Expression data provoked by H2O2 from plastid or peroxisomal origin

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key signalling molecules that regulate growth and development and coordinate responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. ROS homeostasis is controlled through a complex network of ROS production and scavenging enzymes. Recently, the first genes involved in ROS perception and signal transduction have been identified and, currently, we are facing the challenge to uncover the other players within the ROS regulatory gene network. The specificity of ensuing cellular responses depends on the type of ROS and their subcellular production sites. Various experimental systems, including catalase-deficient plants, in combination with genome-wide expression studies demonstrated that increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels significantly affect the transcriptome of plants and are capable of launching both defence responses and cell death events. We used microarrays to assess differential gene expression provoked by H2O2 from plastid or peroxisomal origin, respectively. Columbia-0 (Col-0, wild type), catalase-deficient Salk plants (10-15% of wild-type catalase activity; cat2-2; N576998; (Queval et al., 2007)) and A. thaliana plants expressing glycolate oxidase in chloroplasts (GO5 plants; (Fahnenstich et al., 2008)) were grown in soil under a 16h light/8h dark regime at photosynthetically active photon flux densities (PPFD) of 75 µmol quanta m-2 s-1 at 22°C day/18°C night temperatures and a CO2 concentration of 3,000 ppm. After three weeks of growth, plants were transferred to ambient CO2 concentration (380 ppm) and the same PPFD. Whole rosettes were harvested at 0h and 8h after transfer. Control samples were harvested at 8 h from plants continuously maintained in high CO2.