Browsing by Author "Rahaman, Atikur"

Some flavonoids are thought to have antioxidant functions in plants, but this is still controversial because of a lack of in planta evidence. Methyl viologen (MV) sensitivity was assayed in sterile culture by growing seven day old Arabidopsis seedlings on 0.5x MS media supplemented with and without MV. Seedlings grew for 9 days after that, and then were photographed and root growth measured. We used several flavonoid deficient Arabidopsis transparent testa (tt) mutants and found they were hypersensitive to MV that produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) in chloroplasts and mitochondria. Flavonoids are transported into different compartments of the cell via a specific flavonoid transport system but no chloroplastic or mitochondrial transporters are currently known. To identify potential chloroplastic and mitochondrial transporters, knockout mutants of candidate MATE and ABC transporters have been screened for MV sensitivity. Flavonoids modulate auxin transport, which raises the possibility of passive effects through auxin during ROS sensitivity. To test whether auxin or the inhibitions of auxin transport have a role in protecting against ROS stress, MV sensitivity was assayed under exogenous treatment of artificial auxin (NAA) and an auxin transport inhibitor (NPA) during MV stress. From this study, we obtained data about the role of flavonoids and auxin in ROS signalling. The inhibition of auxin transport modulated MV sensitivity. We found that NAA had no effect or very modest effect. However, a protective effect of NPA was observed that helps against ROS formation, mimicking the effect of flavonoids. NPA induced more protection. One MATE transporter also gave the mimic of (tt) phenotype, however their role in the movement of flavonoids into or out of the chloroplast or mitochondria remains unclear, as they may be transporting some other protective agent that helps against oxidative stress. However, At1g54350 is a candidate for further testing.