Jasmonate regulates the inducer of cbf expression-C-repeat binding factor/DRE binding factor1 cascade and freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis

Comparative proteomic and metabolomic analyses reveal mechanisms of improved cold stress tolerance in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) by exogenous calcium

As an important second messenger, calcium is involved in plant cold stress response, including chilling (<20 °C) and freezing (<0 °C). In this study, exogenous application of calcium chloride (CaCl2 ) improved both chilling and freezing stress tolerances, while ethylene glycol-bis-(β-aminoethyl) ether-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) reversed CaCl2 effects in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.). Physiological analyses showed that CaCl2 treatment alleviated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and cell damage triggered by chilling stress, via activating antioxidant enzymes, non-enzymatic glutathione antioxidant pool, while EGTA treatment had the opposite effects. Additionally, comparative proteomic analysis identified 51 differentially expressed proteins that were enriched in redox, tricarboxylicacid cycle, glycolysis, photosynthesis, oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and amino acid metabolisms. Consistently, 42 metabolites including amino acids, organic acids, sugars, and sugar alcohols were regulated by CaCl2 treatment under control and cold stress conditions, further confirming the common modulation of CaCl2 treatment in carbon metabolites and amino acid metabolism. Taken together, this study reported first evidence of the essential and protective roles of endogenous and exogenous calcium in bermudagrass response to cold stress, partially via activation of the antioxidants and modulation of several differentially expressed proteins and metabolic homeostasis in the process of cold acclimation.

BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE2 interacts with ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE5 to mediate the antagonism of brassinosteroids to abscisic acid during seed germination in Arabidopsis

Seed germination and postgerminative growth are regulated by a delicate hormonal balance. Abscisic acid (ABA) represses Arabidopsis thaliana seed germination and postgerminative growth, while brassinosteroids (BRs) antagonize ABA-mediated inhibition and promote these processes. However, the molecular mechanism underlying BR-repressed ABA signaling remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3-like kinase BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE2 (BIN2), a critical repressor of BR signaling, positively regulates ABA responses during seed germination and postgerminative growth. Mechanistic investigation revealed that BIN2 physically interacts with ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5), a bZIP transcription factor. Further genetic analysis demonstrated that the ABA-hypersensitive phenotype of BIN2-overexpressing plants requires ABI5. BIN2 was found to phosphorylate and stabilize ABI5 in the presence of ABA, while application of epibrassinolide (the active form of BRs) inhibited the regulation of ABI5 by BIN2. Consistently, the ABA-induced accumulation of ABI5 was affected in BIN2-related mutants. Moreover, mutations of the BIN2 phosphorylation sites on ABI5 made the mutant protein respond to ABA improperly. Additionally, the expression of several ABI5 regulons was positively modulated by BIN2. These results provide evidence that BIN2 phosphorylates and stabilizes ABI5 to mediate ABA response during seed germination, while BRs repress the BIN2-ABI5 cascade to antagonize ABA-mediated inhibition.

Jasmonate signaling and crosstalk with gibberellin and ethylene

The phytohormone jasmonate (JA) plays essential roles in plant growth, development and defense. In response to the JA signal, the CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1 (COI1)-based SCF complexes recruit JASMONATE ZIM-domain (JAZ) repressors for ubiquitination and degradation, and subsequently regulate their downstream signaling components essential for various JA responses. Tremendous progress has been made in understanding the JA signaling pathway and its crosstalk with other phytohormone pathways during the past two decades. Recent studies have revealed that a variety of positive and negative regulators act as targets of JAZs to control distinctive JA responses, and that JAZs and these regulators function as crucial interfaces to mediate synergy and antagonism between JA and other phytohormones. Owing to different regulatory players in JA perception and JA signaling, a fine-tuning of JA-dependent processes in plant growth, development and defense is achieved. In this review, we will summarize the latest progresses in JA signaling and its crosstalk with gibberellin and ethylene.

Rational design of a ligand-based antagonist of jasmonate perception

(+)-7-iso-Jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine (JA-Ile) regulates developmental and stress responses in plants. Its perception involves the formation of a ternary complex with the F-box COI1 and a member of the JAZ family of co-repressors and leads to JAZ degradation. Coronatine (COR) is a bacterial phytotoxin that functionally mimics JA-Ile and interacts with the COI1-JAZ co-receptor with higher affinity than JA-Ile. On the basis of the co-receptor structure, we designed ligand derivatives that spatially impede the interaction of the co-receptor proteins and, therefore, should act as competitive antagonists. One derivative, coronatine-O-methyloxime (COR-MO), has strong activity in preventing the COI1-JAZ interaction, JAZ degradation and the effects of JA-Ile or COR on several JA-mediated responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, it potentiates plant resistance, preventing the effect of bacterially produced COR during Pseudomonas syringae infections in different plant species. In addition to the utility of COR-MO for plant biology research, our results underscore its biotechnological potential for safer and sustainable agriculture.

AtHAP5A modulates freezing stress resistance in Arabidopsis through binding to CCAAT motif of AtXTH21

Several eukaryotic Heme-associated proteins (HAPs) have been reported to bind specifically to DNA fragments containing CCAAT-box; however, the physiological functions and direct targets of these HAP proteins in plants remain unclear. In this study, we showed that AtHAP5A as a transcription factor interacted with CCAAT motif in vivo, and AtXTH21, one direct target of AtHAP5A, was involved in freezing stress resistance. The AtHAP5A overexpressing plants were more tolerant, whereas the loss-of-function mutant of AtHAP5A was more sensitive to freezing stress than wild-type plants. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay demonstrated that AtHAP5A could bind to five fragments that contained CCAAT motifs in the AtXTH21 promoter. Similarly, the AtXTH21 overexpressing plants exhibited improved freezing resistance, while xth21 knockdown mutants displayed decreased freezing resistance. Notably, the modulated freezing resistance of AtHAP5A overexpressing plants and knockout mutant could be reversed by the xth21 mutant and AtXTH21 overexpressing plants, respectively, indicating that AtHAP5A might act upstream of AtXTH21 in freezing stress. Additionally, modulation of AtHAP5A and AtXTH21 expression had the same effects on abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism. Taken together, these results demonstrated that AtHAP5A modulates freezing stress resistance in Arabidopsis through binding to the CCAAT motif of AtXTH21.

Jasmonate-triggered plant immunity

The plant hormone jasmonate (JA) exerts direct control over the production of chemical defense compounds that confer resistance to a remarkable spectrum of plant-associated organisms, ranging from microbial pathogens to vertebrate herbivores. The underlying mechanism of JA-triggered immunity (JATI) can be conceptualized as a multi-stage signal transduction cascade involving: i) pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that couple the perception of danger signals to rapid synthesis of bioactive JA; ii) an evolutionarily conserved JA signaling module that links fluctuating JA levels to changes in the abundance of transcriptional repressor proteins; and iii) activation (de-repression) of transcription factors that orchestrate the expression of myriad chemical and morphological defense traits. Multiple negative feedback loops act in concert to restrain the duration and amplitude of defense responses, presumably to mitigate potential fitness costs of JATI. The convergence of diverse plant- and non-plant-derived signals on the core JA module indicates that JATI is a general response to perceived danger. However, the modular structure of JATI may accommodate attacker-specific defense responses through evolutionary innovation of PRRs (inputs) and defense traits (outputs). The efficacy of JATI as a defense strategy is highlighted by its capacity to shape natural populations of plant attackers, as well as the propensity of plant-associated organisms to subvert or otherwise manipulate JA signaling. As both a cellular hub for integrating informational cues from the environment and a common target of pathogen effectors, the core JA module provides a focal point for understanding immune system networks and the evolution of chemical diversity in the plant kingdom.

Arabidopsis DELLA and JAZ proteins bind the WD-repeat/bHLH/MYB complex to modulate gibberellin and jasmonate signaling synergy

Integration of diverse environmental and endogenous signals to coordinately regulate growth, development, and defense is essential for plants to survive in their natural habitat. The hormonal signals gibberellin (GA) and jasmonate (JA) antagonistically and synergistically regulate diverse aspects of plant growth, development, and defense. GA and JA synergistically induce initiation of trichomes, which assist seed dispersal and act as barriers to protect plants against insect attack, pathogen infection, excessive water loss, and UV irradiation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying such synergism between GA and JA signaling remains unclear. In this study, we revealed a mechanism for GA and JA signaling synergy and identified a signaling complex of the GA pathway in regulation of trichome initiation. Molecular, biochemical, and genetic evidence showed that the WD-repeat/bHLH/MYB complex acts as a direct target of DELLAs in the GA pathway and that both DELLAs and JAZs interacted with the WD-repeat/bHLH/MYB complex to mediate synergism between GA and JA signaling in regulating trichome development. GA and JA induce degradation of DELLAs and JASMONATE ZIM-domain proteins to coordinately activate the WD-repeat/bHLH/MYB complex and synergistically and mutually dependently induce trichome initiation. This study provides deep insights into the molecular mechanisms for integration of different hormonal signals to synergistically regulate plant development.

Jasmonate-activated MYC2 represses ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 activity to antagonize ethylene-promoted apical hook formation in Arabidopsis

The apical hook is an essential structure that enables epigeal plants to protrude through the soil. Arabidopsis thaliana HOOKLESS1 (HLS1) is reported to be a key regulator of hook development and a direct target gene of the ethylene (ET)-activated transcription factors ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) and its close homolog EIN3-Like1. Previous research has shown that the phytohormones jasmonate (JA) and ET antagonistically regulate apical hook development, although the underlying molecular mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we report that JA represses hook formation by reducing HLS1 expression. Our results further reveal that the JA-activated transcription factor MYC2 represses EIN3 function to reduce HLS1 expression through at least the following two layers of regulation: (1) MYC2 binds to the promoter of an F-box gene, EIN3 BINDING F-BOX PROTEIN1, to induce its expression and thus promote EIN3 degradation; and (2) MYC2 physically interacts with EIN3 and inhibits its DNA binding activity. Collectively, our findings shed light on the molecular mechanism underlying the antagonism between JA and ET during apical hook development and provide insight into the coaction of multiple phytohormones in the regulation of plant growth and development.

bHLH003, bHLH013 and bHLH017 are new targets of JAZ repressors negatively regulating JA responses

Cell reprogramming in response to jasmonates requires a tight control of transcription that is achieved by the activity of JA-related transcription factors (TFs). Among them, MYC2, MYC3 and MYC4 have been described as activators of JA responses. Here we characterized the function of bHLH003, bHLH013 and bHLH017 that conform a phylogenetic clade closely related to MYC2, MYC3 and MYC4. We found that these bHLHs form homo- and heterodimers and also interact with JAZ repressors in vitro and in vivo. Phenotypic analysis of JA-regulated processes, including root and rosette growth, anthocyanin accumulation, chlorophyll loss and resistance to Pseudomonas syringae, on mutants and overexpression lines, suggested that these bHLHs are repressors of JA responses. bHLH003, bHLH013 and bHLH017 are mainly nuclear proteins and bind DNA with similar specificity to that of MYC2, MYC3 and MYC4, but lack a conserved activation domain, suggesting that repression is achieved by competition for the same cis-regulatory elements. Moreover, expression of bHLH017 is induced by JA and depends on MYC2, suggesting a negative feed-back regulation of the activity of positive JA-related TFs. Our results suggest that the competition between positive and negative TFs determines the output of JA-dependent transcriptional activation.

AtHAP5A modulates freezing stress resistance in Arabidopsis independent of the CBF pathway

The heme-associated proteins (HAPs, also known as nuclear factor y, subunit A/B/C (NF-YA/B/C)) have been reported to bind specifically to DNA fragments containing CCAAT-box, however, the physiological functions and direct targets of these HAP proteins remain unclear in plants. In our recent study, we found that AtHAP5A and AtXTH21 positively modulated freezing stress resistance, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and genetic evidence indicated that AtHAP5A might act in the upstream of AtXTH21 in freezing stress. Moreover, AtHAP5A and AtXTH21 had significant effects on inhibiting cold stress-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and activating ABA-related genes' expression. Thus, a possible model that depicting AtHAP5A-mediated cold stress responses was proposed in this study, and we highlighted that AtHAP5A modulates freezing stress resistance in Arabidopsis through binding to CCAAT motif of AtXTH21, which is independent of the CBF pathway.

Interaction between MYC2 and ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 modulates antagonism between jasmonate and ethylene signaling in Arabidopsis

Plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms for integration of endogenous and exogenous signals to adapt to the changing environment. Both the phytohormones jasmonate (JA) and ethylene (ET) regulate plant growth, development, and defense. In addition to synergistic regulation of root hair development and resistance to necrotrophic fungi, JA and ET act antagonistically to regulate gene expression, apical hook curvature, and plant defense against insect attack. However, the molecular mechanism for such antagonism between JA and ET signaling remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that interaction between the JA-activated transcription factor MYC2 and the ET-stabilized transcription factor ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) modulates JA and ET signaling antagonism in Arabidopsis thaliana. MYC2 interacts with EIN3 to attenuate the transcriptional activity of EIN3 and repress ET-enhanced apical hook curvature. Conversely, EIN3 interacts with and represses MYC2 to inhibit JA-induced expression of wound-responsive genes and herbivory-inducible genes and to attenuate JA-regulated plant defense against generalist herbivores. Coordinated regulation of plant responses in both antagonistic and synergistic manners would help plants adapt to fluctuating environments.

Arabidopsis WRKY57 functions as a node of convergence for jasmonic acid- and auxin-mediated signaling in jasmonic acid-induced leaf senescence

Leaf senescence is regulated by diverse developmental and environmental factors. Exogenous jasmonic acid (JA) can induce leaf senescence, whereas auxin suppresses this physiological process. Crosstalk between JA and auxin signaling has been well studied, but not during JA-induced leaf senescence. Here, we found that upon methyl jasmonate treatment, Arabidopsis thaliana wrky57 mutants produced typical leaf senescence symptoms, such as yellowing leaves, low chlorophyll content, and high cell death rates. Further investigation suggested that senescence-associated genes were upregulated in the wrky57 mutants. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that WRKY57 directly binds to the promoters of SENESCENCE4 and SENESCENCE-ASSOCIATED GENE12 and represses their transcription. In vivo and in vitro experiments suggested that WRKY57 interacts with JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN4/8 (JAZ4/8) and the AUX/IAA protein IAA29, repressors of the JA and auxin signaling pathways, respectively. Consistent with the opposing functions of JA and auxin in JA-induced leaf senescence, JAZ4/8 and IAA29 also displayed opposite functions in JA-induced leaf senescence and competitively interacted with WRKY57. Our results suggested that the JA-induced leaf senescence process can be antagonized by auxin via WRKY57. Moreover, WRKY57 protein levels were downregulated by JA but upregulated by auxin. Therefore, as a repressor in JA-induced leaf senescence, WRKY57 is a common component of the JA- and auxin-mediated signaling pathways.

Comparison of signaling interactions determining annual and perennial plant growth in response to low temperature

Low temperature inhibits plant growth despite the fact that considerable rates of photosynthetic activity can be maintained. Instead of lower rates of photosynthesis, active inhibition of cell division and expansion is primarily responsible for reduced growth. This results in sink limitation and enables plants to accumulate carbohydrates that act as compatible solutes or are stored throughout the winter to enable re-growth in spring. Regulation of growth in response to temperature therefore requires coordination with carbon metabolism, e.g., via the signaling metabolite trehalose-6-phosphate. The phytohormones gibberellin (GA) and jasmonate (JA) play an important role in regulating growth in response to temperature. Growth restriction at low temperature is mainly mediated by DELLA proteins, whose degradation is promoted by GA. For annual plants, it has been shown that the GA/DELLA pathway interacts with JA signaling and C-repeat binding factor dependent cold acclimation, but these interactions have not been explored in detail for perennials. Growth regulation in response to seasonal factors is, however, particularly important in perennials, especially at high latitudes. In autumn, growth cessation in trees is caused by shortening of the daylength in interaction with phytohormone signaling. In perennial grasses seasonal differences in the sensitivity to GA may enable enhanced growth in spring. This review provides an overview of the signaling interactions that determine plant growth at low temperature and highlights gaps in our knowledge, especially concerning the seasonality of signaling responses in perennial plants.

Ambient temperature enhanced freezing tolerance of Chrysanthemum dichrum CdICE1 Arabidopsis via miR398

Background

ICE (Inducer of CBF Expression) family genes play an important role in the regulation of cold tolerance pathways. In an earlier study, we isolated the gene CdICE1 from Chrysanthemum dichrum and demonstrated that freezing tolerance was enhanced by CdICE1 overexpression. Therefore, we sought to determine the mechanism by which ICE1 family genes participate in freezing tolerance.

Results

Using EMSA (Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay) and yeast one-hybrid assays, we confirmed that CdICE1 binds specifically to the MYC element in the CdDREBa promoter and activates transcription. In addition, overexpression of CdICE1 enhanced Arabidopsis freezing tolerance after transition from 23°C to 4°C or 16°C. We found that after acclimation to 4°C, CdICE1, like Arabidopsis AtICE1, promoted expression of CBFs (CRT/DRE Binding Factor) and their genes downstream involved in freezing tolerance, including COR15a (Cold-Regulated 15a), COR6.6, and RD29a (Responsive to Dessication 29a). Interestingly, we observed that CdICE1-overexpressing plants experienced significant reduction in miR398. In addition, its target genes CSD1 (Copper/zinc Superoxide Dismutase 1) and CSD2 showed inducible expression under acclimation at 16°C, indicating that the miR398-CSD pathway was involved in the induction of freezing tolerance.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that CdICE1-mediated freezing tolerance occurs via different pathways, involving either CBF or miR398, under acclimation at two different temperatures.