ABSTRACT. The study of promoters has become essential to elucidate genetic regulation and allow new genetic transformation strategies through plant biotechnology. The challenge is to discover and validate promoters that can regulate gene transcription spatially and/or temporally. The goal of this work was to validate genes associated with tissue-specific promoters of bananas obtained from in silico sequences and selected from the DATAMusa databank. Gene expression was quantified using RT-qPCR from different tissues: leaves, flowers, roots, unripe pulp, ripe pulp, unripe peels, and ripe peels of two different genetic groups: Prata-Anã (PA; group AAB) and Grand Naine (GN; group AAA). After the analysis of the expression of genes associated with the promoters, normalization was performed with the most stable reference genes (TUB and L2) selected using the RefFinder tool. It was determined that five genes were specific or expressed to a greater extent in some tissues than others. The EMB-23 gene was highly expressed in ripe pulp and flowers of GN, EMB-26 in the ripe pulp of GN, EMB-27 in flowers of GN, EMB-28 in roots of PA and ripe pulp and roots of GN, and EMB-31 in roots and flowers of GN and PA, and unripe pulp of GN. The in silico analysis was efficient in the identification of spatial/time-specific genes, thereby decreasing analysis time and cost, making future genetic transformation studies focusing on the application of these tissue-specific promoters possible.

ABSTRACT. The objective of this study was to evaluate gene expression related to water deficit tolerance in maize lines. For this, lines previously classified as tolerant (91-T and 32-T) and non-tolerant (24-NT and 57-NT) to water deficit were used. The seeds of the four lines were evaluated for emergence and emergence speed index, and the seedlings were evaluated for root and shoot length under two conditions of water availability (70 and 10% substrate water retention capacity). In transcript analysis, the expression of several genes associated with water deficit tolerance, ZmDBP3, ZmALDH9, ZmAN13, and ZmDREB2A, was evaluated by qRT-PCR for the 91-T and 57-NT lines. It can be concluded that soil water deficiency did not reduce root development. However, the shoot length was significantly lower under dry conditions. Through transcript analysis, the genes ZmDBP3 and ZmAN13 were identified as potential markers for the early selection of maize lines tolerant to water deficit.

Garcinia brasiliensis, popularly known as Bacupari, is native to the Amazon and commonly used in folk medicine for its therapeutic properties. This plant is rich in bioactive compounds like benzophenones. However, there are no works about the in vitro establishment and achievement of secondary metabolites in this plant. Thus, the aim of this work was to determine the growth curve and to perform the biochemical and phytochemical analyses in calli obtained from the procambium segments of Bacupari. The growth curve of calli followed a sigmoidal pattern, with four distinct phases (lag, exponential, linear, deceleration). Total soluble sugars were higher on the inoculation day and the reducing sugars on the 20 th day. Amino acids increased from the 60 th day up to the stabilization on the 120 th day. The protein content varied, but it seemed to be related to the amino acids metabolism. The phytochemical screening showed the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in the calli and the HPLC analysis allowed the identification of Fukugetin, Guttiferone A and 7-epiclusianone.