Abstract Detail

Comparative Genomics/Transcriptomics

Vanden Hoek, Kathryn [1], Thomas, Shawn [2], Mendoza-Cózatl, David [3], Pires, Chris [4].

Plants and Pollutants: Exploring salt and cadmium stress response in Sea Rocket.

Anthropogenic factors such as climate change, harsh agricultural practices, and mining have contributed to increases in soil salinization and heavy metal contamination. Highly saline environments drastically lower yield for crop species, and elevated levels of toxic metals like cadmium are carcinogenic in the environment. Plants can be used to remediate contaminated soils since some plants have evolved in salty habitats or in soils with heavy metals. Halophytes are plants with various adaptations that allow them to survive and reproduce in saline conditions. Heavy metal accumulators can survive in soils that have relatively high heavy metal concentrations. Plants with these traits can be utilized for the phytoremediation of saline and heavy metals from affected soils; however, no model plant system has been developed that shows multiple adaptations for salt tolerance. We plan to develop a model halophyte from Sea Rocket (Cakile maritima) in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) as it has been shown to accumulate salt (NaCl) and tolerate high concentrations of the heavy metal cadmium. In this study, we plan to use a hydroponics system to grow C. maritima in different stress treatments using salt and cadmium. Using high-throughput imaging, we will gather phenotypic data across our treatments. In addition, we will use conductivity sensors to track ionic concentration in real-time. We will sample root and leaf tissues to measure salt and cadmium concentration using ICP-OES elemental analysis. Finally RNA-seq data will be generated to identify patterns of differential expression across the various treatments. We will also gather existing sequence data for the family Brassicaceae to explore the evolution of salt and cadmium tolerance and create a list of candidate genes associated with increased salt and cadmium uptake. These candidate genes could be used as targets for plant breeding and genetic engineering approaches to improve phytoremediation potential in other plants.

1 - University of Missouri - Columbia, Division of Biological Sciences, 1201 Rollins St, 311 Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA
2 - University Of Missouri, Division Of Biological Sciences, 1201 Rollins Street, 311 Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States
3 - University of Missouri - Columbia, Division of Plant Sciences, 1201 Rollins St, 271F Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65201, United States
4 - University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

Keywords:
Hydroponics
High-Throughput Phenotyping
Brassicaceae
RNAseq
Comparative genomics.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P1, Comparative Genomics/Transcriptomics Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Monday, July 19th, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: P1GT004
Abstract ID:416
Candidate for Awards:Phytochemical Best Poster Award