A data mining approach to explore the functions of TDP1α and TDP1ß genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

The response of plant to stress is dependent on the activity of multiple DNA repair pathways that share common elements with animals, but also has distinctive features that are unique to the plant kingdom. Such is the fact that the canonical plant TDP1 (α) is well conserved in organization and function to the animal kingdom, while the TDP1β is plant specific. Based on what presented so far in the introduction, it is clear that there is an increasing interest in the roles that TDP1 plays in relation to DNA damage repair not only in the animals but also plants, in view of offering protection to multiple types of stresses. In plants, the works reported so far focus on the use of model plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula. Compared to the model legume M. truncatula, a larger collection of bioinformatics tools and plant materials (e.g., mutants, varieties) are available for A. thaliana, also because it is the model plant par excellence. The aim of the current work of thesis was to better investigate the function of the TDP1 subfamily of genes in plants by taking advantage of the rich bioinformatic platforms available for A. thaliana. A data mining approach was carried out to collect information regarding the TDP1α and TDP1β gene expression using platforms where RNA-seq and microarray data are deposited. By looking at the expression of the two genes in different tissues, genetic backgrounds (mutants, varieties) and stress conditions, it will be possible to better understand if the genes may have different or complementary functions.