Lectins are proteins or glycoproteins that recognize free or conjugated carbohydrates, reversibly binding to them. Lectins participate in several events of the immune system of plants and animals and assisting in the process of cell adhesion and recognition. Schinus terebinthifolius belongs to the family Anacardiaceae, which is resistant to various types of insect injury. This work aimed at the isolation and characterization of a new lectin from the shell of S. terebinthifolius (SteBL). The bark extract (20%, w/v) was prepared in 0.15 M NaCl solution for 16 h at 4°C. The extract was treated with ammonium sulfate in different concentrations (0-20%, 20-40%, 40-60% and 60-80%). The hemagglutinating activity (HA) of the fractions were evaluated with rabbit erythrocyte suspension 2.5% (m/v). Subsequently, the supernatant fraction – FS 40%, which presented the highest specific activity, was subjected to chitin matrix affinity chromatography, where about 125 μg of protein was applied on a chitin column equilibrated with 0.15 M NaCl. showed HA were eluted with 1.0 M acetic acid. The chromatographic profile of the chitin column showed an active protein peak (SHA: 65536) after elution with 1.0 M acetic acid (0.0625 mg protein). Then the partially isolated SteBL was characterized as the effect of temperature (30-100 ° C), pH (3-10), divalent cations (Ca2+, Mn2+ and Zn2+) on. The same preparation was also evaluated on polyacrylamide gel (10% w/v) under denaturing conditions in the presence and absence of 2-Mercaptoethanol. N-acetylglucosamine and lactose carbohydrates showed inhibition, expressing a reduction of about 75% and 99%. , SteBL HA was partially isolated and showed a thermal stability over a wide temperature range with a maximum activity at 50 ° C (SHA: 131.072) and pH 5 (SHA: 131.072) and ionindependent. In order to completely isolate SteBL, a new extract from the bark of the mastic was prepared in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer pH 8.0 (20%, w/v), where it was filtered on activated charcoal and subjected to chitin matrix affinity chromatography followed by anion exchange chromatography (DEAE-Sepharose), where it was possible to isolate a peptide of about 24 kDa. / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / As lectinas são proteínas ou glicoproteínas que reconhecem carboidratos livres ou conjugados, ligando-se reversivelmente a eles. Lectinas possuem diversas funções e aplicações biotecnológicas tais como atividade antimicrobiana, inseticida, imunomoduladora, cicatrizante, antitumoral, dentre outras. Schinus terebinthifolius (Aroeira-da-praia) pertence à família Anacardiaceae, apresenta resistência contra vários tipos de lesões causadas por insetos. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo o isolamento e a caracterização de uma nova lectina da casca de S. terebinthifolius (SteBL). O extrato da casca (20%, p/v) foi preparado em solução de NaCl 0,15 M por 16 h a 4 ºC. O extrato foi tratado com sulfato de amônio em diferentes concentrações (0-20%, 20-40%, 40-60% e 60-80%). A atividade hemaglutinante (AH) das frações foram avaliadas com suspensão de eritrócitos de coelho 2,5% (m/v). Posteriormente, a fração sobrenadante - FS40%, que apresentou maior atividade específica, foi submetida a cromatografia de afinidade em matriz de quitina, onde foi aplicado cerca de 125 μg de proteína numa coluna de quitina equilibrada com NaCl 0,15 M. As amostras que apresentaram AH foram eluídas com ácido acético 1,0 M. O perfil cromatográfico da coluna de quitina mostrou um pico de proteína ativo (AHE: 65.536) após eluição com ácido acético 1,0 M (0,0625 mg de proteína). Em seguida a SteBL parcialmente isolada foi caracterizada quanto ao efeito da temperatura (30-100°C), pH (3-10), cátions divalentes (Ca2+, Mn2+ e Zn2+) na AH. Também a mesma preparação foi avaliada em gel de poliacrilamida (10% (p/v) em condições desnaturantes na presença e ausência de 2-Mercaptoetanol. Os carboidratos N-acetilglucosamina e lactose apresentaram inibição, expressando uma redução de cerca de 75 % e 99,97% respectivamente da HA da SteBL parcialmente isolada. A SteBL parcialmente purificada apresentou estabilidade térmica em uma ampla faixa de temperatura com uma atividade máxima a 50 ° C (AHE: 131.072) e pH 5 (AHE: 131.072) e íonindependente. Com a finalidade de isolar totalmente a SteBL, um novo extrato da casca da aroeira foi preparado em solução tampão Tris-HCl 50 Mm pH 8,0, onde o mesmo foi filtrado em carvão ativado e submetido a cromatografia por afinidade em matriz de quitina seguida por cromatografia de troca aniônica – DEAE-Sepharose, onde foi possível o isolamento de um peptídeo de cerca de 24 kDa.

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Catharanthus roseus produces a large array of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) that are an important source of natural or semi-synthetic anticancer drugs. Biosynthesis of TIAs is tissue-specific and induced by certain phytohormones and fungal elicitors, indicating the involvement of a complex transcriptional control network. However, the transcriptional regulation of the TIA pathway is poorly understood. This study reports the isolation and characterization of the G10H promoter and two WRKY transcription factors regulating TIA biosynthesis. Geraniol 10-hydroxylase (G10H) controls the first committed step in the biosynthesis of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIA). The C. roseus G10H promoter sequence was isolated by a PCR-based genome walking method. Sequence analysis revealed that the G10H promoter contains several potential eukaryotic regulatory elements involved in regulation of gene expression. For functional characterization, fusion constructs of G10H promoter fragments with the GUS reporter gene were generated and expression was analyzed in a tobacco protoplast transient expression assay. Gain-of-function experiments revealed the presence of three potential transcriptional enhancers located in regions between -191 and -147, -266 and -188, and -318 and -266, respectively. The G10H promoter was capable of conferring stable GUS expression in transgenic tobacco plants and C. roseus hairy roots. In transgenic tobacco seedlings, GUS expression was tissue-specific, restricted to the leaf and actively growing cells around the root tip. GUS expression was not detected in the hypocotyls, root cap and older developing areas of the root. The GUS expression in both transgenic C. roseus hairy roots and tobacco seedlings were responsive to fungal elicitors and methyljasmonate. Compared to other known promoters of TIA pathway genes, the G10H promoter contains unique binding sites for several transcription factors, suggesting that the G10H promoter may be regulated by a different transcriptional cascade. The majority of TIA pathway gene promoters contain typical W-box elements, which are frequently found to be the binding sites of WRKY transcription factors. CrWRKY1 and CrWRKY2 transcription factors were isolated using a degenerate PCR method. The C. roseus WRKY transcription factor, CrWRKY1 is preferentially expressed in roots and induced by phytohormones, jasmonate, gibberellic acid and ethylene. Overexpression of CrWRKY1 in C. roseus hairy roots up-regulated several key TIA pathway genes, especially tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC), as well as transcriptional repressors ZCT1, ZCT2 and ZCT3. In contrast, CrWRKY1 overexpression repressed the transcriptional activators ORCA2, ORCA3 and CrMYC2. Overexpression of a dominant-repressive form of CrWRKY1, created by fusing the SRDX-repressor domain to CrWRKY1, resulted in down-regulation of TDC and ZCTs but up-regulation of ORCA3 and CrMYC2. CrWRKY1 bound to the W-box elements of the TDC promoter in electrophoretic mobility shift, yeast one-hybrid and C. roseus protoplast assays. In CrWRKY1 hairy roots, up-regulation of TDC increased TDC activity, tryptamine concentration and resistance to 4-methyl tryptophan inhibition. Compared to control roots, CrWRKY1 hairy roots accumulated up to 3-fold higher levels of serpentine. The preferential expression of CrWRKY1 in roots and its interaction with transcription factors, including ORCA3, CrMYC2 and ZCTs, may play a key role in determining the root-specific accumulation of serpentine in C. roseus plants. CrWRKY2 is induced by methyljasmonate induction. In plant, CrWRKY2 expression is mainly found in young leaves and the stem. The stable transformation of CrWRKY2 in C. roseus hairy roots up-regulated many pathway genes, especially the genes in vindoline biosynthesis. The accumulation of vindoline was observed in CrWRKY2 hairy roots.