectively. Transcriptional profiling revealed that approximately 158 responsive genes were differentially expressed representing several functional categories. Genes responsible for photosynthesis, energy metabolism and oxidative stress were upregulated in the presence of TNT, while the expression of cell wall related genes were downregulated. Several unidentified genes were also affected. The microarray results were validated using real-time RT-PCR for a subset of genes. Information from the microarray analysis can be used to engineer algae-based sensors to signal TNT exposure in addition to potential explosives cleanup applications.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1109-1122 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Plant Science |
| Volume | 167 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agronomy and Crop Science
- Genetics
- Plant Science
Keywords
- Chlamydomonas
- Gene expression
- Microarrays
- TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene)
- Xenobiotics