AFB1 controls rapid auxin signalling through membrane depolarization in Arabidopsis thaliana root

The membrane potential reflects the difference between cytoplasmic and apoplastic electrical potentials and is essential for cellular operation. The application of the phytohormone auxin (3-indoleacetic acid (IAA)) causes instantaneous membrane depolarization in various cell types^1-6, making depolarization a hallmark of IAA-induced rapid responses. In root hairs, depolarization requires functional IAA transport and TIR1-AFB signalling⁵, but its physiological importance is not understood. Specifically in roots, auxin triggers rapid growth inhibition^7-9 (RGI), a process required for gravitropic bending. RGI is initiated by the TIR1-AFB co-receptors, with the AFB1 paralogue playing a crucial role^10,11. The nature of the underlying rapid signalling is unknown, as well as the molecular machinery executing it. Even though the growth and depolarization responses to auxin show remarkable similarities, the importance of membrane depolarization for root growth inhibition and gravitropism is unclear. Here, by combining the DISBAC₂(3) voltage sensor with microfluidics and vertical-stage microscopy, we show that rapid auxin-induced membrane depolarization tightly correlates with RGI. Rapid depolarization and RGI require the AFB1 auxin co-receptor. Finally, AFB1 is essential for the rapid formation of the membrane depolarization gradient across the gravistimulated root. These results clarify the role of AFB1 as the central receptor for rapid auxin responses.

The characterization of SaPIN2b, a plant trichome-localized proteinase inhibitor from Solanum americanum

Proteinase inhibitors play an important role in plant resistance of insects and pathogens. In this study, we characterized the serine proteinase inhibitor SaPIN2b, which is constitutively expressed in Solanum americanum trichomes and contains two conserved motifs of the proteinase inhibitor II (PIN2) family. The recombinant SaPIN2b (rSaPIN2b), which was expressed in Escherichia coli, was demonstrated to be a potent proteinase inhibitor against a panel of serine proteinases, including subtilisin A, chymotrypsin and trypsin. Moreover, rSaPIN2b also effectively inhibited the proteinase activities of midgut trypsin-like proteinases that were extracted from the devastating pest Helicoverpa armigera. Furthermore, the overexpression of SaPIN2b in transgenic tobacco plants resulted in enhanced resistance against H. armigera. Taken together, our results demonstrated that SaPIN2b is a potent serine proteinase inhibitor that may act as a protective protein in plant defense against insect attacks.

PIN2 is required for the adaptation of Arabidopsis roots to alkaline stress by modulating proton secretion

Soil alkalinity is a widespread environmental problem that limits agricultural productivity. The hypothesis that an auxin-regulated proton secretion by plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase plays an important role in root adaption to alkaline stress was studied. It was found that alkaline stress increased auxin transport and PIN2 (an auxin efflux transporter) abundance in the root tip of wild-type Arabidopsis plants (WT). Compared with WT roots, the pin2 mutant roots exhibited much reduced plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity, root elongation, auxin transport, and proton secretion under alkaline stress. More importantly, roots of the pks5 mutant (PKS5, a protein kinase) lacking PIN2 (a pks5/pin2 double mutant) lost the previous higher proton-secretion capacity and higher elongation rate of primary roots under alkaline stress. By using Arabidopsis natural accessions with a high proton-secretion capacity, it was found that their PIN2 transcription abundance is positively related to the elongation rate of the primary root and proton-secretion capacity under alkaline stress. Taken together, our results confirm that PIN2 is involved in the PKS5-mediated signalling cascade under alkaline-stress and suggest that PIN2 is required for the adaptation of roots to alkaline stress by modulating proton secretion in the root tip to maintain primary root elongation.