Detection of LTR Retrotransposons Reactivation induced by in vitro Environmental Stresses in Barley (Hordeum vulgare) via RT-qPCR

The effects of four environmental stresses of heat, drought, wounding and cell culture, on the transcriptional reactivation of seven long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTRs) of barley (Hordeum vulgare) genome, were investigated. These LTRs included two Copia-type (Bare and Maximus); and five Gypsy-type (Erika, Jeli, Sabrina, Sukkula1 and Sukkula3) LTRs. RT-qPCR analyses revealed that Erika1 LTR was highly reactivated under heat, drought, and wounding with 28.1, 9.9 and 9.4 fold increments, respectively. Sabrina LTR was 6.2 fold reactivated under cell culture. Bare1 LTR was reactivated by drought (4.1 fold) and cell culture (3.4 fold). Transcription activity of Jeli LTR was increased by 3.4 fold under cell culture. Sukkula1, Sukkula3 and Maximus LTRs were slightly reactivated under drought, wounding and cell culture. These changes in the reactivation pattern of LTRs provide fingerprints for tracking the molecular changes occurred in barley genome upon exposure to environmental stresses, which might result in gain or loss of yield. Such sensitive LTR expression profiles underline one of the important role of LTR genetics in agriculture. {[}A.M. Alzohairy, M.A. Yousef, S. Edris, B. Kerti, G. Gyulai and A. Bahieldin. Detection of LTR Retrotransposons Reactivation induced by in vitro Environmental Stresses in Barley (Hordeum vulgare) via RT-qPCR. Life Sci J 2012; 9(4):5019-5026] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 752