title: RNA-seq analysis of the effect of kanamycin and the ABC transporter AtWBC19 on Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings reveals changes in metal content.
abstract: Plants are exposed to antibiotics produced by soil microorganisms, but little is known about their responses at the transcriptional level. Likewise, few endogenous mechanisms of antibiotic resistance have been reported. The Arabidopsis thaliana ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter AtWBC19 (ABCG19) is known to confer kanamycin resistance, but the exact mechanism of resistance is not well understood. Here we examined the transcriptomes of control seedlings and wbc19 mutant seedlings using RNA-seq analysis. Exposure to kanamycin indicated changes in the organization of the photosynthetic apparatus, metabolic fluxes and metal uptake. Elemental analysis showed a 60% and 80% reduction of iron uptake in control and wbc19 mutant seedlings respectively, upon exposure to kanamycin. The drop in iron content was accompanied by the upregulation of the gene encoding for FERRIC REDUCTION OXIDASE 6 (FRO6) in mutant seedlings but not by the differential expression of other transport genes known to be induced by iron deficiency. In addition, wbc19 mutants displayed a distinct expression profile in the absence of kanamycin. Most notably the expression of several zinc ion binding proteins, including ZINC TRANSPORTER 1 PRECURSOR (ZIP1) was increased, suggesting abnormal zinc uptake. Elemental analysis confirmed a 50% decrease of zinc content in wbc19 mutants. Thus, the antibiotic resistance gene WBC19 appears to also have a role in zinc uptake.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ayalew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mentewab
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America; Molecular Biology Department, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kinnari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matheson
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America; The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Morayo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adebiyi
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shanice
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America; College of Health Care Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Brianna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Elston
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics*; D038181:FMN Reductase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007612:Kanamycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008670:Metals; C017800:zinc-binding protein; D007612:Kanamycin; D038181:FMN Reductase; C023903:ferric citrate iron reductase