Nitric oxide accumulation is required to protect against iron-mediated oxidative stress in frataxin-deficient Arabidopsis plants

Martin, Mariana; Colman, María José Rodríguez; Gómez-Casati, Diego F.; Lamattina, Lorenzo; Zabaleta, Eduardo Julián

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2008.12.039

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Volume 583, Issue 3 , Pages 542-548, 4 February 2009

Nitric oxide accumulation is required to protect against iron-mediated oxidative stress in frataxin-deficient Arabidopsis plants

Edited by Barry Halliwell

Mariana Martin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas (IIB), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, C.C. 1245 (7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina
María José Rodríguez Colman
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas (IIB), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, C.C. 1245 (7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina
Diego F. Gómez-Casati
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECH-CONICET/UNSAM), C.C. 164 (7130) Chascomús, Argentina
Lorenzo Lamattina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas (IIB), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, C.C. 1245 (7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina
Eduardo Julián Zabaleta
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas (IIB), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, C.C. 1245 (7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Corresponding author. Fax: +54 223 475 31 50.

Received 16 December 2008; accepted 18 December 2008. published online 29 December 2008.

Abstract

Frataxin is a mitochondrial protein that is conserved throughout evolution. In yeast and mammals, frataxin is essential for cellular iron (Fe) homeostasis and survival during oxidative stress. In plants, frataxin deficiency causes increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and high sensitivity to oxidative stress. In this work we show that a knock-down T-DNA frataxin-deficient mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana (atfh-1) contains increased total and organellar Fe levels. Frataxin deficiency leads also to nitric oxide (NO) accumulation in both, atfh-1 roots and frataxin null mutant yeast. Abnormally high NO production might be part of the defence mechanism against Fe-mediated oxidative stress.

Keywords: Frataxin, Nitric oxide, Iron, Oxidative stress, Arabidopsis thaliana