Altered branched-chain amino acid metabolism due to boron deficiency

The importance of boron (B) for living organisms is a puzzling matter. Despite the long established essential micronutrient role of B for vascular plants, only recent research gave insights on the mechanisms of its uptake, transport and direct participation in cell-wall formation. Despite that its precise role in plant metabolism remains elusive. In an attempt to clarify the role of B in plant metabolism the gene expression profile of a persistent response to B suppression was evaluated. For that purpose, the transcriptional profile of Arabidopsis thaliana subjected to 2 days of B deficiency was analyzed and the genes that kept responding 4 days after B deficiency were selected. The gene expression profile of Arabidopsis plants submitted to Ca deficiency was also evaluated and this data cross-compared with the 2 days transcriptional profile obtained under B deficiency.

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