Differential expression of vacuolar and defective cell wall invertase genes in roots and seeds of metalliferous and non-metalliferous populations of Rumex dentatus under copper stress

Abstract

Acid invertase activities in roots and young seeds of a metalliferous population (MP) of Rumex dentatus were previously observed to be significantly higher than those of a non-metalliferous population (NMP) under Cu stress. To date, no acid invertase gene has been cloned from R. dentatus. Here, we isolated four full-length cDNAs from the two populations of R. dentatus, presumably encoding cell wall (RdnCIN1 and RdmCIN1 from the NMP and MP, respectively) and vacuolar invertases (RdnVIN1 and RdmVIN1 from the NMP and MP, respectively). Unexpectedly, RdnCIN1 and RdmCIN1 most likely encode special defective invertases with highly attenuated sucrose-hydrolyzing capacity. The transcript levels of RdmCIN1 were significantly higher than those of RdnCIN1 in roots and young seeds under Cu stress, whereas under control conditions, the former was initially lower than the latter. Unexpected high correlations were observed between the transcript levels of RdnCIN1 and RdmCIN1 and the activity of cell wall invertase, even though RdnCIN1 and RdmCIN1 do not encode catalytically active invertases. Similarly, the transcript levels of RdmVIN1 in roots and young seeds were increased under Cu stress, whereas those of RdnVIN1 were decreased. The high correlations between the transcript levels of RdnVIN1 and RdmVIN1 and the activity of vacuolar invertase indicate that RdnVIN1 and RdmVIN1 might control distinct vacuolar invertase activities in the two populations. Moreover, a possible indirect role for acid invertases in Cu tolerance, mediated by generating a range of sugars used as nutrients and signaling molecules, is discussed.

Keywords: Cu; Defective invertase; Rumex dentatus; Sugar; Vacuolar invertase.