The Expressions of Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) Related Genes Under Metal (Cu, Zn and Fe) Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

Aim of this work was to investigate effects of toxic levels of Cu, Zn and Fe treatments on small ubiquitinlike modifier (SUMO) machinery of Arabidopsis thaliana. SUMO is a 100-115 amino acid posttranslational modifier that can regulate stability, activity or sub-cellular localization of target proteins. A. thaliana plants were treated with 50 µM Cu, 700 µM Zn and 400 µM Fe for 7 d and then expressions of genes related to SUMOylation and deSUMOylation of target proteins were measured with qRT-PCR. Only Cu treatment was able to induce genes related to SUMOylation (SUM3, SAE2, SIZ1) of target proteins, while all of the three metals used in this study was effective in inducing a deSUMOylation related gene. Results of this study indicate that deSUMOylation of proteins might be a part of plant response to metal toxicity.