Wounding Nicotiana tabacum Leaves Causes a Decline in Endogenous Indole-3-Acetic Acid

Integration of Electrical Signals and Phytohormones in the Control of Systemic Response

Plants are constantly exposed to environmental stresses. Local stimuli sensed by one part of a plant are translated into long-distance signals that can influence the activities in distant tissues. Changes in levels of phytohormones in distant parts of the plant occur in response to various local stimuli. The regulation of hormone levels can be mediated by long-distance electrical signals, which are also induced by local stimulation. We consider the crosstalk between electrical signals and phytohormones and identify interaction points, as well as provide insights into the integration nodes that involve changes in pH, Ca²⁺ and ROS levels. This review also provides an overview of our current knowledge of how electrical signals and hormones work together to induce a systemic response.

Metabolic Integration of Spectral and Chemical Cues Mediating Plant Responses to Competitors and Herbivores

Light quality and chemicals in a plant's environment can provide crucial information about the presence and nature of antagonists, such as competitors and herbivores. Here, we evaluate the roles of three sources of information-shifts in the red:far red (R:FR) ratio of light reflected off of potentially competing neighbors, induced metabolic changes to damage by insect herbivores, and induced changes to volatile organic compounds emitted from herbivore-damaged neighboring plants-to affect metabolic responses in the tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima. We address the hypothesis that plants integrate the information available about competitors and herbivory to optimize metabolic responses to interacting stressors by exposing plants to the different types of environmental information in isolation and combination. We found strong interactions between the exposure to decreased R:FR light ratios and damage on the induction of secondary metabolites (volatile and non-volatile) in plants. Similarly, the perception of VOCs emitted from neighboring plants was altered by the simultaneous exposure to spectral cues from neighbors. These results suggest that plants integrate spectral and chemical environmental cues to change the production and perception of volatile and non-volatile compounds and highlight the role of plant context-dependent metabolic responses in mediating population and community dynamics.

Interplay of the two ancient metabolites auxin and MEcPP regulates adaptive growth

The ancient morphoregulatory hormone auxin dynamically realigns dedicated cellular processes that shape plant growth under prevailing environmental conditions. However, the nature of the stress-responsive signal altering auxin homeostasis remains elusive. Here we establish that the evolutionarily conserved plastidial retrograde signaling metabolite methylerythritol cyclodiphosphate (MEcPP) controls adaptive growth by dual transcriptional and post-translational regulatory inputs that modulate auxin levels and distribution patterns in response to stress. We demonstrate that in vivo accumulation or exogenous application of MEcPP alters the expression of two auxin reporters, DR5:GFP and DII-VENUS, and reduces the abundance of the auxin-efflux carrier PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1) at the plasma membrane. However, pharmacological intervention with clathrin-mediated endocytosis blocks the PIN1 reduction. This study provides insight into the interplay between these two indispensable signaling metabolites by establishing the mode of MEcPP action in altering auxin homeostasis, and as such, positioning plastidial function as the primary driver of adaptive growth.

MEcPP is an evolutionarily conserved plastidial metabolite functioning as a retrograde signal to the nucleus in response to environmental stresses. Here Jiang et al. show that MEcPP can reduce the abundance of auxin and an auxin transporter, providing a mechanistic link between plastids and adaptive growth responses.

Leaf expansion in Phaseolus: transient auxin-induced growth increase

Control of leaf expansion by auxin is not well understood. Evidence from short term exogenous applications and from treatment of excised tissues suggests auxin positively influences growth. Manipulations of endogenous leaf auxin content, however, suggests that, long-term, auxin suppresses leaf expansion. This study attempts to clarify the growth effects of auxin on unifoliate (primary) leaves of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) by reexamining the response to auxin treatment of both excised leaf strips and attached leaves. Leaf strips, incubated in culture conditions that promoted steady elongation for up to 48 h, treated with 10 μM NAA responded with an initial surge of elongation growth complete within 10 hours followed by insensitivity. A range of NAA concentrations from 0.1 μM to 300 μM induced increased strip elongation after 24 hours and 48 hours. Increased elongation and epinastic curvature of leaf strips was found specific to active auxins. Expanding attached unifoliates treated once with aqueous auxin α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) at 1.0 mM showed both an initial surge in growth lasting 4-6 hours followed by growth inhibition sustained at least as long as 24 hours post treatment. Auxin-induced inhibition of leaf expansion was associated with smaller epidermal cell area. Together the results suggest increasing leaf auxin first increases growth then slows growth through inhibition of cell expansion. Excised leaf strips, retain only the initial increased growth response to auxin and not the subsequent growth inhibition, either as a consequence of wounding or of isolation from the plant.

Simulated herbivory in chickpea causes rapid changes in defense pathways and hormonal transcription networks of JA/ethylene/GA/auxin within minutes of wounding

Chickpea (C. arietinum L.) is an important pulse crop in Asian and African countries that suffers significant yield losses due to attacks by insects like H. armigera. To obtain insights into early responses of chickpea to insect attack, a transcriptomic analysis of chickpea leaves just 20 minutes after simulated herbivory was performed, using oral secretions of H. armigera coupled with mechanical wounding. Expression profiles revealed differential regulation of 8.4% of the total leaf transcriptome with 1334 genes up-regulated and 501 down-regulated upon wounding at log₂-fold change (|FC| ≤ −1 and ≥1) and FDR value ≤ 0.05. In silico analysis showed the activation of defenses through up-regulation of genes of the phenylpropanoid pathway, pathogenesis, oxidases and CYTP450 besides differential regulation of kinases, phosphatases and transcription factors of the WRKY, MYB, ERFs, bZIP families. A substantial change in the regulation of hormonal networks was observed with up-regulation of JA and ethylene pathways and suppression of growth associated hormone pathways like GA and auxin within 20 minutes of wounding. Secondary qPCR comparison of selected genes showed that oral secretions often increased differential expression relative to mechanical damage alone. The studies provide new insights into early wound responses in chickpea.

Interplant Aboveground Signaling Prompts Upregulation of Auxin Promoter and Malate Transporter as Part of Defensive Response in the Neighboring Plants

When disrupted by stimuli such as herbivory, pathogenic infection, or mechanical wounding, plants secrete signals such as root exudates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The emission of VOCs induces a response in the neighboring plant communities and can improve plant fitness by alerting nearby plants of an impending threat and prompting them to alter their physiology for defensive purposes. In this study, we investigated the role of plant-derived signals, released as a result of mechanical wounding, that may play a role in intraspecific communication between Arabidopsis thaliana communities. Plant-derived signals released by the wounded plant resulted in more elaborate root development in the neighboring, unwounded plants. Such plant-derived signals also upregulated the Aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT1) responsible for the secretion of malic acid (MA) and the DR5 promoter, an auxin responsive promoter concentrated in root apex of the neighboring plants. We speculate that plant-derived signal-induced upregulation of root-specific ALMT1 in the undamaged neighboring plants sharing the environment with stressed plants may associate more with the benign microbes belowground. We also observed increased association of beneficial bacterium Bacillus subtilis UD1022 on roots of the neighboring plants sharing environment with the damaged plants. Wounding-induced plant-derived signals therefore induce defense mechanisms in the undamaged, local plants, eliciting a two-pronged preemptive response of more rapid root growth and up-regulation of ALMT1, resulting in increased association with beneficial microbiome.

Auxin Is Rapidly Induced by Herbivore Attack and Regulates a Subset of Systemic, Jasmonate-Dependent Defenses

Plant responses to herbivore attack are regulated by phytohormonal networks. To date, the role of the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in this context is not well understood. We quantified and manipulated the spatiotemporal patterns of IAA accumulation in herbivore-attacked Nicotiana attenuata plants to unravel its role in the regulation of plant secondary metabolism. We found that IAA is strongly, rapidly, and specifically induced by herbivore attack. IAA is elicited by herbivore oral secretions and fatty acid conjugate elicitors and is accompanied by a rapid transcriptional increase of auxin biosynthetic YUCCA-like genes. IAA accumulation starts 30 to 60 s after local induction and peaks within 5 min after induction, thereby preceding the jasmonate (JA) burst. IAA accumulation does not require JA signaling and spreads rapidly from the wound site to systemic tissues. Complementation and transport inhibition experiments reveal that IAA is required for the herbivore-specific, JA-dependent accumulation of anthocyanins and phenolamides in the stems. In contrast, IAA does not affect the accumulation of nicotine or 7-hydroxygeranyllinalool diterpene glycosides in the same tissue. Taken together, our results uncover IAA as a rapid and specific signal that regulates a subset of systemic, JA-dependent secondary metabolites in herbivore-attacked plants.

Simulated herbivory does not constrain phenotypic plasticity to shade through ontogeny in a relict tree

Ecological limits to phenotypic plasticity (PP), induced by simultaneous biotic and abiotic factors, can prevent organisms from exhibiting optimal plasticity, and in turn lead to decreased fitness. Herbivory is an important biotic stressor and may limit plant functional responses to challenging environmental conditions such as shading. In this study we investigated whether plant functional responses and PP to shade are constrained by herbivory, and whether such constraints are due to direct effects based on resource limitation by considering ontogeny. We used as a model system the relict tree Prunus lusitanica and implemented an indoor experiment to quantify the response of saplings of different ages to shade and herbivory. We measured five functional traits and quantitatively calculated PP. Results showed that herbivory did not constrain functional responses or PP to shade except for shoot:root ratio (SR), which, despite showing a high PP in damaged saplings, decreased under shade instead of increasing. Damaged saplings of older age did not exhibit reduced constraints on functional responses to shade and generally presented a lower PP than damaged saplings of younger age. Our findings suggest that herbivory-mediated constraints on plant plasticity to shade may not be as widespread as previously thought. Nonetheless, the negative effect of herbivory on SR plastic expression to shade could be detrimental for plant fitness. Finally, our results suggest a secondary role of direct effects (resource-based) on P. lusitanica plasticity limitation. Further studies should quantify plant resources in order to gain a better understanding of this seldom-explored subject.

European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) induced responses enhance susceptibility in maize

Herbivore-induced plant responses have been widely described following attack on leaves; however, less attention has been paid to analogous local processes that occur in stems. Early studies of maize (Zea mays) responses to stem boring by European corn borer (ECB, Ostrinianubilalis) larvae revealed the presence of inducible acidic diterpenoid phytoalexins, termed kauralexins, and increases in the benzoxazinoid 2-hydroxy-4,7-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one-glucose (HDMBOA-Glc) after 24 h of herbivory. Despite these rapidly activated defenses, larval growth was not altered in short-term feeding assays. Unexpectedly, ECB growth significantly improved in assays using stem tissue preconditioned by 48 h of larval tunneling. Correspondingly, measures of total soluble protein increased over 2.6-fold in these challenged tissues and were accompanied by elevated levels of sucrose and free linoleic acid. While microarray analyses revealed up-regulation of over 1100 transcripts, fewer individual protein increases were demonstrable. Consistent with induced endoreduplication, both wounding and ECB stem attack resulted in similar significant expansion of the nucleus, nucleolus and levels of extractable DNA from challenged tissues. While many of these responses are triggered by wounding alone, biochemical changes further enhanced in response to ECB may be due to larval secreted effectors. Unlike other Lepidoptera examined, ECB excrete exceedingly high levels of the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in their frass which is likely to contact and contaminate the surrounding feeding tunnel. Stem exposure to a metabolically stable auxin, such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), promoted significant protein accumulation above wounding alone. As a future testable hypothesis, we propose that ECB-associated IAA may function as a candidate herbivore effector promoting the increased nutritional content of maize stems.

Transcript profiling reveals complex auxin signalling pathway and transcription regulation involved in dedifferentiation and redifferentiation during somatic embryogenesis in cotton

BACKGROUND

Somatic embryogenesis (SE), by which somatic cells of higher plants can dedifferentiate and reorganize into new plants, is a notable illustration of cell totipotency. However, the precise molecular mechanisms regulating SE remain unclear. To characterize the molecular events of this unique process, transcriptome analysis, in combination with biochemical and histological approaches, were conducted in cotton, a typical plant species in SE. Genome-wide profiling of gene expression allowed the identification of novel molecular markers characteristic of this developmental process.

RESULTS

RNA-Seq was used to identify 5,076 differentially expressed genes during cotton SE. Expression profile and functional assignments of these genes indicated significant transcriptional complexity during this process, associated with morphological, histological changes and endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) alteration. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the genes were enriched for basic processes such as metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Unigenes were abundant for the functions of protein binding and hydrolase activity. Transcription factor-encoding genes were found to be differentially regulated during SE. The complex pathways of auxin abundance, transport and response with differentially regulated genes revealed that the auxin-related transcripts belonged to IAA biosynthesis, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) metabolism, IAA conjugate metabolism, auxin transport, auxin-responsive protein/indoleacetic acid-induced protein (Aux/IAA), auxin response factor (ARF), small auxin-up RNA (SAUR), Aux/IAA degradation, and other auxin-related proteins, which allow an intricate system of auxin utilization to achieve multiple purposes in SE. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed on selected genes with different expression patterns and functional assignments were made to demonstrate the utility of RNA-Seq for gene expression profiles during cotton SE.

CONCLUSION

We report here the first comprehensive analysis of transcriptome dynamics that may serve as a gene expression profile blueprint in cotton SE. Our main goal was to adapt the RNA-Seq technology to this notable development process and to analyse the gene expression profile. Complex auxin signalling pathway and transcription regulation were highlighted. Together with biochemical and histological approaches, this study provides comprehensive gene expression data sets for cotton SE that serve as an important platform resource for further functional studies in plant embryogenesis.

Many jobs for one good cop - the COP9 signalosome guards development and defense

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is a multiprotein complex that regulates the activity of CULLIN-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRLs). CRLs ubiquitinate substrate proteins and thus target them for proteasomal degradation. This post-translational modification of proteins is arguably as important as reversible protein phosphorylation. The number of putative CRLs that recognize specific substrate proteins is vast, and known CRL substrates are involved in many cellular plant processes such as hormone signaling, the cell cycle, and regulation of growth, development, and defenses. By controlling the activity of CRLs, the CSN may integrate and fine-tune all of these processes. Recent research has unraveled in great mechanistic detail how the two multiprotein complexes CSN and CRL interact. As a consequence of CSN pleiotropy, complete loss of CSN function results in seedling lethality. However, recent work on plants that exhibit a partial loss of CSN function, has uncovered a role of the CSN during later life stages in processes such as development and defenses against pathogens and herbivorous insects. Not all aspects of development and defense are affected equally by CSN silencing, probably due to the differential participation and importance of CSN-regulated CRLs in these processes. This review will provide an overview of the highly complex regulation of CRL activity by CSN, and the many roles of the CSN in plant development and defense.

Auxin-induced leaf blade expansion in Arabidopsis requires both wounding and detachment

Elevation of leaf auxin (indole-3-acetic acid; IAA) levels in intact plants has been consistently found to inhibit leaf expansion whereas excised leaf strips grow faster when treated with IAA. Here we test two hypothetical explanations for this difference in growth sensitivity to IAA by expanding leaf tissues in vivo versus in vitro. We asked if, in Arabidopsis, IAA-induced growth of excised leaf strips results from the wounding required to excise tissue and/or results from detachment from the plant and thus loss of some shoot or root derived growth controlling factors. We tested the effect of a range of exogenous IAA concentrations on the growth of intact attached, wounded attached, detached intact, detached wounded as well as excised leaf strips. After 24 h, the growth of intact attached, wounded attached, and detached intact leaves was inhibited by IAA concentrations as little as 1 µM in some experiments. Growth of detached wounded leaves and leaf strips was induced by IAA concentrations as low as 10 µM. Stress, in the form of high light, increased the growth response to IAA by leaf strips and reduced growth inhibition response by intact detached leaves. Endogenous free IAA content of intact attached leaves and excised leaf strips was found not to change over the course of 24 h. Together these results indicate growth induction of Arabidopsis leaf blade tissue by IAA requires both substantial wounding as well as detachment from the plant and suggests in vivo that IAA induces parallel pathways leading to growth inhibition.

Rapidly induced chemical defenses in maize stems and their effects on short-term growth of Ostrinia nubilalis

Plants damaged by insect herbivory often respond by inducing a suite of defenses that can negatively affect an insect's growth and fecundity. Ostrinia nubilalis (European corn borer, ECB) is one of the most devastating insect pests of maize, and in the current study, we examined the early biochemical changes that occur in maize stems in response to ECB herbivory and how these rapidly induced defenses influence the growth of ECB. We measured the quantities of known maize defense compounds, benzoxazinoids and the kauralexin class of diterpenoid phytoalexins. ECB herbivory resulted in decreased levels of the benzoxazinoid, 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one)-β-D-glucopyranose (DIMBOA-Glc), and a corresponding increase in 2-(2-hydroxy-4,7-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one)-β-D-glucopyranose (HDMBOA-Glc). Total quantities of benzoxazinoids and kauralexins were increased as early as 24 h after the initiation of ECB feeding. The plant hormones, jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET), and the transcripts encoding their key biosynthetic enzymes also accumulated in response to ECB herbivory, consistent with a role in defense regulation. The combined pharmacological application of JA and the ET precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid to stem internode tissue likewise resulted in changes in benzoxazinoids similar to that observed with ECB damage. Despite the fact that maize actively mounts a defense response to ECB stem feeding, no differences in percent weight gain were observed between ECB larvae that fed upon non-wounded control tissues compared to tissues obtained from plants previously subjected to 24 h ECB stem herbivory. These rapid defense responses in maize stems do not appear to negatively impact ECB growth, thus suggesting that ECB have adapted to these induced biochemical changes.

Jasmonic acid and ethylene modulate local responses to wounding and simulated herbivory in Nicotiana attenuata leaves

Jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET) are known to play important roles in mediating plant defense against herbivores, but how they affect development in herbivore-attacked plants is unknown. We used JA-deficient (silenced in LIPOXYGENASE3 [asLOX3]) and ET-insensitive (expressing a mutated dominant negative form of ETHYLENE RESPONSE1 [mETR1]) Nicotiana attenuata plants, and their genetic cross (mETR1asLOX3), to examine growth and development of these plants under simulated herbivory conditions. At the whole plant level, both hormones suppressed leaf expansion after the plants had been wounded and the wounds had been immediately treated with Manduca sexta oral secretions (OS). In addition, ectopic cell expansion was observed around both water- and OS-treated wounds in mETR1asLOX3 leaves but not in mETR1, asLOX3, or wild-type leaves. Pretreating asLOX3 leaves with the ET receptor antagonist 1-methylcyclopropane resulted in local cell expansion that closely mimicked the mETR1asLOX3 phenotype. We found higher auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) levels in the elicited leaves of mETR1asLOX3 plants, a trait that is putatively associated with enhanced cell expansion and leaf growth in this genotype. Transcript profiling of OS-elicited mETR1asLOX3 leaves revealed a preferential accumulation of transcripts known to function in cell wall remodeling, suggesting that both JA and ET act as negative regulators of these genes. We propose that in N. attenuata, JA-ET cross talk restrains local cell expansion and growth after herbivore attack, allowing more resources to be allocated to induced defenses against herbivores.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana infested by diamond back moth (Plutella xylostella) larvae reveals signatures of stress response, secondary metabolism, and signalling

BACKGROUND

Plants are exposed to attack from a large variety of herbivores. Feeding insects can induce substantial changes of the host plant transcriptome. Arabidopsis thaliana has been established as a relevant system for the discovery of genes associated with response to herbivory, including genes for specialized (i.e. secondary) metabolism as well as genes involved in plant-insect defence signalling.

RESULTS

Using a 70-mer oligonucleotide microarray covering 26,090 gene-specific elements, we monitored changes of the Arabidopsis leaf transcriptome in response to feeding by diamond back moth (DBM; Plutella xylostella) larvae. Analysis of samples from a time course of one hour to 24 hours following onset of DBM feeding revealed almost three thousand (2,881) array elements (including 2,671 genes with AGI annotations) that were differentially expressed (>2-fold; p[t-test] < 0.05) of which 1,686 also changed more than twofold in expression between at least two time points of the time course with p(ANOVA) < 0.05. While the majority of these transcripts were up-regulated within 8 h upon onset of insect feeding relative to untreated controls, cluster analysis identified several distinct temporal patterns of transcriptome changes. Many of the DBM-induced genes fall into ontology groups annotated as stress response, secondary metabolism and signalling. Among DBM-induced genes associated with plant signal molecules or phytohormones, genes associated with octadecanoid signalling were clearly overrepresented. We identified a substantial number of differentially expressed genes associated with signal transduction in response to DBM feeding, and we compared there expression profiles with those of previously reported transcriptome responses induced by other insect herbivores, specifically Pieris rapae, Frankliniella occidentalis, Bemisia tabaci,Myzus persicae, and Brevicoryne brassicae.

CONCLUSION

Arabidopsis responds to feeding DBM larvae with a drastic reprogramming of the transcriptome, which has considerable overlap with the response induced by other insect herbivores. Based on a meta-analysis of microarray data we identified groups of transcription factors that are either affected by multiple forms of biotic or abiotic stress including DBM feeding or, alternatively, were responsive to DBM herbivory but not to most other forms of stress.

Ecological limits to plant phenotypic plasticity

Phenotypic plasticity is considered the major means by which plants cope with environmental heterogeneity. Although ubiquitous in nature, actual phenotypic plasticity is far from being maximal. This has been explained by the existence of internal limits to its expression. However, phenotypic plasticity takes place within an ecological context and plants are generally exposed to multifactor environments and to simultaneous interactions with many species. These external, ecological factors may limit phenotypic plasticity or curtail its adaptive value, but seldom have they been considered because limits to plasticity have typically addressed factors internal to the plant. We show that plastic responses to abiotic factors are reduced under situations of conservative resource use in stressful and unpredictable habitats, and that extreme levels in a given abiotic factor can negatively influence plastic responses to another factor. We illustrate how herbivory may limit plant phenotypic plasticity because damaged plants can only rarely attain the optimal phenotype in the challenging environment. Finally, it is examined how phenotypic changes involved in trait-mediated interactions can entail costs for the plant in further interactions with other species in the community. Ecological limits to plasticity must be included in any realistic approach to understand the evolution of plasticity in complex environments and to predict plant responses to global change.

Seduced by the dark side: integrating molecular and ecological perspectives on the influence of light on plant defence against pests and pathogens

Plants frequently suffer attack from herbivores and microbial pathogens, and have evolved a complex array of defence mechanisms to resist defoliation and disease. These include both preformed defences, ranging from structural features to stores of toxic secondary metabolites, and inducible defences, which are activated only after an attack is detected. It is well known that plant defences against pests and pathogens are commonly affected by environmental conditions, but the mechanisms by which responses to the biotic and abiotic environments interact are only poorly understood. In this review, we consider the impact of light on plant defence, in terms of both plant life histories and rapid scale molecular responses to biotic attack. We bring together evidence that illustrates that light not only modulates defence responses via its influence on biochemistry and plant development but, in some cases, is essential for the development of resistance. We suggest that the interaction between the light environment and plant defence is multifaceted, and extends across different temporal and biological scales.

Spatial and temporal analysis of the local response to wounding in Arabidopsis leaves

We studied the local response to wounding in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves using a two-step microarray analysis. A microarray containing 3500 cDNA clones was first screened to enrich for genes affected by wounding in the immediate vicinity of the wound (4 h post wounding). 359 non-redundant putative wound responsive genes were then spotted on a smaller wound-response array for detailed analysis of spatial expression (local, adjacent and systemic), timing of expression (0.5, 4, 8, 17 h), and effect of hormone treatments (methyl jasmonate, ethylene and abscisic acid). Our results show that genes that respond early at the site of the wound also respond throughout the plant, with similar kinetics. Early-induced genes which respond systemically encode predominantly signal transduction and regulatory factors (36%), and the expression of many of them is also controlled by methyl jasmonate (about 35% of the 36%). Genes specific to the wound site and the wounded leaf have a slower response to wounding and are mainly metabolic genes. At the wound, many genes of the lignin biosynthesis pathway were induced. In silico analysis of the 5' promoter regions of genes affected by wounding revealed G-box-related motifs in a significant proportion of the promoters. These results show that the establishment of a systemic response to wounding is a priority for the plant, and that the local response at the wound site is established later. Ethylene and abscisic acid are involved in the local response, regulating repression of photosynthetic genes and expression of drought responsive genes respectively.

Simultaneous analysis of phytohormones, phytotoxins, and volatile organic compounds in plants

Phytohormones regulate the protective responses of plants against both biotic and abiotic stresses by means of synergistic or antagonistic actions referred to as signaling crosstalk. A bottleneck in crosstalk research is the quantification of numerous interacting phytohormones and regulators. The chemical analysis of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, and abscisic acid is typically achieved by using separate and complex methodologies. Moreover, pathogen-produced phytohormone mimics, such as the phytotoxin coronatine (COR), have not been directly quantified in plant tissues. We address these problems by using a simple preparation and a GC-MS-based metabolic profiling approach. Plant tissue is extracted in aqueous 1-propanol and mixed with dichloromethane. Carboxylic acids present in the organic layer are methylated by using trimethylsilyldiazomethane; analytes are volatilized under heat, collected on a polymeric absorbent, and eluted with solvent into a sample vial. Analytes are separated by using gas chromatography and quantified by using chemical-ionization mass spectrometry that produces predominantly [M+H]+ parent ions. We use this technique to examine levels of COR, phytohormones, and volatile organic compounds in model systems, including Arabidopsis thaliana during infection with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, corn (Zea mays) under herbivory by corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) after mechanical damage, and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) during drought stress. Numerous complex changes induced by pathogen infection, including the accumulation of COR, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, and abscisic acid illustrate the potential and simplicity of this approach in quantifying signaling crosstalk interactions that occur at the level of synthesis and accumulation.

Synergistic interactions between volicitin, jasmonic acid and ethylene mediate insect-induced volatile emission in Zea mays

Plants display differential responses following mechanical damage and insect herbivory. Both caterpillar attack and the application of caterpillar oral secretions (OS) to wounded leaves stimulates volatile emission above mechanical damage alone. Volicitin (N-17-hydroxylinolenoyl-l-glutamine), present in beet armyworm (BAW, Spodoptera exigua) OS, is a powerful elicitor of volatiles in excised maize seedlings (Zea mays cv. Delprim). We consider some of the mechanistic differences between wounding and insect herbivory in maize by examining the activity of volicitin, changes in jasmonic acid (JA) levels, and volatile emission from both intact plant and excised leaf bioassays. Compared to mechanical damage alone, volicitin stimulated increases in both JA levels and sesquiterpene volatiles when applied to intact plants. In a bioassay comparison, excised leaves were more sensitive and produced far greater volatile responses than intact plants following applications of both volicitin and JA. In the excised leaf bioassay, volicitin applications (10-500 pmol) to wounded leaves resulted in dose dependent JA increases and a direct positive relationship between JA and sesquiterpene volatile emission. Interestingly, volicitin-induced JA levels did not differ between intact and excised bioassays, suggesting a possible interaction of JA with other regulatory signals in excised plants. In addition to JA, insect herbivory is known to stimulate the production of ethylene. Significant increases in ethylene were induced only by BAW herbivory and not by either wounding or volicitin treatments. Using intact plant bioassays, ethylene (at 1 micro l l-1 or less) greatly promoted volatile emission induced by volicitin and JA but not mechanical damage alone. For intact plants, wounding, elicitor-induced JA and insect-induced ethylene appear to be important interacting components in the stimulation of insect-induced volatile emission.

Wound signalling in plants

Plants undergoing the onslaught of wound-causing agents activate mechanisms directed to healing and further defence. Responses to mechanical damage are either local or systemic or both and hence involve the generation, translocation, perception, and transduction of wound signals to activate the expression of wound-inducible genes. Although the central role for jasmonic acid in plant responses to wounding is well established, other compounds, including the oligopeptide systemin, oligosaccharides, and other phytohormones such as abscisic acid and ethylene, as well as physical factors such as hydraulic pressure or electrical pulses, have also been proposed to play a role in wound signalling. Different jasmonic acid-dependent and -independent wound signal transduction pathways have been identified recently and partially characterized. Components of these signalling pathways are mostly similar to those implicated in other signalling cascades in eukaryotes, and include reversible protein phosphorylation steps, calcium/calmodulin-regulated events, and production of active oxygen species. Indeed, some of these components involved in transducing wound signals also function in signalling other plant defence responses, suggesting that cross-talk events may regulate temporal and spatial activation of different defences.

Wound signalling in plants

Plants undergoing the onslaught of wound-causing agents activate mechanisms directed to healing and further defence. Responses to mechanical damage are either local or systemic or both and hence involve the generation, translocation, perception, and transduction of wound signals to activate the expression of wound-inducible genes. Although the central role for jasmonic acid in plant responses to wounding is well established, other compounds, including the oligopeptide systemin, oligosaccharides, and other phytohormones such as abscisic acid and ethylene, as well as physical factors such as hydraulic pressure or electrical pulses, have also been proposed to play a role in wound signalling. Different jasmonic acid-dependent and -independent wound signal transduction pathways have been identified recently and partially characterized. Components of these signalling pathways are mostly similar to those implicated in other signalling cascades in eukaryotes, and include reversible protein phosphorylation steps, calcium/calmodulin-regulated events, and production of active oxygen species. Indeed, some of these components involved in transducing wound signals also function in signalling other plant defence responses, suggesting that cross-talk events may regulate temporal and spatial activation of different defences.

Signal transduction in the wound response of tomato plants

The wound response of tomato plants has been extensively studied, and provides a useful model to understand signal transduction events leading from injury to marker gene expression. The principal markers that have been used in these studies are genes encoding proteinase inhibitor (pin) proteins. Activation of pin genes occurs in the wounded leaf and in distant unwounded leaves of the plant. This paper reviews current understanding of signalling pathways in the wounded leaf, and in the systemically responding unwounded leaves. First, the nature of known elicitors and their potential roles in planta are discussed, in particular, oligogalacturonides, jasmonates and the peptide signal, systemin. Inhibitors of wound-induced proteinase inhibitor (pin) expression are also reviewed, with particular reference to phenolics, sulphydryl reagents and fusicoccin. In each section, results obtained from the bioassay are considered within the wider context of data from mutants and from transgenic plants with altered levels of putative signalling components. Following this introduction, current models for pin gene regulation are described and discussed, together with a summary for the involvement of phosphorylation-dephosphorylation in wound signalling. Finally, a new model for wound-induced pin gene expression is presented, arising from recent data from the author's laboratory.

Reversible protein phosphorylation regulates jasmonic acid-dependent and -independent wound signal transduction pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plants responses to mechanical injury are complex and include the induced expression of defence-related genes. The phytohormone JA has been reported to mediate some of these responses. To elucidate further the signal transduction processes involved, the action of specific agonists and antagonists of known signalling effectors on the response of Arabidopsis thaliana plantlets to JA and wounding was investigated. The identification and characterization of a reversible protein phosphorylation step in a transduction pathway leading to JA-induced gene transcription is reported. This phosphorylation event involved the opposing activities of a staurosporine-sensitive protein kinase, negatively regulating the pathway, and a protein phosphatase, most probably of type 2 A, which activated JA-responsive gene expression. JA activation via this pathway was blocked in the A. thaliana JA-insensitive mutants jin1, jin4 and coi1, and by exogenous application of cycloheximide or auxins. Wound-induced activation of JA-responsive genes was also regulated by this protein phosphorylation step. An alternative wound signalling pathway, independent of JA, was also identified, leading to the transcriptional activation of a different set of genes. This JA-independent pathway was also regulated by a protein phosphorylation switch, in which the protein kinase positively regulated the pathway while the protein phosphatase negatively regulated it. Moreover, a labile protein apparently repressed the expression of these genes. One of the genes analysed, JR3, had a complex pattern of expression, possibly because it was regulated via both of the wound signalling pathways identified. According to the function of an homologous gene, JR3 may be involved in feedback inhibition of the JA response.

Glucose and Stress Independently Regulate Source and Sink Metabolism and Defense Mechanisms via Signal Transduction Pathways Involving Protein Phosphorylation

In higher plants, sugars are required not only to sustain heterotrophic growth but also to regulate the expression of a variety of genes. Environmental stresses, such as pathogen infection and wounding, activate a cascade of defense responses and may also affect carbohydrate metabolism. In this study, the relationship between sugar- and stress-activated signal transduction pathways and the underlying regulatory mechanism was analyzed. Photoautotrophically growing suspension culture cells of Chenopodium rubrum were used as a model system to study the effects of the metabolic regulator D-glucose and of different stress-related stimuli on photosynthesis, sink metabolism, and defense response by analyzing the regulation of mRNAs for representative enzymes of these pathways. Glucose as well as the fungal elicitor chitosan, the phosphatase inhibitor endothall, and benzoic acid were shown to result in a coordinated regulatory mechanism. The mRNAs for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, a key enzyme of defense response, and for the sink-specific extracellular invertase were induced. In contrast, the mRNA for the Calvin cycle enzyme ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase was repressed. This inverse regulatory pattern was also observed in experiments with wounded leaves of C. rubrum plants. The differential effect of the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine on mRNA regulation demonstrates that the carbohydrate signal and the stress-related stimuli independently activate different intracellular signaling pathways that ultimately are integrated to coordinately regulate source and sink metabolism and activate defense responses. The various stimuli triggered the transient and rapid activation of protein kinases that phosphorylate the myelin basic protein. The involvement of phosphorylation in signal transduction is further supported by the effect of the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine on mRNA levels.

Localized Wounding by Heat Initiates the Accumulation of Proteinase Inhibitor II in Abscisic Acid-Deficient Plants by Triggering Jasmonic Acid Biosynthesis

To test whether the response to electrical current and heat treatment is due to the same signaling pathway that mediates mechanical wounding, we analyzed the effect of electric-current application and localized burning on proteinase inhibitor II (Pin2) gene expression in both wild-type and abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and potato (Solanum phureja) plants. Electric-current application and localized burning led to the accumulation of Pin2 mRNA in potato and tomato wild-type plants. Among the treatments tested, only localized burning of the leaves led to an accumulation of Pin2 mRNA in the ABA-deficient plants. Electric-current application, like mechanical injury, was able to initiate ABA and jasmonic acid (JA) accumulation in wild-type but not in ABA-deficient plants. In contrast, heat treatment led to an accumulation of JA in both wild-type and ABA-deficient plants. Inhibition of JA biosynthesis by aspirin blocked the heat-induced Pin2 gene expression in tomato wild-type leaves. These results suggest that electric current, similar to mechanical wounding, requires the presence of ABA to induce Pin2 gene expression. Conversely, burning of the leaves activates Pin2 gene expression by directly triggering the biosynthesis of JA by an alternative pathway that is independent of endogenous ABA levels.

Signals involved in wound-induced proteinase inhibitor II gene expression in tomato and potato plants

Chemical and physical signals have been reported to mediate wound-induced proteinase inhibitor II (Pin2) gene expression in tomato and potato plants. Among the chemical signals, phytohormones such as abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA) and the peptide systemin represent the best characterized systems. Furthermore, electrical and hydraulic mechanisms have also been postulated as putative Pin2-inducing systemic signals. Most of the chemical agents are able to induce Pin2 gene expression without any mechanical wounding. Thus, ABA, JA, and systemin initiate Pin2 mRNA accumulation in the directly treated leaves and in the nontreated leaves (systemic) that are located distal to the treated ones. ABA-deficient tomato and potato plants do not respond to wounding by accumulation of Pin2 mRNA, therefore providing a suitable model system for analysis of the signal transduction pathway involved in wound-induced gene activation. It was demonstrated that the site of action of JA is located downstream to the site of action of ABA. Moreover, systemin represents one of the initial steps in the signal transduction pathway regulating the wound response. Recently, it was reported that heat treatment and mechanical injury generate electrical signals, which propagate throughout the plant. These signals are capable of inducing Pin2 gene expression in the nontreated leaves of wounded plants. Furthermore, electrical current application to tomato leaves leads to an accumulation of Pin2 mRNA in local and systemic tissues. Examination of photosynthetic parameters (assimilation and transpiration rate) on several types of stimuli suggests that heat-induced Pin2 gene expression is regulated by an alternative pathway from that mediating the electrical current and mechanical wound response.

Isolation and Characterization of UMP Synthase Mutants from Haploid Cell Suspensions of Nicotiana tabacum

Uridine 5'-monophosphate (UMP) synthase mutants of tobacco have been produced from haploid cell-suspension cultures of a transgenic Nicotiana tabacum line, Tr25. The mutants were induced by incubating the suspension-cultured cells with 1 mmN-nitroso-N-methylurea for either 5 or 12 hours. Twenty mutant calli were isolated on selection medium containing 20 milligrams per liter of 5-fluoroorotic acid. Of those tested, most had reduced regeneration capacity. Characterization of UMP synthase activities in the isolated calli showed that UMP synthase activity varied from 8 to nearly 100% of the wild-type activity. The growth of the calli on the media containing different levels of 5-fluoroorotic acid correlated with decreasing UMP synthase activity. Because the UMP synthase enzyme has two separate enzymic activities (orotate phosphoribosyl transferase and orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase), several mutants were further characterized to determine how the mutations affected each of the two enzymic activities. In each case, the enzymic activity affected was the orotate phosphoribosyl transferase and not the orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase. The wound-inducible phenotype of the Tr25 plants as measured by the activation of the pin2-CAT gene remained unchanged by introduction of the UMP synthase mutations.