Studies of oxidative stress influence on mitochondrial genes transcription in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

Aims. The influence of oxidative stress on mitochondrial genes transcription in wild type Arabidopsis plants and XX2 line overexpressing AOX1a gene was studied. Methods. Transcriptional activity of mitochondrial genes was measured by run-on assays with mitochondria isolated from Arabidopsis plants treated by methylviologen (MV). Results. Treatment by methylviologen of wild type plants resulted in decrease of mitochondrial genes transcript level and MTR values. It was shown also that mitochondrial genes transcription rate in XX2 line plants was less sensitive to oxidative stress caused by MV in comparison to wild type plants..
Conclusions. The results obtained show the importance of in organello run-on transcription system in studies of physiological mechanisms of mitochondrial genes transcriptional regulation in vivo.

Key words: mitochondrial genes transcription, oxidative stress, methylviologen.