Figure 3

Transcriptional regulation of Na α-dox genes in development and the response to wounding and Manduca sexta oral secretions. (A) Mean ± SE (3 biological replicates) of transcript abundance of Naα-dox1 and Naα-dox2 (relative to actin transcripts) in various tissues of developing wild-type Nicotiana attenuata. Different letters signify significant differences between different tissues for transcript abundance of Naα-dox1 (in black) and Naα-dox2 (in gray and brackets) respectively (ANOVAs with factor tissue: α-dox1 F_6,21 = 18.65, P < 0.0001 and α-dox2 F_6,21 = 20.63, P < 0.0001; Fisher's PLDS for significant differences P < 0.036). Paired t-tests were used to test for significant differences between transcript abundance of Naα-dox1 and Naα-dox2 in the tissues (roots: P = 0.005, young rosette leaves P = 0.047, stem leaves P = 0.053, old rosette leaves P = 0.047, senescing leaves P = 0.075, flower buds P = 0.02, flowers P = 0.03). (B) Mean ± SE (5 biological replicates) of transcript abundance of Naα-dox1 and Naα-dox2 (relative to actin transcripts) in leaves from N. attenuata rosette stage plants wounded at the first fully expanded source leaf with a fabric pattern wheel every 30 min for four times. To the resulting puncture wounds 2.5 μL of either water (W) or M. sexta's oral secretions (OS) were added. Only the expression of Naα-dox1 but not that of Naα-dox2 increased after wounding, which was amplified by OS application (2 factorial ANOVA with factors treatment and time: Naα-dox1 P < 0.0046 for both factors the interaction; for Naα-dox2: P > 0.45 for both factors the interaction).