Expression of metallothionein type 2 and 3 genes in Prosopis glandulosa leaves treated with copper.

For a better understanding of the strategies that are used by Prosopis glandulosa in heavy metal tolerance, the present study evaluated the gene expression of three metallothioneins (MTs; PgMt2-1, PgMt2, and PgMt3) in plants exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of copper. The PgMt2-1, PgMt2, and PgMt3 sequences were homologous to the MT type 2 (isoform 1), Mt2, and Mt3 sequences of other plant species found in GenBank. A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed that treatment with 100 mM Cu induced a significant increase in PgMt2 and PgMt3 expression during the first 4 h of exposure compared to that of PgMt2-1.

Fast protocol for extraction of DNA from Prosopis spp leaves (plant adapted to arid environment) without liquid nitrogen.

The extraction of high-quality genomic DNA from Prosopis spp for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification is complicated, owing to the presence of a high percentage of secondary metabolites that bind to or co-precipitate with nucleic acids. In the present study, we report a modified sodium dodecyl sulfate/phenol protocol that eliminates the use of liquid nitrogen in the maceration process, β-mercaptoethanol in the buffer extraction, and the ethanol precipitation step. The A₂₆₀/A₂₈₀ absorbance ratios of the isolated DNA were approximately 2.