FUNCTIONAL GENOMIC ANALYSIS OF POPULUS TAXA AND DETERMINATION OF THE EXPRESSION LEVELS OF HSP GENES UNDER ABIOTIC STRESS CONDITIONS.

Abstract

This article discusses the molecular mechanisms of adaptation of Populus trichocarpa taxa to abiotic stress conditions. The study is based on functional genomic analysis and determination of HSP (Heat Shock Proteins) gene expression levels. Bioinformatic methods have been used to identify specific functional regions of the genome due to stress tolerance. The results obtained can contribute to the development of strategies for sorting sustainable tree species for forestry.

Molecular studies of the mechanisms of forest trees' response to abiotic stress conditions were initiated in 2006 using the "Populus trichocarpa" type, to which genome sequencing was added as a model tree species. In recent years, bioinformatic analyses have been conducted to identify species-specific functional regions of genes.

Hsp/chaperone system plays an important role both under normal growth conditions and in cells experiencing stress (Thomashow, 1999; Diamant, Eliahu, Rosenthal, and Goloubinoff, 2001; Wang, Vinocur, Shoseyov, and Altman, 2004). AtDREB2A is a well-known transcription factor that interacts with the cis-acting dehydration-responsive element (DRE). It activates the gene expression of many genes related not only to drought and salt stress responses but also to temperature stress (Sakuma et al., 2006). In Arabidopsis, HsfA3, one of the 21 members of the Hsf=heat shock factor family, is the only transcription factor that is transcriptionally activated by DREB2A during heat shock and regulates the gene expression of genes encoding Hsps (Schramm, 2008).