Identificação e caracterização de genes de Aquaporinas em Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl.

Abstract

Euphorbiaceae Juss. is one of the most diversified and complex species of the botanical family, comprising approximately 50 genera and 240 kinds in the Brazilian Northeast, widely distributed in Caatinga areas. Among them are Manihot esculenta Cartz, Ricinus communis L. and Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl, which, due to its tolerance to water shortage, are species of great economic importance for tropical regions, including Brazil. C. quercifolius is an endemic species of the Caatinga, and it has been extensively exploited for various uses (forage production, edible oil and flour, use in the regeneration of degraded areas and for medicinal purposes). Among the mechanisms of adaptation to the limiting environmental conditions existing in higher plants, we emphasize the importance of the readjustment of genetic gender patterns, which activates and deactivates a variety of genes that are considered genes-responsive genes responsible for cellular metabolism, which allows a generation of physiological responses to a plant from stress. An example of that are the aquaporins plants, which are membrane proteins responsible for transporting of water, gases and other small solutes, in addition to playing a key role in the adaptation of plants to adverse conditions such as salinity and water shortage. The identification of stress-responsive genes was only possible from new sequencing technologies and bioinformatics tools, which enabled not only the attainment of a complete genome, but also the manipulation and analysis of such data, facilitating the identification of new molecules involved in essential physiological processes to plants. To date, it is not available in biological databases any genetic information on C. quercifolius. The identification of aquaporins in C. quercifolius was conducted by the process of transferability of initiators between close species, considering the high conservation among the sequences of this family. Seven partial sequences of CQAQPs were identified, and this is the first report of aquaporins in that species; therefore, enabling its use for designing of specific initiators for the species, aiding the identification of potential biotechnological targets.