Publikationen - Molekulare Signalverarbeitung

Despite the vital roles of jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) in governing plant growth and environmental acclimation, it remains unclear what intracellular processes lead to its induction. Here, we provide compelling genetic evidence that mechanical and osmotic regulation of turgor pressure represents a key elicitor of JA-Ile biosynthesis. After identifying cell wall mutant alleles in KORRIGAN1 (KOR1) with elevated JA-Ile in seedling roots, we found that ectopic JA-Ile resulted from cell nonautonomous signals deriving from enlarged cortex cells compressing inner tissues and stimulating JA-Ile production. Restoring cortex cell size by cell type–specific KOR1 complementation, by isolating a genetic kor1 suppressor, and by lowering turgor pressure with hyperosmotic treatments abolished JA-Ile signaling. Conversely, hypoosmotic treatment activated JA-Ile signaling in wild-type plants. Furthermore, constitutive JA-Ile levels guided mutant roots toward greater water availability. Collectively, these findings enhance our understanding on JA-Ile biosynthesis initiation and reveal a previously undescribed role of JA-Ile in orchestrating environmental resilience.

Physical damage can strongly affect plant growth, reducing the biomass of developing organs situated at a distance from wounds. These effects, previously studied in leaves, require the activation of jasmonate (JA) signalling. Using a novel assay involving repetitive cotyledon wounding in Arabidopsis seedlings, we uncovered a function of JA in suppressing cell division and elongation in roots. Regulatory JA signalling components were then manipulated to delineate their relative impacts on root growth. The new transcription factor mutant myc2-322B was isolated. In vitro transcription assays and whole-plant approaches revealed that myc2-322B is a dosage-dependent gain-of-function mutant that can amplify JA growth responses. Moreover, myc2-322B displayed extreme hypersensitivity to JA that totally suppressed root elongation. The mutation weakly reduced root growth in undamaged plants but, when the upstream negative regulator NINJA was genetically removed, myc2-322B powerfully repressed root growth through its effects on cell division and cell elongation. Furthermore, in a JA-deficient mutant background, ninja1 myc2-322B still repressed root elongation, indicating that it is possible to generate JA-responses in the absence of JA. We show that NINJA forms a broadly expressed regulatory layer that is required to inhibit JA signalling in the apex of roots grown under basal conditions. By contrast, MYC2, MYC3 and MYC4 displayed cell layer-specific localisations and MYC3 and MYC4 were expressed in mutually exclusive regions. In nature, growing roots are likely subjected to constant mechanical stress during soil penetration that could lead to JA production and subsequent detrimental effects on growth. Our data reveal how distinct negative regulatory layers, including both NINJA-dependent and -independent mechanisms, restrain JA responses to allow normal root growth. Mechanistic insights from this work underline the importance of mapping JA signalling components to specific cell types in order to understand and potentially engineer the growth reduction that follows physical damage.

Over the next decade, wheat grain production must increase to meet the demand of a fast growing human population. One strategy to meet this challenge is to raise wheat productivity by optimizing plant stature. The Reduced height 8 (Rht8) semi-dwarfing gene is one of the few, together with the Green Revolution genes, to reduce stature of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and improve lodging resistance, without compromising grain yield. Rht8 is widely used in dry environments such as Mediterranean countries where it increases plant adaptability. With recent climate change, its use could become increasingly important even in more northern latitudes. In the present study, the characterization of Rht8 was furthered. Morphological analyses show that the semi-dwarf phenotype of Rht8 lines is due to shorter internodal segments along the wheat culm, achieved through reduced cell elongation. Physiological experiments show that the reduced cell elongation is not due to defective gibberellin biosynthesis or signalling, but possibly to a reduced sensitivity to brassinosteroids. Using a fine-resolution mapping approach and screening 3104 F2 individuals of a newly developed mapping population, the Rht8 genetic interval was reduced from 20.5 cM to 1.29 cM. Comparative genomics with model genomes confined the Rht8 syntenic intervals to 3.3 Mb of the short arm of rice chromosome 4, and to 2 Mb of Brachypodium distachyon chromosome 5. The very high resolution potential of the plant material generated is crucial for the eventual cloning of Rht8.

In this study, we characterized two sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) lines with differential sensitivity to drought, the sensitive line B59 and the tolerant line B71. Using both lines, we compared the content of endogenous jasmonates (JAs) in dry and imbibed seeds from plants grown under irrigation and drought. Jasmonic acid (JA), 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA), 11-hydroxyjasmonate (11-OH-JA) and 12-hydroxyjasmonate (12-OH-JA) were detected in dry and imbibed sunflower seeds. Seeds from plants grown under drought had a lower content of total JAs and exhibited higher germination percentages than seeds from irrigated plants, demonstrating that environmental conditions have a strong influence on the progeny. OPDA and 12-OH-JA were the main compounds found in dry seeds of both lines. Imbibed seeds showed an enhanced amount of total JAs with respect to dry seeds produced by plants grown in both soil moisture conditions. Imbibition triggered a dramatic OPDA increase in the embryo, suggesting a role of this compound in germination. We conclude that JAs patterns vary during sunflower germination and that the environmental conditions experienced by the mother plant modify the hormonal content of the seed progeny.

There is considerable evidence suggesting that jasmonates (JAs) play a role in plant resistance against abiotic stress. It is well known that in Angiosperms JAs are involved in the defense response, however there is little information about their role in Gymnosperms. Our proposal was to study the involvement of JAs in Pinus pinaster Ait. reaction to cold and water stress, and to compare the response of two populations of different provenances (Gredos and Bajo Tiétar) to these stresses. We detected 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA), jasmonic acid (JA), and the hydroxylates 11-hydroxyjasmonate and 12-hydroxyjasmonate in foliage and shoots of P. pinaster plants. The response of the Gredos population to cold stress differed from that of Bajo Tiétar. Gredos plants showed a lower JA-basal level than Bajo Tiétar; under cold stress JA increased twofold at 72 h, while it decreased in Bajo Tiétar plants. The hydroxylates slightly increased in both populations due to cold stress treatment. Under water stress, plants from Gredos showed a remarkable JA-increase; thus the JA-response was much more prominent under water stress than under cold stress. In contrast, no change was found in JA-level in Bajo Tiétar plants under water stress. The level of JA-precursor, OPDA, was very low in control plants from Gredos and Bajo Tiétar. Under water stress OPDA increased only in plants from Bajo Tiétar. Therefore, we inform here of a different JAs-accumulation pattern after the stress treatment in P. pinaster from two provenances, and suggest a possible correlation with adaptations to diverse ecological conditions.

Coffea arabica is susceptible to several pests and diseases, some of which affect the leaves and roots. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is the main defence mechanism activated in plants in response to pathogen attack. Here, we report the effects of benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid-s-methyl ester (BTH), a SAR chemical inducer, on the expression profile of C. arabica. Two cDNA libraries were constructed from the mRNA isolated from leaves and embryonic roots to create 1587 nonredundant expressed sequence tags (ESTs). We developed a cDNA microarray containing 1506 ESTs from the leaves and embryonic roots, and 48 NBS-LRR (nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat) gene fragments derived from 2 specific genomic libraries. Competitive hybridization between untreated and BTH-treated leaves resulted in 55 genes that were significantly overexpressed and 16 genes that were significantly underexpressed. In the roots, 37 and 42 genes were over and underexpressed, respectively. A general shift in metabolism from housekeeping to defence occurred in the leaves and roots after BTH treatment. We observed a systemic increase in pathogenesis-related protein synthesis, in the oxidative burst, and in the cell wall strengthening processes. Moreover, responses in the roots and leaves varied significantly.

Although jasmonates (JAs) are involved in germination and seedling development, the regulatory mechanism of JAs, and their relation with endogenous level modifications in these processes, is not well understood. We report here the detection of 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA), jasmonic acid (JA), 11-hydroxyjasmonate (11-OH-JA), 12-hydroxyjasmonate (12-OH-JA) and methyljasmonate (JAME) in unimbibed seeds and seedlings of tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv. Moneymaker (wild type) and tss1, tss2, tos1 mutants. The main compounds in wild-type and tss1, tss2, tos1 seeds were the hydroxylate-JAs; 12-OH-JA was the major component in dry seeds of the wild type and in tss2 and tos1. The amounts of these derivatives were higher in seeds than in seedlings. Changes in JAs during wild-type and tss1 imbibition were analysed in seeds and the imbibition water. In wild-type imbibed seeds, 11-OH-JA content was higher than in tss1. 12-OH-JA showed a different tendency with respect to 11-OH-JA, with high levels in the wild type at early imbibition. In tss1, levels of 12-OH-JA rose from 24 to 48 h of imbibition. At 72 h of imbibition, when radicles had emerged, the amounts of both hydroxylates in wild-type and tss1 seeds were minimal. An important release of the hydroxylate forms was observed in the imbibition water. 11-OH-JA decreased in the imbibition water of wild-type seeds at 48 h. On the contrary, a high and sustained liberation of this compound was observed in tss1 after 24 h. 12-OH-JA increased in wild-type as well in tss1 until 24 h. Thereafter, a substantial reduction in the content of this compound was registered. NaCl-treated wild-type seedlings increased their 12-OH-JA, but tss1 seedlings increased their JA in response to salt treatment. In tss2 seedlings, NaCl caused a slight decrease in 11-OH-JA and JAME, whereas tos1 seedlings showed a dramatic OPDA and 12-OH-JA decrease in response to salt treatment. Under salt stress the mutant seedlings showed different patterns of JAs according to their differential hypersensitivity to abiotic stress. The JA-hydroxylate forms found, and the differential accumulation of JAs during germination, imbibition and seedling development, as well as their response to NaCl stress, provide new evidence about the control of many developmental processes by JA.

Jasmonic acid biosynthesis occurs in leaves and there is also evidence of a similar pathway in roots. The expression of lipoxygenase, allene oxide cyclase and low amounts of transcripts of allene oxide synthase in tomato roots indicates that some steps of the jasmonate synthesis may occur in these organs. Thus, the aim of the present work was to study the jasmonate and octadecanoid occurrence in tomato roots using isolated cultures of hairy roots. These were obtained by the transformation of cv. Pera roots with Agrobacterium rhyzogenes. Also we investigated the effect of NaCl stress on the endogenous levels of these compounds. Jasmonic acid, 12-oxophytodienoic acid and their methylated derivatives, as well as a jasmonate-isoleucine conjugate, were present in control hairy roots of 30 d of culture. The 12-oxophytodienoic acid and its methylated derivative showed higher levels than jasmonic acid and its methylated form, although the content of the conjugate was the same as that of jasmonic acid. After salinization of hairy roots for 14, 20 and 30 d, free jasmonates and octadecanoids were measured. Fourteen days after salt treatment, increased levels of these compounds were found, jasmonic acid and 12-oxophytodienoic acid showed the most remarkable rise. 11-OH-jasmonic acid was found at 14 d of culture in control and salt-treated hairy roots; whereas the 12-OH- form of jasmonic acid was only detected in the salt-treated hairy roots. Agrobacterium rhizogenes cultures did not produce jasmonates and/or octadecanoids.

In the present paper we study the possible biological relevance of endogenous jasmonic acid (JA) and exogenous salicylic acid (SA) in a plant-microbial system maize-virus. The virus disease "Mal de Río Cuarto" is caused by the maize rough dwarf virus - Río Cuarto. The characteristic symptoms are the appearance of galls or "enations" in leaves, shortening of the stem internodes, poor radical system and general stunting. Changes in JA and protein pattern in maize control and infected plants of a virus-tolerant cultivar were investigated. Healthy and infected-leaf discs were collected for JA measurement at different post-infection times (20, 40, 60 and 68 days). JA was also measured in roots on day 60 after infection. For SDS-PAGE protein analysis, leaf discs were also harvested on day 60 after infection. Infected leaves showed higher levels of JA than healthy leaves, and the rise in endogenous JA coincided with the enation formation. The soluble protein amount did not show differences between infected and healthy leaves; moreover, no difference in the expression of soluble protein was revealed by SDS-PAGE. Our results show that the octadecanoid pathway was stimulated in leaves and roots of the tolerant maize cultivar when infected by this virus. This finding, together with fewer plants with the disease symptoms, suggest that higher foliar and roots JA content may be related to disease tolerance. SA exogenous treatment caused the reversion of the dwarfism symptom.