Abstract
Environmental androgen analogues act as endocrine disruptors, which inhibit the normal function of androgen in animals. In the present work, through the expression of a chimeric gene specified for the production of the anthocyanin in response to androgen DHT (dihydrotestosterone), we generated an indicator Arabidopsis that displays a red color in leaves in the presence of androgen compounds. This construct consists of a ligand-binding domain of the human androgen receptor gene and the poplar transcription factor gene PtrMYB119, which is involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in poplar and Arabidopsis. The transgenic Arabidopsis XVA-PtrMYB119 displayed a red color in leaves in response to 10 ppm DHT, whereas it did not react in the presence of other androgenic compounds. The transcript level of PtrMYB119 peaked at day 13 of DHT exposure on agar media and then declined to its normal level at day 15. Expressions of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes including chalcone flavanone isomerase, chalcone synthase, flavanone 3-hydroxylase, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase, UFGT (UGT78D2), and anthocyanidin synthase were similar to that of PtrMYB119. It is assumed that this transgenic plant can be used by nonscientists for the detection of androgen DHT in the environment and samples such as food solution without any experimental procedures.
Highlights
Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are known as chemicals that disrupt the endocrine systems in animals at certain doses by interfering with endocrine hormonal functionality
We developed a plant system to detect androgenic compounds
These patterns of XVA‐PtrMYB119 plants were different from those of transgenic Arabidopsis XVE‐PtrMYB119, in which PtrMYB119 expression began increasing even at 1 ppt BPA, whereas the anthocyanin level and the expressions of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes increased at 10 ppm BPA [26]
Summary
Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are known as chemicals that disrupt the endocrine (or innate hormone) systems in animals at certain doses by interfering with endocrine hormonal functionality. Several studies have been carried out to generate transgenic Arabidopsis plants that detect estrogenic chemicals in the environment All these experiments take advantage of a chimeric construct, including the hER-LBD (human estrogen receptor ligand-binding domain), LexA-DBD (LexA DNA-binding domain from Escherichia coli), and a nuclear receptor coactivator consisting of the hTIF2-NID (nuclear receptor interaction domain of human transcriptional intermediary factor 2) and VP16-AD (transactivation domain of VP16 from the herpes simplex virus) [24]. A transgenic Arabidopsis plant was developed that produces anthocyanin in leaf (resulting in a red color) when exposed to DHT (dihydrotestosterone), an androgen compound, as a result of PtrMYB119-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis
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