Postharvest Exogenous Application of Abscisic Acid Reduces Internal Browning in Pineapple.

PubMed

Zhang, Qin; Liu, Yulong; He, Congcong; Zhu, Shijiang

2015-06-10

Internal browning (IB) is a postharvest physiological disorder causing economic losses in pineapple, but there is no effective control measure. In this study, postharvest application of 380 μM abscisic acid (ABA) reduced IB incidence by 23.4-86.3% and maintained quality in pineapple fruit. ABA reduced phenolic contents and polyphenol oxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase activities; increased catalase and peroxidase activities; and decreased O2(·-), H2O2, and malondialdehyde levels. This suggests ABA could control IB through inhibiting phenolics biosynthesis and oxidation and enhancing antioxidant capability. Furthermore, the efficacy of IB control by ABA was not obviously affected by tungstate, ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, nor by diphenylene iodonium, NADPH oxidase inhibitor, nor by lanthanum chloride, calcium channel blocker, suggesting that ABA is sufficient for controlling IB. This process might not involve H2O2 generation, but could involve the Ca(2+) channels activation. These results provide potential for developing effective measures for controlling IB in pineapple.

Ethylene-induced inhibition of root growth requires abscisic acid function in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings.

PubMed

Ma, Biao; Yin, Cui-Cui; He, Si-Jie; Lu, Xiang; Zhang, Wan-Ke; Lu, Tie-Gang; Chen, Shou-Yi; Zhang, Jin-Song

2014-10-01

Ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) have a complicated interplay in many developmental processes. Their interaction in rice is largely unclear. Here, we characterized a rice ethylene-response mutant mhz4, which exhibited reduced ethylene-response in roots but enhanced ethylene-response in coleoptiles of etiolated seedlings. MHZ4 was identified through map-based cloning and encoded a chloroplast-localized membrane protein homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) ABA4, which is responsible for a branch of ABA biosynthesis. MHZ4 mutation reduced ABA level, but promoted ethylene production. Ethylene induced MHZ4 expression and promoted ABA accumulation in roots. MHZ4 overexpression resulted in enhanced and reduced ethylene response in roots and coleoptiles, respectively. In root, MHZ4-dependent ABA pathway acts at or downstream of ethylene receptors and positively regulates root ethylene response. This ethylene-ABA interaction mode is different from that reported in Arabidopsis, where ethylene-mediated root inhibition is independent of ABA function. In coleoptile, MHZ4-dependent ABA pathway acts at or upstream of OsEIN2 to negatively regulate coleoptile ethylene response, possibly by affecting OsEIN2 expression. At mature stage, mhz4 mutation affects branching and adventitious root formation on stem nodes of higher positions, as well as yield-related traits. Together, our findings reveal a novel mode of interplay between ethylene and ABA in control of rice growth and development.

Ethylene-Induced Inhibition of Root Growth Requires Abscisic Acid Function in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings

PubMed Central

He, Si-Jie; Lu, Xiang; Zhang, Wan-Ke; Lu, Tie-Gang; Chen, Shou-Yi; Zhang, Jin-Song

2014-01-01

Ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) have a complicated interplay in many developmental processes. Their interaction in rice is largely unclear. Here, we characterized a rice ethylene-response mutant mhz4, which exhibited reduced ethylene-response in roots but enhanced ethylene-response in coleoptiles of etiolated seedlings. MHZ4 was identified through map-based cloning and encoded a chloroplast-localized membrane protein homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) ABA4, which is responsible for a branch of ABA biosynthesis. MHZ4 mutation reduced ABA level, but promoted ethylene production. Ethylene induced MHZ4 expression and promoted ABA accumulation in roots. MHZ4 overexpression resulted in enhanced and reduced ethylene response in roots and coleoptiles, respectively. In root, MHZ4-dependent ABA pathway acts at or downstream of ethylene receptors and positively regulates root ethylene response. This ethylene-ABA interaction mode is different from that reported in Arabidopsis, where ethylene-mediated root inhibition is independent of ABA function. In coleoptile, MHZ4-dependent ABA pathway acts at or upstream of OsEIN2 to negatively regulate coleoptile ethylene response, possibly by affecting OsEIN2 expression. At mature stage, mhz4 mutation affects branching and adventitious root formation on stem nodes of higher positions, as well as yield-related traits. Together, our findings reveal a novel mode of interplay between ethylene and ABA in control of rice growth and development. PMID:25330236

Abscisic acid regulates root growth under osmotic stress conditions via an interacting hormonal network with cytokinin, ethylene and auxin.

PubMed

Rowe, James H; Topping, Jennifer F; Liu, Junli; Lindsey, Keith

2016-07-01

Understanding the mechanisms regulating root development under drought conditions is an important question for plant biology and world agriculture. We examine the effect of osmotic stress on abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinin and ethylene responses and how they mediate auxin transport, distribution and root growth through effects on PIN proteins. We integrate experimental data to construct hormonal crosstalk networks to formulate a systems view of root growth regulation by multiple hormones. Experimental analysis shows: that ABA-dependent and ABA-independent stress responses increase under osmotic stress, but cytokinin responses are only slightly reduced; inhibition of root growth under osmotic stress does not require ethylene signalling, but auxin can rescue root growth and meristem size; osmotic stress modulates auxin transporter levels and localization, reducing root auxin concentrations; PIN1 levels are reduced under stress in an ABA-dependent manner, overriding ethylene effects; and the interplay among ABA, ethylene, cytokinin and auxin is tissue-specific, as evidenced by differential responses of PIN1 and PIN2 to osmotic stress. Combining experimental analysis with network construction reveals that ABA regulates root growth under osmotic stress conditions via an interacting hormonal network with cytokinin, ethylene and auxin. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Reduced ABA Accumulation in the Root System is Caused by ABA Exudation in Upland Rice (Oryza sativa L. var. Gaoshan1) and this Enhanced Drought Adaptation.

PubMed

Shi, Lu; Guo, Miaomiao; Ye, Nenghui; Liu, Yinggao; Liu, Rui; Xia, Yiji; Cui, Suxia; Zhang, Jianhua

2015-05-01

Lowland rice (Nipponbare) and upland rice (Gaoshan 1) that are comparable under normal and moderate drought conditions showed dramatic differences in severe drought conditions, both naturally occurring long-term drought and simulated rapid water deficits. We focused on their root response and found that enhanced tolerance of upland rice to severe drought conditions was mainly due to the lower level of ABA in its roots than in those of the lowland rice. We first excluded the effect of ABA biosynthesis and catabolism on root-accumulated ABA levels in both types of rice by monitoring the expression of four OsNCED genes and two OsABA8ox genes. Next, we excluded the impact of the aerial parts on roots by suppressing leaf-biosynthesized ABA with fluridone and NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid), and measuring the ABA level in detached roots. Instead, we proved that upland rice had the ability to export considerably more root-sourced ABA than lowland rice under severe drought, which improved ABA-dependent drought adaptation. The investigation of apoplastic pH in root cells and root anatomy showed that ABA leakage in the root system of upland rice was related to high apoplastic pH and the absence of Casparian bands in the sclerenchyma layer. Finally, taking some genes as examples, we predicted that different ABA levels in rice roots stimulated distinct ABA perception and signaling cascades, which influenced its response to water stress. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nuclear-localized AtHSPR links abscisic acid-dependent salt tolerance and antioxidant defense in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Yang, Tao; Zhang, Liang; Hao, Hongyan; Zhang, Peng; Zhu, Haowei; Cheng, Wei; Wang, Yongli; Wang, Xinyu; Wang, Chongying

2015-12-01

Salt stress from soil or irrigation water limits plant growth. A T-DNA insertion mutant in C24, named athspr (Arabidopsis thaliana heat shock protein-related), showed several phenotypes, including reduced organ size and enhanced sensitivity to environmental cues. The athspr mutant is severely impaired under salinity levels at which wild-type (WT) plants grow normally. AtHSPR encodes a nuclear-localized protein with ATPase activity, and its expression was enhanced by high salinity and abscisic acid (ABA). Overexpression (OE) of AtHSPR significantly enhanced tolerance to salt stress by increasing the activities of the antioxidant system and by maintaining K(+) /Na(+) homeostasis. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses showed that OE of AtHSPR increased the expression of ABA/stress-responsive, salt overly sensitive (SOS)-related and antioxidant-related genes. In addition, ABA content was reduced in athspr plants with or without salt stress, and exogenous ABA restored WT-like salt tolerance to athspr plants. athspr exhibited increased leaf stomatal density and stomatal index, slower ABA-induced stomatal closure and reduced drought tolerance relative to the WT. AtHSPR OE enhanced drought tolerance by reducing leaf water loss and stomatal aperture. Transcript profiling in athspr showed a differential salt-stress response for genes involved in accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ABA signaling, cell death, stress response and photosynthesis. Taken together, our results suggested that AtHSPR is involved in salt tolerance in Arabidopsis through modulation of ROS levels, ABA-dependent stomatal closure, photosynthesis and K(+) /Na(+) homeostasis. © 2015 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

N-Acylethanolamine Metabolism Interacts with Abscisic Acid Signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings[W][OA

PubMed Central

Teaster, Neal D.; Motes, Christy M.; Tang, Yuhong; Wiant, William C.; Cotter, Matthew Q.; Wang, Yuh-Shuh; Kilaru, Aruna; Venables, Barney J.; Hasenstein, Karl H.; Gonzalez, Gabriel; Blancaflor, Elison B.; Chapman, Kent D.

2007-01-01

N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are bioactive acylamides that are present in a wide range of organisms. In plants, NAEs are generally elevated in desiccated seeds, suggesting that they may play a role in seed physiology. NAE and abscisic acid (ABA) levels were depleted during seed germination, and both metabolites inhibited the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings within a similar developmental window. Combined application of low levels of ABA and NAE produced a more dramatic reduction in germination and growth than either compound alone. Transcript profiling and gene expression studies in NAE-treated seedlings revealed elevated transcripts for a number of ABA-responsive genes and genes typically enriched in desiccated seeds. The levels of ABI3 transcripts were inversely associated with NAE-modulated growth. Overexpression of the Arabidopsis NAE degrading enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase resulted in seedlings that were hypersensitive to ABA, whereas the ABA-insensitive mutants, abi1-1, abi2-1, and abi3-1, exhibited reduced sensitivity to NAE. Collectively, our data indicate that an intact ABA signaling pathway is required for NAE action and that NAE may intersect the ABA pathway downstream from ABA. We propose that NAE metabolism interacts with ABA in the negative regulation of seedling development and that normal seedling establishment depends on the reduction of the endogenous levels of both metabolites. PMID:17766402

Constitutive expression of a salinity-induced wheat WRKY transcription factor enhances salinity and ionic stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qin, Yuxiang, E-mail: yuxiangqin@126.com; Tian, Yanchen; Han, Lu

Highlights: •A class II WRKY transcription factor, TaWRKY79 was isolated and characterized. •TaWRKY79 was induced by NaCl or abscisic acid. •843 bp regulatory segment was sufficient to respond to ABA or NaCl treatment. •TaWRKY79 enhanced salinity and ionic tolerance while reduced sensitivity to ABA. •TaWRKY79 increased salinity and ionic tolerance in an ABA-dependent pathway. -- Abstract: The isolation and characterization of TaWRKY79, a wheat class II WRKY transcription factor, is described. Its 1297 bp coding region includes a 987 bp long open reading frame. TaWRKY79 was induced by stressing seedlings with either NaCl or abscisic acid (ABA). When a fusionmore » between an 843 bp segment upstream of the TaWRKY79 coding sequence and GUS was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, GUS staining indicated that this upstream segment captured the sequence(s) required to respond to ABA or NaCl treatment. When TaWRKY79 was constitutively expressed as a transgene in A. thaliana, the transgenic plants showed an improved capacity to extend their primary root in the presence of either 100 mM NaCl, 10 mM LiCl or 2 μM ABA. The inference was that TaWRKY79 enhanced the level of tolerance to both salinity and ionic stress, while reducing the level of sensitivity to ABA. The ABA-related genes ABA1, ABA2 ABI1 and ABI5 were all up-regulated in the TaWRKY79 transgenic plants, suggesting that the transcription factor operates in an ABA-dependent pathway.« less

Alleviation of Drought Stress by Hydrogen Sulfide Is Partially Related to the Abscisic Acid Signaling Pathway in Wheat.

PubMed

Ma, Dongyun; Ding, Huina; Wang, Chenyang; Qin, Haixia; Han, Qiaoxia; Hou, Junfeng; Lu, Hongfang; Xie, Yingxin; Guo, Tiancai

2016-01-01

Little information is available describing the effects of exogenous H2S on the ABA pathway in the acquisition of drought tolerance in wheat. In this study, we investigated the physiological parameters, the transcription levels of several genes involved in the abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism pathway, and the ABA and H2S contents in wheat leaves and roots under drought stress in response to exogenous NaHS treatment. The results showed that pretreatment with NaHS significantly increased plant height and the leaf relative water content of seedlings under drought stress. Compared with drought stress treatment alone, H2S application increased antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced MDA and H2O2 contents in both leaves and roots. NaHS pretreatment increased the expression levels of ABA biosynthesis and ABA reactivation genes in leaves; whereas the expression levels of ABA biosynthesis and ABA catabolism genes were up-regulated in roots. These results indicated that ABA participates in drought tolerance induced by exogenous H2S, and that the responses in leaves and roots are different. The transcription levels of genes encoding ABA receptors were up-regulated in response to NaHS pretreatment under drought conditions in both leaves and roots. Correspondingly, the H2S contents in leaves and roots were increased by NaHS pretreatment, while the ABA contents of leaves and roots decreased. This implied that there is complex crosstalk between these two signal molecules, and that the alleviation of drought stress by H2S, at least in part, involves the ABA signaling pathway.

Alleviation of Drought Stress by Hydrogen Sulfide Is Partially Related to the Abscisic Acid Signaling Pathway in Wheat

PubMed Central

Wang, Chenyang; Qin, Haixia; Han, Qiaoxia; Hou, Junfeng; Lu, Hongfang; Xie, Yingxin; Guo, Tiancai

2016-01-01

Little information is available describing the effects of exogenous H2S on the ABA pathway in the acquisition of drought tolerance in wheat. In this study, we investigated the physiological parameters, the transcription levels of several genes involved in the abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism pathway, and the ABA and H2S contents in wheat leaves and roots under drought stress in response to exogenous NaHS treatment. The results showed that pretreatment with NaHS significantly increased plant height and the leaf relative water content of seedlings under drought stress. Compared with drought stress treatment alone, H2S application increased antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced MDA and H2O2 contents in both leaves and roots. NaHS pretreatment increased the expression levels of ABA biosynthesis and ABA reactivation genes in leaves; whereas the expression levels of ABA biosynthesis and ABA catabolism genes were up-regulated in roots. These results indicated that ABA participates in drought tolerance induced by exogenous H2S, and that the responses in leaves and roots are different. The transcription levels of genes encoding ABA receptors were up-regulated in response to NaHS pretreatment under drought conditions in both leaves and roots. Correspondingly, the H2S contents in leaves and roots were increased by NaHS pretreatment, while the ABA contents of leaves and roots decreased. This implied that there is complex crosstalk between these two signal molecules, and that the alleviation of drought stress by H2S, at least in part, involves the ABA signaling pathway. PMID:27649534

Abscisic-acid-induced cellular apoptosis and differentiation in glioma via the retinoid acid signaling pathway.

PubMed

Zhou, Nan; Yao, Yu; Ye, Hongxing; Zhu, Wei; Chen, Liang; Mao, Ying

2016-04-15

Retinoid acid (RA) plays critical roles in regulating differentiation and apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. Abscisic acid (ABA) and RA are direct derivatives of carotenoids and share structural similarities. Here we proposed that ABA may also play a role in cellular differentiation and apoptosis by sharing a similar signaling pathway with RA that may be involved in glioma pathogenesis. We reported for the first time that the ABA levels were twofold higher in low-grade gliomas compared with high-grade gliomas. In glioma tissues, there was a positive correlation between the ABA levels and the transcription of cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 2 (CRABP2) and a negative correlation between the ABA levels and transcription of fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5). ABA treatment induced a significant increase in the expression of CRABP2 and a decrease in the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) in glioblastoma cells. Remarkably, both cellular apoptosis and differentiation were increased in the glioblastoma cells after ABA treatment. ABA-induced cellular apoptosis and differentiation were significantly reduced by selectively silencing RAR-α, while RAR-α overexpression exaggerated the ABA-induced effects. These results suggest that ABA may play a role in the pathogenesis of glioma by promoting cellular apoptosis and differentiation through the RA signaling pathway. © 2015 UICC.

Leaf Abscission Induced by Ethylene in Water-Stressed Intact Seedlings of Cleopatra Mandarin Requires Previous Abscisic Acid Accumulation in Roots.

PubMed Central

Gomez-Cadenas, A.; Tadeo, F. R.; Talon, M.; Primo-Millo, E.

1996-01-01

The involvement of abscisic acid (ABA) in the process of leaf abscission induced by 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) transported from roots to shoots in Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reshni Hort. ex Tan.) seedlings grown under water stress was studied using norflurazon (NF). Water stress induced both ABA (24-fold) and ACC (16-fold) accumulation in roots and arrested xylem flow. Leaf bulk ABA also increased (8-fold), although leaf abscission did not occur. Shortly after rehydration, root ABA and ACC returned to their prestress levels, whereas sharp and transitory increases of ACC (17-fold) and ethylene (10-fold) in leaves and high percentages of abscission (up to 47%) were observed. NF suppressed the ABA and ACC accumulation induced by water stress in roots and the sharp increases of ACC and ethylene observed after rewatering in leaves. NF also reduced leaf abscission (7-10%). These results indicate that water stress induces root ABA accumulation and that this is required for the process of leaf abscission to occur. It was also shown that exogenous ABA increases ACC levels in roots but not in leaves. Collectively, the data suggest that ABA, the primary sensitive signal to water stress, modulates the levels of ethylene, which is the hormonal activator of leaf abscission. This assumption implies that root ACC levels are correlated with root ABA amounts in a dependent way, which eventually links water status to an adequate, protective response such as leaf abscission. PMID:12226398

Abscisic Acid (ABA ) Promotes the Induction and Maintenance of Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia White Pear Group) Flower Bud Endodormancy

PubMed Central

Li, Jianzhao; Xu, Ying; Niu, Qingfeng; He, Lufang; Teng, Yuanwen; Bai, Songling

2018-01-01

Dormancy is an adaptive mechanism that allows temperate deciduous plants to survive unfavorable winter conditions. In the present work, we investigated the possible function of abscisic acid (ABA) on the endodormancy process in pear. The ABA content increased during pear flower bud endodormancy establishment and decreased towards endodormancy release. In total, 39 putative genes related to ABA metabolism and signal transductions were identified from pear genome. During the para- to endodormancy transition, PpNCED-2 and PpNCED-3 had high expression levels, while PpCYP707As expression levels were low. However, during endodormancy, the expression of PpCYP707A-3 sharply increased with increasing cold accumulation. At the same time, the ABA content of pear buds declined, and the percentage of bud breaks rapidly increased. On the other hand, the expression levels of PpPYLs, PpPP2Cs, PpSnRK2s, and PpABI4/ABI5s were also changed during the pear flower bud dormancy cycle. Furthermore, exogenous ABA application to para-dormant buds significantly reduced the bud breaks and accelerated the transition to endodormancy. During the whole treatment time, the expression level of PpPP2C-12 decreased to a greater extent in ABA-treated buds than in control. However, the expression levels of PpSnRK2-1, PpSnRK2-4, and PpABI5-1 were higher in ABA-treated buds. Our results indicated that PpCYP707A-3 and PpNCEDs play pivotal roles on the regulation of endodormancy release, while ABA signal transduction pathway also appears to be involved in the process. The present work provided the basic information about the function of ABA-related genes during pear flower bud dormancy process. PMID:29361708

Gibberellin–Abscisic Acid Balances during Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Formation in Tomato

PubMed Central

Martín-Rodríguez, José A.; Huertas, Raúl; Ho-Plágaro, Tania; Ocampo, Juan A.; Turečková, Veronika; Tarkowská, Danuše; Ludwig-Müller, Jutta; García-Garrido, José M.

2016-01-01

Plant hormones have become appropriate candidates for driving functional plant mycorrhization programs, including the processes that regulate the formation of arbuscules in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. Here, we examine the role played by ABA/GA interactions regulating the formation of AM in tomato. We report differences in ABA and GA metabolism between control and mycorrhizal roots. Active synthesis and catabolism of ABA occur in AM roots. GAs level increases as a consequence of a symbiosis-induced mechanism that requires functional arbuscules which in turn is dependent on a functional ABA pathway. A negative interaction in their metabolism has been demonstrated. ABA attenuates GA-biosynthetic and increases GA-catabolic gene expression leading to a reduction in bioactive GAs. Vice versa, GA activated ABA catabolism mainly in mycorrhizal roots. The negative impact of GA3 on arbuscule abundance in wild-type plants is partially offset by treatment with ABA and the application of a GA biosynthesis inhibitor rescued the arbuscule abundance in the ABA-deficient sitiens mutant. These findings, coupled with the evidence that ABA application leads to reduce bioactive GA1, support the hypothesis that ABA could act modifying bioactive GA level to regulate AM. Taken together, our results suggest that these hormones perform essential functions and antagonize each other by oppositely regulating AM formation in tomato roots. PMID:27602046

Exogenous abscisic acid alleviates zinc uptake and accumulation in Populus × canescens exposed to excess zinc.

PubMed

Shi, Wen-Guang; Li, Hong; Liu, Tong-Xian; Polle, Andrea; Peng, Chang-Hui; Luo, Zhi-Bin

2015-01-01

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study whether exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) mediates the responses of poplars to excess zinc (Zn). Populus × canescens seedlings were treated with either basal or excess Zn levels and either 0 or 10 μm ABA. Excess Zn led to reduced photosynthetic rates, increased Zn accumulation, induced foliar ABA and salicylic acid (SA), decreased foliar gibberellin (GA3 ) and auxin (IAA), elevated root H2 O2 levels, and increased root ratios of glutathione (GSH) to GSSG and foliar ratios of ascorbate (ASC) to dehydroascorbate (DHA) in poplars. While exogenous ABA decreased foliar Zn concentrations with 7 d treatments, it increased levels of endogenous ABA, GA3 and SA in roots, and resulted in highly increased foliar ASC accumulation and ratios of ASC to DHA. The transcript levels of several genes involved in Zn uptake and detoxification, such as yellow stripe-like family protein 2 (YSL2) and plant cadmium resistance protein 2 (PCR2), were enhanced in poplar roots by excess Zn but repressed by exogenous ABA application. These results suggest that exogenous ABA can decrease Zn concentrations in P. × canescens under excess Zn for 7 d, likely by modulating the transcript levels of key genes involved in Zn uptake and detoxification. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Co-Opted Hormonal Cascade Activates Dormant Adventitious Root Primordia upon Flooding in Solanum dulcamara.

PubMed

Dawood, Thikra; Yang, Xinping; Visser, Eric J W; Te Beek, Tim A H; Kensche, Philip R; Cristescu, Simona M; Lee, Sangseok; Floková, Kristýna; Nguyen, Duy; Mariani, Celestina; Rieu, Ivo

2016-04-01

Soil flooding is a common stress factor affecting plants. To sustain root function in the hypoxic environment, flooding-tolerant plants may form new, aerenchymatous adventitious roots (ARs), originating from preformed, dormant primordia on the stem. We investigated the signaling pathway behind AR primordium reactivation in the dicot species Solanum dulcamara Transcriptome analysis indicated that flooding imposes a state of quiescence on the stem tissue, while increasing cellular activity in the AR primordia. Flooding led to ethylene accumulation in the lower stem region and subsequently to a drop in abscisic acid (ABA) level in both stem and AR primordia tissue. Whereas ABA treatment prevented activation of AR primordia by flooding, inhibition of ABA synthesis was sufficient to activate them in absence of flooding. Together, this reveals that there is a highly tissue-specific response to reduced ABA levels. The central role for ABA in the response differentiates the pathway identified here from the AR emergence pathway known from rice (Oryza sativa). Flooding and ethylene treatment also induced expression of the polar auxin transporter PIN2, and silencing of this gene or chemical inhibition of auxin transport inhibited primordium activation, even though ABA levels were reduced. Auxin treatment, however, was not sufficient for AR emergence, indicating that the auxin pathway acts in parallel with the requirement for ABA reduction. In conclusion, adaptation of S. dulcamara to wet habitats involved co-option of a hormonal signaling cascade well known to regulate shoot growth responses, to direct a root developmental program upon soil flooding. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

A Co-Opted Hormonal Cascade Activates Dormant Adventitious Root Primordia upon Flooding in Solanum dulcamara1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Dawood, Thikra; Kensche, Philip R.; Cristescu, Simona M.; Mariani, Celestina

2016-01-01

Soil flooding is a common stress factor affecting plants. To sustain root function in the hypoxic environment, flooding-tolerant plants may form new, aerenchymatous adventitious roots (ARs), originating from preformed, dormant primordia on the stem. We investigated the signaling pathway behind AR primordium reactivation in the dicot species Solanum dulcamara. Transcriptome analysis indicated that flooding imposes a state of quiescence on the stem tissue, while increasing cellular activity in the AR primordia. Flooding led to ethylene accumulation in the lower stem region and subsequently to a drop in abscisic acid (ABA) level in both stem and AR primordia tissue. Whereas ABA treatment prevented activation of AR primordia by flooding, inhibition of ABA synthesis was sufficient to activate them in absence of flooding. Together, this reveals that there is a highly tissue-specific response to reduced ABA levels. The central role for ABA in the response differentiates the pathway identified here from the AR emergence pathway known from rice (Oryza sativa). Flooding and ethylene treatment also induced expression of the polar auxin transporter PIN2, and silencing of this gene or chemical inhibition of auxin transport inhibited primordium activation, even though ABA levels were reduced. Auxin treatment, however, was not sufficient for AR emergence, indicating that the auxin pathway acts in parallel with the requirement for ABA reduction. In conclusion, adaptation of S. dulcamara to wet habitats involved co-option of a hormonal signaling cascade well known to regulate shoot growth responses, to direct a root developmental program upon soil flooding. PMID:26850278

Auxin-Induced Ethylene Triggers Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis and Growth Inhibition1

PubMed Central

Hansen, Hauke; Grossmann, Klaus

2000-01-01

The growth-inhibiting effects of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at high concentration and the synthetic auxins 7-chloro-3-methyl-8-quinolinecarboxylic acid (quinmerac), 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid (dicamba), 4-amino-3,6,6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram), and naphthalene acetic acid, were investigated in cleavers (Galium aparine). When plants were root treated with 0.5 mm IAA, shoot epinasty and inhibition of root and shoot growth developed during 24 h. Concomitantly, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase activity, and ACC and ethylene production were transiently stimulated in the shoot tissue within 2 h, followed by increases in immunoreactive (+)-abscisic acid (ABA) and its precursor xanthoxal (xanthoxin) after 5 h. After 24 h of treatment, levels of xanthoxal and ABA were elevated up to 2- and 24-fold, relative to control, respectively. In plants treated with IAA, 7-chloro-3-methyl-8-quinolinecarboxylic acid, naphthalene acetic acid, 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid, and 4-amino-3,6,6-trichloropicolinic acid, levels of ethylene, ACC, and ABA increased in close correlation with inhibition of shoot growth. Aminoethoxyvinyl-glycine and cobalt ions, which inhibit ethylene synthesis, decreased ABA accumulation and growth inhibition, whereas the ethylene-releasing ethephon promoted ABA levels and growth inhibition. In accordance, tomato mutants defective in ethylene perception (never ripe) did not produce the xanthoxal and ABA increases and growth inhibition induced by auxins in wild-type plants. This suggests that auxin-stimulated ethylene triggers ABA accumulation and the consequent growth inhibition. Reduced catabolism most probably did not contribute to ABA increase, as indicated by immunoanalyses of ABA degradation and conjugation products in shoot tissue and by pulse experiments with [3H]-ABA in cell suspensions of G. aparine. In contrast, studies using inhibitors of ABA biosynthesis (fluridone, naproxen, and tungstate), ABA-deficient tomato mutants (notabilis, flacca, and sitiens), and quantification of xanthophylls indicate that ABA biosynthesis is influenced, probably through stimulated cleavage of xanthophylls to xanthoxal in shoot tissue. PMID:11080318

Auxin-induced ethylene triggers abscisic acid biosynthesis and growth inhibition.

PubMed

Hansen, H; Grossmann, K

2000-11-01

The growth-inhibiting effects of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at high concentration and the synthetic auxins 7-chloro-3-methyl-8-quinolinecarboxylic acid (quinmerac), 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid (dicamba), 4-amino-3,6, 6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram), and naphthalene acetic acid, were investigated in cleavers (Galium aparine). When plants were root treated with 0.5 mM IAA, shoot epinasty and inhibition of root and shoot growth developed during 24 h. Concomitantly, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase activity, and ACC and ethylene production were transiently stimulated in the shoot tissue within 2 h, followed by increases in immunoreactive (+)-abscisic acid (ABA) and its precursor xanthoxal (xanthoxin) after 5 h. After 24 h of treatment, levels of xanthoxal and ABA were elevated up to 2- and 24-fold, relative to control, respectively. In plants treated with IAA, 7-chloro-3-methyl-8-quinolinecarboxylic acid, naphthalene acetic acid, 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid, and 4-amino-3,6,6-trichloropicolinic acid, levels of ethylene, ACC, and ABA increased in close correlation with inhibition of shoot growth. Aminoethoxyvinyl-glycine and cobalt ions, which inhibit ethylene synthesis, decreased ABA accumulation and growth inhibition, whereas the ethylene-releasing ethephon promoted ABA levels and growth inhibition. In accordance, tomato mutants defective in ethylene perception (never ripe) did not produce the xanthoxal and ABA increases and growth inhibition induced by auxins in wild-type plants. This suggests that auxin-stimulated ethylene triggers ABA accumulation and the consequent growth inhibition. Reduced catabolism most probably did not contribute to ABA increase, as indicated by immunoanalyses of ABA degradation and conjugation products in shoot tissue and by pulse experiments with [(3)H]-ABA in cell suspensions of G. aparine. In contrast, studies using inhibitors of ABA biosynthesis (fluridone, naproxen, and tungstate), ABA-deficient tomato mutants (notabilis, flacca, and sitiens), and quantification of xanthophylls indicate that ABA biosynthesis is influenced, probably through stimulated cleavage of xanthophylls to xanthoxal in shoot tissue.

Gene expression analyses in tomato near isogenic lines provide evidence for ethylene and abscisic acid biosynthesis fine-tuning during arbuscular mycorrhiza development.

PubMed

Fracetto, Giselle Gomes Monteiro; Peres, Lázaro Eustáquio Pereira; Lambais, Marcio Rodrigues

2017-07-01

Plant responses to the environment and microorganisms, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, involve complex hormonal interactions. It is known that abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene may be involved in the regulation of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and that part of the detrimental effects of ABA deficiency in plants is due to ethylene overproduction. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the low susceptibility to mycorrhizal colonization in ABA-deficient mutants is due to high levels of ethylene and whether AM development is associated with changes in the steady-state levels of transcripts of genes involved in the biosynthesis of ethylene and ABA. For that, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ethylene overproducer epinastic (epi) mutant and the ABA-deficient notabilis (not) and sitiens (sit) mutants, in the same Micro-Tom (MT) genetic background, were inoculated with Rhizophagus clarus, and treated with the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG). The development of AM, as well as the steady-state levels of transcripts involved in ethylene (LeACS2, LeACO1 and LeACO4) and ABA (LeNCED) biosynthesis, was determined. The intraradical colonization in epi, not and sit mutants was significantly reduced compared to MT. The epi mutant completely restored the mycorrhizal colonization to the levels of MT with the application of 10 µM of AVG, probably due to the inhibition of the ACC synthase gene expression. The steady-state levels of LeACS2 and LeACO4 transcripts were induced in mycorrhizal roots of MT, whereas the steady-state levels of LeACO1 and LeACO4 transcripts were significantly induced in sit, and the steady-state levels of LeNCED transcripts were significantly induced in all genotypes and in mycorrhizal roots of epi mutants treated with AVG. The reduced mycorrhizal colonization in sit mutants seems not to be limited by ethylene production via ACC oxidase regulation. Both ethylene overproduction and ABA deficiency impaired AM fungal colonization in tomato roots, indicating that, besides hormonal interactions, a fine-tuning of each hormone level is required for AM development.

Changes in endogenous abscisic acid levels during dormancy release and maintenance of mature seeds: studies with the Cape Verde Islands ecotype, the dormant model of Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Ali-Rachedi, Sonia; Bouinot, Denise; Wagner, Marie-Hélène; Bonnet, Magda; Sotta, Bruno; Grappin, Philippe; Jullien, Marc

2004-07-01

Mature seeds of the Cape Verde Islands (Cvi) ecotype of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. show a very marked dormancy. Dormant (D) seeds completely fail to germinate in conditions that are favourable for germination whereas non-dormant (ND) seeds germinate easily. Cvi seed dormancy is alleviated by after-ripening, stratification, and also by nitrate or fluridone treatment. Addition of gibberellins to D seeds does not suppress dormancy efficiently, suggesting that gibberellins are not directly involved in the breaking of dormancy. Dormancy expression of Cvi seeds is strongly dependent on temperature: D seeds do not germinate at warm temperatures (20-27 degrees C) but do so easily at a low temperature (13 degrees C) or when a fluridone treatment is given to D seeds sown at high temperature. To investigate the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in dormancy release and maintenance, we measured the ABA content in both ND and D seeds imbibed using various dormancy-breaking conditions. It was found that dry D seeds contained higher amounts of ABA than dry ND after-ripened seeds. During early imbibition in standard conditions, there was a decrease in ABA content in both seeds, the rate of which was slower in D seeds. Three days after sowing, the ABA content in D seeds increased specifically and then remained at a high level. When imbibed with fluridone, nitrate or stratified, the ABA content of D seeds decreased and reached a level very near to that of ND seeds. In contrast, gibberellic acid (GA3) treatment caused a transient increase in ABA content. When D seeds were sown at low optimal temperature their ABA content also decreased to the level observed in ND seeds. The present study indicates that Cvi D and ND seeds can be easily distinguished by their ability to synthesize ABA following imbibition. Treatments used here to break dormancy reduced the ABA level in imbibed D seeds to the level observed in ND seeds, with the exception of GA3 treatment, which was active in promoting germination only when ABA synthesis was inhibited.

The cotton WRKY transcription factor GhWRKY17 functions in drought and salt stress in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana through ABA signaling and the modulation of reactive oxygen species production.

PubMed

Yan, Huiru; Jia, Haihong; Chen, Xiaobo; Hao, Lili; An, Hailong; Guo, Xingqi

2014-12-01

Drought and high salinity are two major environmental factors that significantly limit the productivity of agricultural crops worldwide. WRKY transcription factors play essential roles in the adaptation of plants to abiotic stresses. However, WRKY genes involved in drought and salt tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) are largely unknown. Here, a group IId WRKY gene, GhWRKY17, was isolated and characterized. GhWRKY17 was found to be induced after exposure to drought, salt, H2O2 and ABA. The constitutive expression of GhWRKY17 in Nicotiana benthamiana remarkably reduced plant tolerance to drought and salt stress, as determined through physiological analyses of the germination rate, root growth, survival rate, leaf water loss and Chl content. GhWRKY17 transgenic plants were observed to be more sensitive to ABA-mediated seed germination and root growth. However, overexpressing GhWRKY17 in N. benthamiana impaired ABA-induced stomatal closure. Furthermore, we found that GhWRKY17 modulated the increased sensitivity of plants to drought by reducing the level of ABA, and transcript levels of ABA-inducible genes, including AREB, DREB, NCED, ERD and LEA, were clearly repressed under drought and salt stress conditions. Consistent with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduced proline contents and enzyme activities, elevated electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde, and lower expression of ROS-scavenging genes, including APX, CAT and SOD, the GhWRKY17 transgenic plants exhibited reduced tolerance to oxidative stress compared with wild-type plants. These results therefore indicate that GhWRKY17 responds to drought and salt stress through ABA signaling and the regulation of cellular ROS production in plants. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Light Inhibition of Shoot Regeneration Is Regulated by Endogenous Abscisic Acid Level in Calli Derived from Immature Barley Embryos

PubMed Central

Rikiishi, Kazuhide; Matsuura, Takakazu; Ikeda, Yoko; Maekawa, Masahiko

2015-01-01

Shoot regeneration in calli derived from immature barley embryos is regulated by light conditions during the callus-induction period. Barley cultivars Kanto Nijo-5 (KN5) and K-3 (K3) showed lower efficiency of shoot regeneration in a 16-h photoperiod during callus-induction than those in continuous darkness, whereas shoot regeneration was enhanced in cultures under a 16-h photoperiod in Golden Promise (GP) and Lenins (LN). These cultivars were classified as photo-inhibition type (KN5 and K3) or photo-induction type (GP and LN) according to their response to light. Contents of endogenous plant hormones were determined in calli cultured under a 16-h photoperiod and continuous darkness. In photo-inhibition type, higher accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA) was detected in calli cultured under a 16-h photoperiod, whereas calli showed lower levels of endogenous ABA in continuous darkness. However, cultivars of photo-induction type showed lower levels of ABA in calli cultured under both light conditions, similarly to photo-inhibition type in continuous darkness. Exogenous ABA inhibited the callus growth and shoot regeneration independent of light conditions in all cultivars. In photo-inhibition type, lower levels of endogenous ABA induced by ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, fluridone, reduced the photo-inhibition of shoot regeneration. Expression of ABA biosynthesis gene, HvNCED1, in calli was regulated by the light conditions. Higher expression was observed in calli cultured under a 16-h photoperiod. These results indicate that ABA biosynthesis could be activated through the higher expression of HvNCED1 in a 16-h photoperiod and that the higher accumulations of ABA inhibit shoot regeneration in the photo-inhibition type cultivars. PMID:26670930

Abscisic acid (ABA) is involved in phenolic compounds biosynthesis, mainly anthocyanins, in leaves of Aristotelia chilensis plants (Mol.) subjected to drought stress.

PubMed

González-Villagra, Jorge; Cohen, Jerry D; Reyes-Díaz, Marjorie M

2018-06-20

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates the physiological and biochemical mechanisms required to tolerate drought stress, which is considered as an important abiotic stress. It has been postulated that ABA might be involved in regulation of plant phenolic compounds biosynthesis, especially anthocyanins that accumulate in plants subjected to drought stress; however, the evidence for this postulate remains elusive. Therefore, we studied whether ABA is involved in phenolic compounds accumulation, especially anthocyanin biosynthesis, using drought stressed Aristotelia chilensis plants, an endemic berry in Chile. Our approach was to use fluridone, an ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, and then subsequent ABA applications to young and fully-expanded leaves of drought stressed A. chilensis plants during 24, 48 and 72 h of the experiment. Plants were harvested and leaves were collected separately to determine the biochemical status. We observed that fluridone treatments significantly decreased ABA concentrations and total anthocyanin (TA) concentrations in stressed plants, including both young and fully-expanded leaves. TA concentrations following fluridone treatment were reduced around 5-fold, reaching control plant levels. ABA application restored ABA levels as well as TA concentrations in stressed plant at the 48 h of the experiment. We also observed that TA concentrations followed the same pattern as ABA concentrations in the ABA treated plants. qRT-PCR revealed that AcUFGT gene expression decreased in fully-expanded leaves of stressed plants treated with fluridone, while a subsequent ABA application increased AcUFGT expression. Taken together, our results suggest that ABA is involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis under drought stress. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Constitutive expression of a salinity-induced wheat WRKY transcription factor enhances salinity and ionic stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Qin, Yuxiang; Tian, Yanchen; Han, Lu; Yang, Xinchao

2013-10-25

The isolation and characterization of TaWRKY79, a wheat class II WRKY transcription factor, is described. Its 1297 bp coding region includes a 987 bp long open reading frame. TaWRKY79 was induced by stressing seedlings with either NaCl or abscisic acid (ABA). When a fusion between an 843 bp segment upstream of the TaWRKY79 coding sequence and GUS was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, GUS staining indicated that this upstream segment captured the sequence(s) required to respond to ABA or NaCl treatment. When TaWRKY79 was constitutively expressed as a transgene in A. thaliana, the transgenic plants showed an improved capacity to extend their primary root in the presence of either 100 mM NaCl, 10 mM LiCl or 2 μM ABA. The inference was that TaWRKY79 enhanced the level of tolerance to both salinity and ionic stress, while reducing the level of sensitivity to ABA. The ABA-related genes ABA1, ABA2 ABI1 and ABI5 were all up-regulated in the TaWRKY79 transgenic plants, suggesting that the transcription factor operates in an ABA-dependent pathway. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Involvement of abscisic acid in correlative control of flower abscission in soybean

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yarrow, G.L.

1985-01-01

Studies were carried out in three parts: (1) analysis of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) in abscising and non-abscising flowers, (2) partitioning of radio-labelled ABA and photoassimilates within the soybean raceme, and (3) shading experiments, wherein endogenous levels, metabolism and partitioning of ABA were determined. Endogenous concentrations of ABA failed to show any consistent relationship to abscission of soybean flowers. Partitioning of radiolabelled ABA and photoassimilates displayed consistently higher sink strengths (% DPM) for both /sup 3/H-ABA and /sup 14/C-photoassimilates for non-abscising flowers than for abscising flowers within control racemes. Shading flowers with aluminum foil, 48 hrs prior to sampling, resultedmore » in lowered endogenous ABA concentrations at 12, 17 and 22 days after anthesis (DAA), but not at 0 or 4 DAA. No differences were found in the catabolism of /sup 3/H-ABA between shaded (abscising) and non-shaded (non-abscising) flowers. Reduced partitioning of ABA and photoassimilates to shaded flowers resulted when shades were applied at 0, 4, 12, and 17 DAA, but not at 22 DAA.« less

LTP3 contributes to disease susceptibility in Arabidopsis by enhancing abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis.

PubMed

Gao, Shan; Guo, Wenya; Feng, Wen; Liu, Liang; Song, Xiaorui; Chen, Jian; Hou, Wei; Zhu, Hongxia; Tang, Saijun; Hu, Jian

2016-04-01

Several plant lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) act positively in plant disease resistance. Here, we show that LTP3 (At5g59320), a pathogen and abscisic acid (ABA)-induced gene, negatively regulates plant immunity in Arabidopsis. The overexpression of LTP3 (LTP3-OX) led to an enhanced susceptibility to virulent bacteria and compromised resistance to avirulent bacteria. On infection of LTP3-OX plants with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, genes involved in ABA biosynthesis, NCED3 and AAO3, were highly induced, whereas salicylic acid (SA)-related genes, ICS1 and PR1, were down-regulated. Accordingly, in LTP3-OX plants, we observed increased ABA levels and decreased SA levels relative to the wild-type. We also showed that the LTP3 overexpression-mediated enhanced susceptibility was partially dependent on AAO3. Interestingly, loss of function of LTP3 (ltp3-1) did not affect ABA pathways, but resulted in PR1 gene induction and elevated SA levels, suggesting that LTP3 can negatively regulate SA in an ABA-independent manner. However, a double mutant consisting of ltp3-1 and silent LTP4 (ltp3/ltp4) showed reduced susceptibility to Pseudomonas and down-regulation of ABA biosynthesis genes, suggesting that LTP3 acts in a redundant manner with its closest homologue LTP4 by modulating the ABA pathway. Taken together, our data show that LTP3 is a novel negative regulator of plant immunity which acts through the manipulation of the ABA-SA balance. © 2015 BSPP and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Abscisic Acid Determines Basal Susceptibility of Tomato to Botrytis cinerea and Suppresses Salicylic Acid-Dependent Signaling Mechanisms1

PubMed Central

Audenaert, Kris; De Meyer, Geert B.; Höfte, Monica M.

2002-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the plant hormones involved in the interaction between plants and pathogens. In this work, we show that tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv Moneymaker) mutants with reduced ABA levels (sitiens plants) are much more resistant to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea than wild-type (WT) plants. Exogenous application of ABA restored susceptibility to B. cinerea in sitiens plants and increased susceptibility in WT plants. These results indicate that ABA plays a major role in the susceptibility of tomato to B. cinerea. ABA appeared to interact with a functional plant defense response against B. cinerea. Experiments with transgenic NahG tomato plants and benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid demonstrated the importance of salicylic acid in the tomato-B. cinerea interaction. In addition, upon infection with B. cinerea, sitiens plants showed a clear increase in phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity, which was not observed in infected WT plants, indicating that the ABA levels in healthy WT tomato plants partly repress phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity. In addition, sitiens plants became more sensitive to benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid root treatment. The threshold values for PR1a gene expression declined with a factor 10 to 100 in sitiens compared with WT plants. Thus, ABA appears to negatively modulate the salicylic acid-dependent defense pathway in tomato, which may be one of the mechanisms by which ABA levels determine susceptibility to B. cinerea. PMID:11842153

Proteomic analyses reveal the key roles of BrlA and AbaA in biogenesis of gliotoxin in Aspergillus fumigatus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shin, Kwang-Soo, E-mail: shinks@dju.kr; Kim, Young Hwan; Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764

2015-07-31

The opportunistic human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus primarily reproduces by forming a large number of asexual spores (conidia). Sequential activation of the central regulators BrlA, AbaA and WetA is necessary for the fungus to undergo asexual development. In this study, to address the presumed roles of these key developmental regulators during proliferation of the fungus, we analyzed and compared the proteomes of vegetative cells of wild type (WT) and individual mutant strains. Approximately 1300 protein spots were detectable from 2-D electrophoresis gels. Among these, 13 proteins exhibiting significantly altered accumulation levels were further identified by ESI-MS/MS. Markedly, we found thatmore » the GliM and GliT proteins associated with gliotoxin (GT) biosynthesis and self-protection of the fungus from GT were significantly down-regulated in the ΔabaA and ΔbrlA mutants. Moreover, mRNA levels of other GT biosynthetic genes including gliM, gliP, gliT, and gliZ were significantly reduced in both mutant strains, and no and low levels of GT were detectable in the ΔbrlA and ΔabaA mutant strains, respectively. As GliT is required for the protection of the fungus from GT, growth of the ΔbrlA mutant with reduced levels of GliT was severely impaired by exogenous GT. Our studies demonstrate that AbaA and BrlA positively regulate expression of the GT biosynthetic gene cluster in actively growing vegetative cells, and likely bridge morphological and chemical development during the life-cycle of A. fumigatus. - Highlights: • Proteome analyses of WT and mutants reveal 13 differentially expressed proteins. • The GliT and GliM proteins are significantly down-regulated by ΔabaA and ΔbrlA. • Expression of other gliotoxin biosynthetic genes is lowered by ΔabaA and ΔbrlA. • Growth of ΔbrlA strain lacking GliT is completely inhibited by exogenous gliotoxin. • BrlA and AbaA play key roles in biogenesis of gliotoxin in Aspergillus fumigatus.« less

The WD40 Domain Protein MSI1 Functions in a Histone Deacetylase Complex to Fine-Tune Abscisic Acid Signaling.

PubMed

Mehdi, Saher; Derkacheva, Maria; Ramström, Margareta; Kralemann, Lejon; Bergquist, Jonas; Hennig, Lars

2016-01-01

MSI1 belongs to a family of histone binding WD40-repeat proteins. Arabidopsis thaliana contains five genes encoding MSI1-like proteins, but their functions in diverse chromatin-associated complexes are poorly understood. Here, we show that MSI1 is part of a histone deacetylase complex. We copurified HISTONE DEACETYLASE19 (HDA19) with MSI1 and transcriptional regulatory SIN3-like proteins and provide evidence that MSI1 and HDA19 associate into the same complex in vivo. These data suggest that MSI1, HDA19, and HISTONE DEACETYLATION COMPLEX1 protein form a core complex that can integrate various SIN3-like proteins. We found that reduction of MSI1 or HDA19 causes upregulation of abscisic acid (ABA) receptor genes and hypersensitivity of ABA-responsive genes. The MSI1-HDA19 complex fine-tunes ABA signaling by binding to the chromatin of ABA receptor genes and by maintaining low levels of acetylation of histone H3 at lysine 9, thereby affecting the expression levels of ABA receptor genes. Reduced MSI1 or HDA19 levels led to increased tolerance to salt stress corresponding to the increased ABA sensitivity of gene expression. Together, our results reveal the presence of an MSI1-HDA19 complex that fine-tunes ABA signaling in Arabidopsis. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Cytokinin Mutants and Regulation of Cytokinin Metabolic Genes Reveals Important Regulatory Roles of Cytokinins in Drought, Salt and Abscisic Acid Responses, and Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis[C][W

PubMed Central

Nishiyama, Rie; Watanabe, Yasuko; Fujita, Yasunari; Le, Dung Tien; Kojima, Mikiko; Werner, Tomás; Vankova, Radomira; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko; Shinozaki, Kazuo; Kakimoto, Tatsuo; Sakakibara, Hitoshi; Schmülling, Thomas; Tran, Lam-Son Phan

2011-01-01

Cytokinins (CKs) regulate plant growth and development via a complex network of CK signaling. Here, we perform functional analyses with CK-deficient plants to provide direct evidence that CKs negatively regulate salt and drought stress signaling. All CK-deficient plants with reduced levels of various CKs exhibited a strong stress-tolerant phenotype that was associated with increased cell membrane integrity and abscisic acid (ABA) hypersensitivity rather than stomatal density and ABA-mediated stomatal closure. Expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana ISOPENTENYL-TRANSFERASE genes involved in the biosynthesis of bioactive CKs and the majority of the Arabidopsis CYTOKININ OXIDASES/DEHYDROGENASES genes was repressed by stress and ABA treatments, leading to a decrease in biologically active CK contents. These results demonstrate a novel mechanism for survival under abiotic stress conditions via the homeostatic regulation of steady state CK levels. Additionally, under normal conditions, although CK deficiency increased the sensitivity of plants to exogenous ABA, it caused a downregulation of key ABA biosynthetic genes, leading to a significant reduction in endogenous ABA levels in CK-deficient plants relative to the wild type. Taken together, this study provides direct evidence that mutual regulation mechanisms exist between the CK and ABA metabolism and signals underlying different processes regulating plant adaptation to stressors as well as plant growth and development. PMID:21719693

A transcriptional approach to unravel the connection between phospholipases A₂ and D and ABA signal in citrus under water stress.

PubMed

Romero, Paco; Lafuente, M Teresa; Alférez, Fernando

2014-07-01

The effect of water stress on the interplay between phospholipases (PL) A2 and D and ABA signalling was investigated in fruit and leaves from the sweet orange Navelate and its fruit-specific ABA-deficient mutant Pinalate by studying simultaneously expression of 5 PLD and 3 PLA2-encoding genes. In general, expression levels of PLD-encoding genes were higher at harvest in the flavedo (coloured outer part of the peel) from Pinalate. Moreover, a higher and transient increase in expression of CsPLDα, CsPLDβ, CsPLDδ and CsPLDζ was observed in the mutant as compared to Navelate fruit under water stress, which may reflect a mechanism of acclimation to water stress influenced by ABA deficiency. An early induction in CsPLDγ gene expression, when increase in peel damage during fruit storage was most evident, suggested a role for this gene in membrane degradation processes during water stress. Exogenous ABA on mutant fruit modified the expression of all PLD genes and reduced the expression of CsPLDα and CsPLDβ by 1 week to levels similar to those of Navelate, suggesting a repressor role of ABA on these genes. In general, CssPLA2α and β transcript levels were lower in flavedo from Pinalate than from Navelate fruit during the first 3 weeks of storage, suggesting that expression of these genes also depends at least partially on ABA levels. Patterns of expression of PLD and PLA2-encoding genes were very similar in Navelate and Pinalate leaves, which have similar ABA levels, when comparing both RH conditions. Results comparison with other from previous works in the same experimental systems helped to decipher the effect of the stress severity on the differential response of some of these genes under dehydration conditions and pointed out the interplay between PLA2 and PLD families and their connection with ABA signalling in citrus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Characterization of genes encoding ABA 8'-hydroxylase in ethylene-induced stem growth of deepwater rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Yang, Seung-Hwan; Choi, Dongsu

2006-11-24

Ethylene and submergence enhance stem elongation of deepwater rice, at least in part, by reducing in the internode the endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) content and increasing the level of gibberellin A1 (GA1). We cloned and characterized the CYP707A5 and CYP707A6 genes, which encode putative ABA 8'-hydroxylase, the enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of ABA. Expression of CYP707A5 was upregulated significantly by ethylene treatment, whereas that of CYP707A6 was not altered. Recombinant proteins from both genes expressed in yeast cells showed activity of ABA 8'-hydroxylase. This finding indicates that CYP707A5 may play a role in ABA catabolism during submergence- or ethylene-induced stem elongation in deepwater rice. Taken together, these results provide links between the molecular mechanisms and physiological phenomena of submergence- and ethylene-induced stem elongation in deepwater rice.

Rice G-protein subunits qPE9-1 and RGB1 play distinct roles in abscisic acid responses and drought adaptation.

PubMed

Zhang, Dong-Ping; Zhou, Yong; Yin, Jian-Feng; Yan, Xue-Jiao; Lin, Sheng; Xu, Wei-Feng; Baluška, František; Wang, Yi-Ping; Xia, Yi-Ji; Liang, Guo-hua; Liang, Jian-Sheng

2015-10-01

Heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein (G-protein)-mediated abscisic acid (ABA) and drought-stress responses have been documented in numerous plant species. However, our understanding of the function of rice G-protein subunits in ABA signalling and drought tolerance is limited. In this study, the function of G-protein subunits in ABA response and drought resistance in rice plants was explored. It was found that the transcription level of qPE9-1 (rice Gγ subunit) gradually decreased with increasing ABA concentration and the lack of qPE9-1 showed an enhanced drought tolerance in rice plants. In contrast, mRNA levels of RGB1 (rice Gβ subunit) were significantly upregulated by ABA treatment and the lack of RGB1 led to reduced drought tolerance. Furthermore, the results suggested that qPE9-1 negatively regulates the ABA response by suppressing the expression of key transcription factors involved in ABA and stress responses, while RGB1 positively regulates ABA biosynthesis by upregulating NCED gene expression under both normal and drought stress conditions. Taken together, it is proposed that RGB1 is a positive regulator of the ABA response and drought adaption in rice plants, whereas qPE9-1 is modulated by RGB1 and functions as a negative regulator in the ABA-dependent drought-stress responses. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Abscisic Acid accumulates at positive turgor potential in excised soybean seedling growing zones.

PubMed

Creelman, R A; Mullet, J E

1991-04-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulated in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Williams) hypocotyl elongating regions when seedlings were transferred to low water potential vermiculite (Psi = -0.3 megapascals) even though positive turgor is retained in this tissue. Accumulation of ABA in growing zones could occur from de novo biosynthesis within this tissue or transport from adjacent nongrowing zones. Both growing and nongrowing hypocotyl and root tissues accumulated significant levels of ABA when excised and dehydrated to reduce turgor. Surprisingly, excised growing zones (which experienced no water loss) also accumulated ABA when incubated in darkness for 4 hours at 100% relative humidity and 29 degrees C. Induction of ABA accumulation in the excised elongating region of the hypocotyl was not caused by disruption of root pressure or wounding. While excision of hypocotyl elongating regions induced ABA accumulation, no change in either extensin or p33 mRNA levels was observed. Accumulation of extensin or p33 mRNA required more severe wounding. This suggests that ABA is not involved in the response of these genes in wounded tissue and that wound signals are not causing ABA accumulation in excised tissue. Accumulation of ABA in excised elongating regions was correlated with growth inhibition and a decline in turgor to the yield threshold (Psi;(p) = 0.37 megapascals; R Matyssek, S Maruyama, JS Boyer [1988] Plant Physiol 86: 1163-1167). Inhibiting hypocotyl growth by transferring seedlings to lower temperatures or light did not cause ABA accumulation. We conclude that induction of ABA accumulation in growing zones is more sensitive to changes in turgor than the induction which occurs in mature tissues.

Abscisic Acid Accumulates at Positive Turgor Potential in Excised Soybean Seedling Growing Zones 1

PubMed Central

Creelman, Robert A.; Mullet, John E.

1991-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulated in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Williams) hypocotyl elongating regions when seedlings were transferred to low water potential vermiculite (Ψ = −0.3 megapascals) even though positive turgor is retained in this tissue. Accumulation of ABA in growing zones could occur from de novo biosynthesis within this tissue or transport from adjacent nongrowing zones. Both growing and nongrowing hypocotyl and root tissues accumulated significant levels of ABA when excised and dehydrated to reduce turgor. Surprisingly, excised growing zones (which experienced no water loss) also accumulated ABA when incubated in darkness for 4 hours at 100% relative humidity and 29°C. Induction of ABA accumulation in the excised elongating region of the hypocotyl was not caused by disruption of root pressure or wounding. While excision of hypocotyl elongating regions induced ABA accumulation, no change in either extensin or p33 mRNA levels was observed. Accumulation of extensin or p33 mRNA required more severe wounding. This suggests that ABA is not involved in the response of these genes in wounded tissue and that wound signals are not causing ABA accumulation in excised tissue. Accumulation of ABA in excised elongating regions was correlated with growth inhibition and a decline in turgor to the yield threshold (Ψ;p = 0.37 megapascals; R Matyssek, S Maruyama, JS Boyer [1988] Plant Physiol 86: 1163-1167). Inhibiting hypocotyl growth by transferring seedlings to lower temperatures or light did not cause ABA accumulation. We conclude that induction of ABA accumulation in growing zones is more sensitive to changes in turgor than the induction which occurs in mature tissues. Images Figure 2 PMID:16668113

Embryo-Specific Gene Expression in Microspore-Derived Embryos of Brassica napus. An Interaction between Abscisic Acid and Jasmonic Acid1, 2

PubMed Central

Hays, Dirk B.; Wilen, Ronald W.; Sheng, Chuxing; Moloney, Maurice M.; Pharis, Richard P.

1999-01-01

The induction of napin and oleosin gene expression in Brassica napus microspore-derived embryos (MDEs) was studied to assess the possible interaction between abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA). Napin and oleosin transcripts were detected sooner following treatment with ABA than JA. Treatment of MDEs with ABA plus JA gave an additive accumulation of both napin and oleosin mRNA, the absolute amount being dependent on the concentration of each hormone. Endogenous ABA levels were reduced by 10-fold after treatment with JA, negating the possibility that the observed additive interaction was due to JA-induced ABA biosynthesis. Also, JA did not significantly increase the uptake of [3H-ABA] from the medium into MDEs. This suggests that the additive interaction was not due to an enhanced carrier-mediated ABA uptake by JA. Finally, when JA was added to MDEs that had been treated with the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor fluridone, napin mRNA did not increase. Based on these results with the MDE system, it is possible that embryos of B. napus use endogenous JA to modulate ABA effects on expression of both napin and oleosin. In addition, JA could play a causal role in the reduction of ABA that occurs during late stages of seed development. PMID:10069845

The HERBIVORE ELICITOR-REGULATED1 Gene Enhances Abscisic Acid Levels and Defenses against Herbivores in Nicotiana attenuata Plants1[C][W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Dinh, Son Truong; Baldwin, Ian T.; Galis, Ivan

2013-01-01

Nicotiana attenuata plants can distinguish the damage caused by herbivore feeding from other types of damage by perceiving herbivore-associated elicitors, such as the fatty acid-amino acid conjugates (FACs) in oral secretions (OS) of Manduca sexta larvae, which are introduced into wounds during feeding. However, the transduction of FAC signals into downstream plant defense responses is still not well established. We identified a novel FAC-regulated protein in N. attenuata (NaHER1; for herbivore elicitor regulated) and show that it is an indispensable part of the OS signal transduction pathway. N. attenuata plants silenced in the expression of NaHER1 by RNA interference (irHER1) were unable to amplify their defenses beyond basal, wound-induced levels in response to OS elicitation. M. sexta larvae performed 2-fold better when reared on irHER1 plants, which released less volatile organic compounds (indirect defense) and had strongly reduced levels of several direct defense metabolites, including trypsin proteinase inhibitors, 17-hydroxygeranyllinallool diterpene glycosides, and caffeoylputrescine, after real and/or simulated herbivore attack. In parallel to impaired jasmonate signaling and metabolism, irHER1 plants were more drought sensitive and showed reduced levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in the leaves, suggesting that silencing of NaHER1 interfered with ABA metabolism. Because treatment of irHER1 plants with ABA results in both the accumulation of significantly more ABA catabolites and the complete restoration of normal wild-type levels of OS-induced defense metabolites, we conclude that NaHER1 acts as a natural suppressor of ABA catabolism after herbivore attack, which, in turn, activates the full defense profile and resistance against herbivores. PMID:23784463

Pleiotropic effects of the male sterile33 (ms33) mutation in Arabidopsis are associated with modifications in endogenous gibberellins, indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid.

PubMed

Fei, Houman; Zhang, Ruichuan; Pharis, Richard P; Sawhney, Vipen K

2004-08-01

Earlier, we reported that mutation in the Male Sterile33 (MS33) locus in Arabidopsis thaliana causes inhibition of stamen filament growth and a defect in the maturation of pollen grains [Fei and Sawhney (1999) Physiol Plant 105:165-170; Fei and Sawhney (2001) Can J Bot 79:118-129]. Here we report that the ms33 mutant has other pleiotropic effects, including aberrant growth of all floral organs and a delay in seed germination and in flowering time. These defects could be partially or completely restored by low temperature or by exogenous gibberellin A4 (GA4), which in all cases was more effective than GA3. Analysis of endogenous GAs showed that in wild type (WT) mature flowers GA4 was the major GA, and that relative to WT the ms33 flowers had low levels of the growth active GAs, GA1 and GA4, and very reduced levels of GA9, GA24 and GA15, precursors of GA4. This suggests that mutation in the MS33 gene may suppress the GA biosynthetic pathway that leads to GA4 via GA9 and the early 13-H C20 GAs. WT flowers also possessed a much higher level of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and a lower level of abscisic acid (ABA), relative to ms33 flowers. Low temperature induced partial restoration of male fertility in the ms33 flowers and this was associated with partial increase in GA4. In contrast, in WT flowers GA1 and GA4 were very much reduced by low temperature. Low temperature also had little effect on IAA or ABA levels of ms33 flowers, but did reduce (>2-fold) IAA levels in WT flowers. The double mutants, ms33 aba1-1 (an ABA-deficient mutant), and ms33 spy-3 (a GA signal transduction mutant) had flower phenotypes similar to ms33. Together, the data suggest that the developmental defects in the ms33 mutant are unrelated to ABA levels, but may be causally associated with reduced levels of IAA, GA1 and GA4, compared to WT flowers.

Anti-transpirant activity in xylem sap from flooded tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants is not due to pH-mediated redistributions of root- or shoot-sourced ABA.

PubMed

Else, Mark A; Taylor, June M; Atkinson, Christopher J

2006-01-01

In flooded soils, the rapid effects of decreasing oxygen availability on root metabolic activity are likely to generate many potential chemical signals that may impact on stomatal apertures. Detached leaf transpiration tests showed that filtered xylem sap, collected at realistic flow rates from plants flooded for 2 h and 4 h, contained one or more factors that reduced stomatal apertures. The closure could not be attributed to increased root output of the glucose ester of abscisic acid (ABA-GE), since concentrations and deliveries of ABA conjugates were unaffected by soil flooding. Although xylem sap collected from the shoot base of detopped flooded plants became more alkaline within 2 h of flooding, this rapid pH change of 0.5 units did not alter partitioning of root-sourced ABA sufficiently to prompt a transient increase in xylem ABA delivery. More shoot-sourced ABA was detected in the xylem when excised petiole sections were perfused with pH 7 buffer, compared with pH 6 buffer. Sap collected from the fifth oldest leaf of "intact" well-drained plants and plants flooded for 3 h was more alkaline, by approximately 0.4 pH units, than sap collected from the shoot base. Accordingly, xylem [ABA] was increased 2-fold in sap collected from the fifth oldest petiole compared with the shoot base of flooded plants. However, water loss from transpiring, detached leaves was not reduced when the pH of the feeding solution containing 3-h-flooded [ABA] was increased from 6.7 to 7.1 Thus, the extent of the pH-mediated, shoot-sourced ABA redistribution was not sufficient to raise xylem [ABA] to physiologically active levels. Using a detached epidermis bioassay, significant non-ABA anti-transpirant activity was also detected in xylem sap collected at intervals during the first 24 h of soil flooding.

Azospirillum brasilense ameliorates the response of Arabidopsis thaliana to drought mainly via enhancement of ABA levels.

PubMed

Cohen, Ana C; Bottini, Rubén; Pontin, Mariela; Berli, Federico J; Moreno, Daniela; Boccanlandro, Hernán; Travaglia, Claudia N; Piccoli, Patricia N

2015-01-01

Production of phytohormones is one of the main mechanisms to explain the beneficial effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) such as Azospirillum sp. The PGPRs induce plant growth and development, and reduce stress susceptibility. However, little is known regarding the stress-related phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) produced by bacteria. We investigated the effects of Azospirillum brasilense Sp 245 strain on Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 and aba2-1 mutant plants, evaluating the morphophysiological and biochemical responses when watered and in drought. We used an in vitro-grown system to study changes in the root volume and architecture after inoculation with Azospirillum in Arabidopsis wild-type Col-0 and on the mutant aba2-1, during early growth. To examine Arabidopsis development and reproductive success as affected by the bacteria, ABA and drought, a pot experiment using Arabidopsis Col-0 plants was also carried out. Azospirillum brasilense augmented plant biomass, altered root architecture by increasing lateral roots number, stimulated photosynthetic and photoprotective pigments and retarded water loss in correlation with incremented ABA levels. As well, inoculation improved plants seed yield, plants survival, proline levels and relative leaf water content; it also decreased stomatal conductance, malondialdehyde and relative soil water content in plants submitted to drought. Arabidopsis inoculation with A. brasilense improved plants performance, especially in drought. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

ABA is required for the accumulation of APX1 and MBF1c during a combination of water deficit and heat stress

PubMed Central

Zandalinas, Sara I.; Balfagón, Damián; Arbona, Vicent; Gómez-Cadenas, Aurelio; Inupakutika, Madhuri A.; Mittler, Ron

2016-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a key role in plant acclimation to abiotic stress. Although recent studies suggested that ABA could also be important for plant acclimation to a combination of abiotic stresses, its role in this response is currently unknown. Here we studied the response of mutants impaired in ABA signalling (abi1-1) and biosynthesis (aba1-1) to a combination of water deficit and heat stress. Both mutants displayed reduced growth, biomass, and survival when subjected to stress combination. Focusing on abi1-1, we found that although its stomata had an impaired response to water deficit, remaining significantly more open than wild type, its stomatal aperture was surprisingly reduced when subjected to the stress combination. Stomatal closure during stress combination in abi1-1 was accompanied by higher levels of H2O2 in leaves, suggesting that H2O2 might play a role in this response. In contrast to the almost wild-type stomatal closure phenotype of abi1-1 during stress combination, the accumulation of ascorbate peroxidase 1 and multiprotein bridging factor 1c proteins, required for acclimation to a combination of water deficit and heat stress, was significantly reduced in abi1-1. Our findings reveal a key function for ABA in regulating the accumulation of essential proteins during a combination of water deficit and heat stress. PMID:27497287

Proteomic analyses reveal the key roles of BrlA and AbaA in biogenesis of gliotoxin in Aspergillus fumigatus.

PubMed

Shin, Kwang-Soo; Kim, Young Hwan; Yu, Jae-Hyuk

2015-07-31

The opportunistic human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus primarily reproduces by forming a large number of asexual spores (conidia). Sequential activation of the central regulators BrlA, AbaA and WetA is necessary for the fungus to undergo asexual development. In this study, to address the presumed roles of these key developmental regulators during proliferation of the fungus, we analyzed and compared the proteomes of vegetative cells of wild type (WT) and individual mutant strains. Approximately 1300 protein spots were detectable from 2-D electrophoresis gels. Among these, 13 proteins exhibiting significantly altered accumulation levels were further identified by ESI-MS/MS. Markedly, we found that the GliM and GliT proteins associated with gliotoxin (GT) biosynthesis and self-protection of the fungus from GT were significantly down-regulated in the ΔabaA and ΔbrlA mutants. Moreover, mRNA levels of other GT biosynthetic genes including gliM, gliP, gliT, and gliZ were significantly reduced in both mutant strains, and no and low levels of GT were detectable in the ΔbrlA and ΔabaA mutant strains, respectively. As GliT is required for the protection of the fungus from GT, growth of the ΔbrlA mutant with reduced levels of GliT was severely impaired by exogenous GT. Our studies demonstrate that AbaA and BrlA positively regulate expression of the GT biosynthetic gene cluster in actively growing vegetative cells, and likely bridge morphological and chemical development during the life-cycle of A. fumigatus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anxiety is correlated with running in adolescent female mice undergoing activity-based anorexia

PubMed Central

Wable, Gauri S.; Min, Jung-Yun; Chen, Yi-Wen; Aoki, Chiye

2015-01-01

Activity-based anorexia (ABA) is a widely used animal model for identifying the biological basis of excessive exercise and starvation, two hallmarks of anorexia nervosa (AN). Anxiety is correlated with exercise in AN. Yet the anxiety level of animals in ABA has not been reported. We asked: Does food restriction as part of ABA induction change the anxiety level of animals? If so, is the degree of anxiety correlated with degree of hyperactivity? We used the open field test before food restriction and the elevated plus maze test (EPM) during food restriction to quantify anxiety among singly housed adolescent female mice and determined whether food restriction alone or combined with exercise (i.e., ABA induction) abates or increases anxiety. We show that food restriction, with or without exercise, reduced anxiety significantly, as measured by the proportion of entries into the open arms of EPM (35.73 %, p= .04). Moreover, ABA-induced individuals varied in their open arm time measure of anxiety and this value was highly and negatively correlated to the individual’s food restriction-evoked wheel activity during the 24 hours following the anxiety test (R = − .75, p= .004, N = 12). This correlation was absent among the exercise-only controls. Additionally, mice with higher increase in anxiety ran more following food restriction. Our data suggest that food restriction-evoked wheel running hyperactivity can be used as a reliable and continuous measure of anxiety in ABA. The parallel relationship between anxiety level and activity in AN and ABA-induced female mice strengthens the animal model. PMID:25730124

Abscisic Acid Transport and Homeostasis in the Context of Stomatal Regulation.

PubMed

Merilo, Ebe; Jalakas, Pirko; Laanemets, Kristiina; Mohammadi, Omid; Hõrak, Hanna; Kollist, Hannes; Brosché, Mikael

2015-09-01

The discovery of cytosolic ABA receptors is an important breakthrough in stomatal research; signaling via these receptors is involved in determining the basal stomatal conductance and stomatal responsiveness. However, the source of ABA in guard cells is still not fully understood. The level of ABA increases in guard cells by de novo synthesis, recycling from inactive conjugates via β-glucosidases BG1 and BG2 and by import, whereas it decreases by hydroxylation, conjugation, and export. ABA importers include the NRT1/PTR family protein AIT1, ATP-binding cassette protein ABCG40, and possibly ABCG22, whereas the DTX family member DTX50 and ABCG25 function as ABA exporters. Here, we review the proteins involved in ABA transport and homeostasis and their physiological role in stomatal regulation. Recent experiments suggest that functional redundancy probably exists among ABA transporters between vasculature and guard cells and ABA recycling proteins, as stomatal functioning remained intact in abcg22, abcg25, abcg40, ait1, and bg1bg2 mutants. Only the initial response to reduced air humidity was significantly delayed in abcg22. Considering the reports showing autonomous ABA synthesis in guard cells, we discuss that rapid stomatal responses to atmospheric factors might depend primarily on guard cell-synthesized ABA, whereas in the case of long-term soil water deficit, ABA synthesized in the vasculature might have a significant role. Copyright © 2015 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phytohormone and assimilate profiles in emasculated flowers of the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) during development.

PubMed

Sun, Peng; Yuan, Cunquan; Dai, Li; Xi, Yang; Li, Yunfei; Hu, Ruiyang; Sun, Yuhan; Xu, Zhaohe; Li, Yun

2013-09-01

Emasculation and bagging of flowers, which are widely used in the controlled pollination of monoclinous plants, may induce premature senescence, flower abscission and low fruit set. To determine the mechanism responsible for these phenomena, levels of abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ethylene, soluble sugars, reducing sugars and free amino acids in black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) flowers subjected to different treatments were quantified at different developmental stages. The phytohormones and assimilates were also quantified in untreated flowers to investigate the presence of discernible patterns. The levels of ethylene and ABA in emasculated and bagged (EB) flowers increased prematurely compared with those of untreated flowers, whereas the content of reducing sugars in EB flowers decreased compared with that of untreated flowers. These results indicated that the premature increase in ethylene and ABA synthesis, and the decrease in reducing sugars content, in EB flowers may cause flower abscission and result in low fruit set, which may be relevant for assimilate applications and future research on the regulation of controlled pollinations with exogenous phytohormones.

Expression studies of the zeaxanthin epoxidase gene in nicotiana plumbaginifolia

PubMed

Audran; Borel; Frey; Sotta; Meyer; Simonneau; Marion-Poll

1998-11-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone involved in the control of a wide range of physiological processes, including adaptation to environmental stress and seed development. In higher plants ABA is a breakdown product of xanthophyll carotenoids (C40) via the C15 intermediate xanthoxin. The ABA2 gene of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia encodes zeaxanthin epoxidase, which catalyzes the conversion of zeaxanthin to violaxanthin. In this study we analyzed steady-state levels of ABA2 mRNA in N. plumbaginifolia. The ABA2 mRNA accumulated in all plant organs, but transcript levels were found to be higher in aerial parts (stems and leaves) than in roots and seeds. In leaves ABA2 mRNA accumulation displayed a day/night cycle; however, the ABA2 protein level remained constant. In roots no diurnal fluctuation in mRNA levels was observed. In seeds the ABA2 mRNA level peaked around the middle of development, when ABA content has been shown to increase in many species. In conditions of drought stress, ABA levels increased in both leaves and roots. A concomitant accumulation of ABA2 mRNA was observed in roots but not in leaves. These results are discussed in relation to the role of zeaxanthin epoxidase both in the xanthophyll cycle and in the synthesis of ABA precursors.

Expression Studies of the Zeaxanthin Epoxidase Gene in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia1

PubMed Central

Audran, Corinne; Borel, Charlotte; Frey, Anne; Sotta, Bruno; Meyer, Christian; Simonneau, Thierry; Marion-Poll, Annie

1998-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone involved in the control of a wide range of physiological processes, including adaptation to environmental stress and seed development. In higher plants ABA is a breakdown product of xanthophyll carotenoids (C40) via the C15 intermediate xanthoxin. The ABA2 gene of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia encodes zeaxanthin epoxidase, which catalyzes the conversion of zeaxanthin to violaxanthin. In this study we analyzed steady-state levels of ABA2 mRNA in N. plumbaginifolia. The ABA2 mRNA accumulated in all plant organs, but transcript levels were found to be higher in aerial parts (stems and leaves) than in roots and seeds. In leaves ABA2 mRNA accumulation displayed a day/night cycle; however, the ABA2 protein level remained constant. In roots no diurnal fluctuation in mRNA levels was observed. In seeds the ABA2 mRNA level peaked around the middle of development, when ABA content has been shown to increase in many species. In conditions of drought stress, ABA levels increased in both leaves and roots. A concomitant accumulation of ABA2 mRNA was observed in roots but not in leaves. These results are discussed in relation to the role of zeaxanthin epoxidase both in the xanthophyll cycle and in the synthesis of ABA precursors. PMID:9808747

A new look at stress: abscisic acid patterns and dynamics at high-resolution.

PubMed

Jones, Alexander M

2016-04-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key phytohormone promoting abiotic stress tolerance as well as developmental processes such as seed dormancy. A spatiotemporal map of ABA concentrations would greatly advance our understanding of the cell type and timing of ABA action. Organ and tissue-level ABA measurements, as well as indirect in vivo measurements such as cell-specific transcriptional analysis of ABA metabolic enzymes and ABA-responsive promoters, have all contributed to current views of the localization and timing of ABA accumulations. Recently developed Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensors for ABA that sense ABA levels directly promise to add unprecedented resolution to in vivo ABA spatiotemporal mapping and expand our knowledge of the mechanisms controlling ABA levels in space and time. © 2015 Carnegie Institution for Science New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Evolutionarily Conserved Regulatory Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid Signaling in Land Plants: Characterization of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE1-Like Type 2C Protein Phosphatase in the Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha1[C][OA

PubMed Central

Tougane, Ken; Komatsu, Kenji; Bhyan, Salma Begum; Sakata, Yoichi; Ishizaki, Kimitsune; Yamato, Katsuyuki T.; Kohchi, Takayuki; Takezawa, Daisuke

2010-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is postulated to be a ubiquitous hormone that plays a central role in seed development and responses to environmental stresses of vascular plants. However, in liverworts (Marchantiophyta), which represent the oldest extant lineage of land plants, the role of ABA has been least emphasized; thus, very little information is available on the molecular mechanisms underlying ABA responses. In this study, we isolated and characterized MpABI1, an ortholog of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE1 (ABI1), from the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. The MpABI1 cDNA encoded a 568-amino acid protein consisting of the carboxy-terminal protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) domain and a novel amino-terminal regulatory domain. The MpABI1 transcript was detected in the gametophyte, and its expression level was increased by exogenous ABA treatment in the gemma, whose growth was strongly inhibited by ABA. Experiments using green fluorescent protein fusion constructs indicated that MpABI1 was mainly localized in the nucleus and that its nuclear localization was directed by the amino-terminal domain. Transient overexpression of MpABI1 in M. polymorpha and Physcomitrella patens cells resulted in suppression of ABA-induced expression of the wheat Em promoter fused to the β -glucuronidase gene. Transgenic P. patens expressing MpABI1 and its mutant construct, MpABI1-d2, lacking the amino-terminal domain, had reduced freezing and osmotic stress tolerance, and associated with reduced accumulation of ABA-induced late embryogenesis abundant-like boiling-soluble proteins. Furthermore, ABA-induced morphological changes leading to brood cells were not prominent in these transgenic plants. These results suggest that MpABI1 is a negative regulator of ABA signaling, providing unequivocal molecular evidence of PP2C-mediated ABA response mechanisms functioning in liverworts. PMID:20097789

Evolutionarily conserved regulatory mechanisms of abscisic acid signaling in land plants: characterization of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE1-like type 2C protein phosphatase in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha.

PubMed

Tougane, Ken; Komatsu, Kenji; Bhyan, Salma Begum; Sakata, Yoichi; Ishizaki, Kimitsune; Yamato, Katsuyuki T; Kohchi, Takayuki; Takezawa, Daisuke

2010-03-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is postulated to be a ubiquitous hormone that plays a central role in seed development and responses to environmental stresses of vascular plants. However, in liverworts (Marchantiophyta), which represent the oldest extant lineage of land plants, the role of ABA has been least emphasized; thus, very little information is available on the molecular mechanisms underlying ABA responses. In this study, we isolated and characterized MpABI1, an ortholog of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE1 (ABI1), from the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. The MpABI1 cDNA encoded a 568-amino acid protein consisting of the carboxy-terminal protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) domain and a novel amino-terminal regulatory domain. The MpABI1 transcript was detected in the gametophyte, and its expression level was increased by exogenous ABA treatment in the gemma, whose growth was strongly inhibited by ABA. Experiments using green fluorescent protein fusion constructs indicated that MpABI1 was mainly localized in the nucleus and that its nuclear localization was directed by the amino-terminal domain. Transient overexpression of MpABI1 in M. polymorpha and Physcomitrella patens cells resulted in suppression of ABA-induced expression of the wheat Em promoter fused to the beta -glucuronidase gene. Transgenic P. patens expressing MpABI1 and its mutant construct, MpABI1-d2, lacking the amino-terminal domain, had reduced freezing and osmotic stress tolerance, and associated with reduced accumulation of ABA-induced late embryogenesis abundant-like boiling-soluble proteins. Furthermore, ABA-induced morphological changes leading to brood cells were not prominent in these transgenic plants. These results suggest that MpABI1 is a negative regulator of ABA signaling, providing unequivocal molecular evidence of PP2C-mediated ABA response mechanisms functioning in liverworts.

ABF2, an ABRE-binding bZIP factor, is an essential component of glucose signaling and its overexpression affects multiple stress tolerance.

PubMed

Kim, Sunmi; Kang, Jung-Youn; Cho, Dong-Im; Park, Ji Hye; Kim, Soo Young

2004-10-01

Phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates stress-responsive gene expression during vegetative growth, which is mediated largely by cis-elements sharing the ACGTGGC consensus. Although many transcription factors are known to bind the elements in vitro, only a few have been demonstrated to have in vivo functions and their specific roles in ABA/stress responses are mostly unknown. Here, we report that ABF2, an ABF subfamily member of bZIP proteins interacting with the ABA-responsive elements, is involved in ABA/stress responses. Its overexpression altered ABA sensitivity, dehydration tolerance, and the expression levels of ABA/stress-regulated genes. Furthermore, ABF2 overexpression promoted glucose-induced inhibition of seedling development, whereas its mutation impaired glucose response. The reduced sugar sensitivity was not observed with mutants of two other ABF family members, ABF3 and ABF4. Instead, these mutants displayed defects in ABA, salt, and dehydration responses, which were not observed with the abf2 mutant. Our data indicate distinct roles of ABF family members: whereas ABF3 and ABF4 play essential roles in ABA/stress responses, ABF2 is required for normal glucose response. We also show that ABF2 overexpression affects multiple stress tolerance.

The glutamate carboxypeptidase AMP1 mediates abscisic acid and abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Shi, Yiting; Wang, Zheng; Meng, Pei; Tian, Siqi; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Yang, Shuhua

2013-07-01

ALTERED MERISTEM PROGRAM1 (AMP1) encodes a glutamate carboxypeptidase that plays an important role in shoot apical meristem development and phytohormone homeostasis. We isolated a new mutant allele of AMP1, amp1-20, from a screen for abscisic acid (ABA) hypersensitive mutants and characterized the function of AMP1 in plant stress responses. amp1 mutants displayed ABA hypersensitivity, while overexpression of AMP1 caused ABA insensitivity. Moreover, endogenous ABA concentration was increased in amp1-20- and decreased in AMP1-overexpressing plants under stress conditions. Application of ABA reduced the AMP1 protein level in plants. Interestingly, amp1 mutants accumulated excess superoxide and displayed hypersensitivity to oxidative stress. The hypersensitivity of amp1 to ABA and oxidative stress was partially rescued by reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging agent. Furthermore, amp1 was tolerant to freezing and drought stress. The ABA hypersensitivity and freezing tolerance of amp1 was dependent on ABA signaling. Moreover, amp1 had elevated soluble sugar content and showed hypersensitivity to high concentrations of sugar. By contrast, the contents of amino acids were changed in amp1 mutant compared to the wild-type. This study suggests that AMP1 modulates ABA, oxidative and abotic stress responses, and is involved in carbon and amino acid metabolism in Arabidopsis. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

Mutation in Rice Abscisic Acid2 Results in Cell Death, Enhanced Disease-Resistance, Altered Seed Dormancy and Development

PubMed Central

Liao, Yongxiang; Bai, Que; Xu, Peizhou; Wu, Tingkai; Guo, Daiming; Peng, Yongbin; Zhang, Hongyu; Deng, Xiaoshu; Chen, Xiaoqiong; Luo, Ming; Ali, Asif; Wang, Wenming; Wu, Xianjun

2018-01-01

Lesion mimic mutants display spontaneous cell death, and thus are valuable for understanding the molecular mechanism of cell death and disease resistance. Although a lot of such mutants have been characterized in rice, the relationship between lesion formation and abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis pathway is not reported. In the present study, we identified a rice mutant, lesion mimic mutant 9150 (lmm9150), exhibiting spontaneous cell death, pre-harvest sprouting, enhanced growth, and resistance to rice bacterial and blast diseases. Cell death in the mutant was accompanied with excessive accumulation of H2O2. Enhanced disease resistance was associated with cell death and upregulation of defense-related genes. Map-based cloning identified a G-to-A point mutation resulting in a D-to-N substitution at the amino acid position 110 of OsABA2 (LOC_Os03g59610) in lmm9150. Knock-out of OsABA2 through CRISPR/Cas9 led to phenotypes similar to those of lmm9150. Consistent with the function of OsABA2 in ABA biosynthesis, ABA level in the lmm9150 mutant was significantly reduced. Moreover, exogenous application of ABA could rescue all the mutant phenotypes of lmm9150. Taken together, our data linked ABA deficiency to cell death and provided insight into the role of ABA in rice disease resistance. PMID:29643863

Mutation in Rice Abscisic Acid2 Results in Cell Death, Enhanced Disease-Resistance, Altered Seed Dormancy and Development.

PubMed

Liao, Yongxiang; Bai, Que; Xu, Peizhou; Wu, Tingkai; Guo, Daiming; Peng, Yongbin; Zhang, Hongyu; Deng, Xiaoshu; Chen, Xiaoqiong; Luo, Ming; Ali, Asif; Wang, Wenming; Wu, Xianjun

2018-01-01

Lesion mimic mutants display spontaneous cell death, and thus are valuable for understanding the molecular mechanism of cell death and disease resistance. Although a lot of such mutants have been characterized in rice, the relationship between lesion formation and abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis pathway is not reported. In the present study, we identified a rice mutant, lesion mimic mutant 9150 ( lmm9150 ), exhibiting spontaneous cell death, pre-harvest sprouting, enhanced growth, and resistance to rice bacterial and blast diseases. Cell death in the mutant was accompanied with excessive accumulation of H 2 O 2 . Enhanced disease resistance was associated with cell death and upregulation of defense-related genes. Map-based cloning identified a G-to-A point mutation resulting in a D-to-N substitution at the amino acid position 110 of OsABA2 (LOC_Os03g59610) in lmm9150 . Knock-out of OsABA2 through CRISPR/Cas9 led to phenotypes similar to those of lmm9150 . Consistent with the function of OsABA2 in ABA biosynthesis, ABA level in the lmm9150 mutant was significantly reduced. Moreover, exogenous application of ABA could rescue all the mutant phenotypes of lmm9150 . Taken together, our data linked ABA deficiency to cell death and provided insight into the role of ABA in rice disease resistance.

Activity-based anorexia is associated with reduced hippocampal cell proliferation in adolescent female rats.

PubMed

Barbarich-Marsteller, Nicole C; Fornal, Casimir A; Takase, Luiz F; Bocarsly, Miriam E; Arner, Candice; Walsh, B Timothy; Hoebel, Bartley G; Jacobs, Barry L

2013-01-01

Activity-based anorexia (ABA) is an animal model of anorexia nervosa that mimics core features of the clinical psychiatric disorder, including severe food restriction, weight loss, and hyperactivity. The ABA model is currently being used to study starvation-induced changes in the brain. Here, we examined hippocampal cell proliferation in animals with ABA (or the appropriate control conditions). Adolescent female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to 4 groups: control (24h/day food access), food-restricted (1h/day food access), exercise (24h/day food and wheel access), and ABA (1h/day food access, 24h/day wheel access). After 3 days of ABA, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU; 200mg/kg, i.p.) was injected and the rats were perfused 2h later. Brains were removed and subsequently processed for BrdU and Ki67 immunohistochemistry. The acute induction of ABA reduced cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus. This effect was significant in the hilus region of the dentate gyrus, but not in the subgranular zone, where adult neurogenesis occurs. Marked decreases in cell proliferation were also observed in the surrounding dorsal hippocampus and in the corpus callosum. These results indicate a primary effect on gliogenesis rather than neurogenesis following 3 days of ABA. For each brain region studied (except SGZ), there was a strong positive correlation between the level of cell proliferation and body weight/food intake. Future studies should examine whether these changes are maintained following long-term weight restoration and whether alterations in neurogenesis occur following longer exposures to ABA. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An ABA-regulated and Golgi-localized protein phosphatase controls water loss during leaf senescence in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Zhang, Kewei; Xia, Xiuying; Zhang, Yanyan; Gan, Su-Sheng

2012-02-01

It is known that a senescing leaf loses water faster than a non-senescing leaf and that ABA has an important role in promoting leaf senescence. However, questions such as why water loss is faster, how water loss is regulated, and how ABA functions in leaf senescence are not well understood. Here we report on the identification and functional analysis of a leaf senescence associated gene called SAG113. The RNA blot and GUS reporter analyses all show that SAG113 is expressed in senescing leaves and is induced by ABA in Arabidopsis. The SAG113 expression levels are significantly reduced in aba2 and abi4 mutants. A GFP fusion protein analysis revealed that SAG113 protein is localized in the Golgi apparatus. SAG113 encodes a protein phosphatase that belongs to the PP2C family and is able to functionally complement a yeast PP2C-deficient mutant TM126 (ptc1Δ). Leaf senescence is delayed in the SAG113 knockout mutant compared with that in the wild type, stomatal movement in the senescing leaves of SAG113 knockouts is more sensitive to ABA than that of the wild type, and the rate of water loss in senescing leaves of SAG113 knockouts is significantly reduced. In contrast, inducible over-expression of SAG113 results in a lower sensitivity of stomatal movement to ABA treatment, more rapid water loss, and precocious leaf senescence. No other aspects of growth and development, including seed germination, were observed. These findings suggest that SAG113, a negative regulator of ABA signal transduction, is specifically involved in the control of water loss during leaf senescence. © 2011 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Functional analysis of the pepper protein phosphatase, CaAIPP1, and its interacting partner CaAIRF1: Modulation of ABA signalling and the drought stress response.

PubMed

Baek, Woonhee; Lim, Chae Woo; Lee, Sung Chul

2017-10-01

Plant adaptive responses to abiotic stress are coordinated by restriction of plant growth and development. The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is the key regulator of the response to abiotic stress, and its sensitivity determines abiotic stress tolerance levels. We previously showed that the E3 ubiquitin ligase CaAIRF1 functions as a positive regulator of ABA and drought stress via modulation of transcription and stability of the type 2C protein phosphatase CaADIP1. Here, we report the identification and functional analysis of a novel-type 2C phosphatase, CaAIPP1 (Capsicum annuum CaAIRF1 Interacting Protein Phosphatase 1). CaAIPP1 interacted with and was ubiquitinated by CaAIRF1. CaAIPP1 gene expression in pepper leaves was induced by ABA and drought. CaAIPP1 degradation was faster in crude protein extracts from ABA-treated pepper plants than in those from control plants. CaAIPP1-overexpressing plants displayed an ABA-hyposensitive phenotype during seed germination and seedling growth. Moreover, these plants exhibited a drought-sensitive phenotype characterized by high levels of transpirational water loss via decreased stomatal closure and reduced leaf temperatures. Our data indicate that CaAIPP1 is a negative regulator of the drought stress response via ABA-mediated signalling. Our findings provide a valuable insight into the plant defence mechanism that operates during drought stress. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Chloroplast Protease AMOS1/EGY1 Affects Phosphate Homeostasis under Phosphate Stress1

PubMed Central

Yu, Fang Wei; Zhu, Xiao Fang; Li, Guang Jie; Kronzucker, Herbert J.; Shi, Wei Ming

2016-01-01

Plastid intramembrane proteases in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) are involved in jasmonic acid biosynthesis, chloroplast development, and flower morphology. Here, we show that Ammonium-Overly-Sensitive1 (AMOS1), a member of the family of plastid intramembrane proteases, plays an important role in the maintenance of phosphate (P) homeostasis under P stress. Loss of function of AMOS1 revealed a striking resistance to P starvation. amos1 plants displayed retarded root growth and reduced P accumulation in the root compared to wild type (Col-0) under P-replete control conditions, but remained largely unaffected by P starvation, displaying comparable P accumulation and root and shoot growth under P-deficient conditions. Further analysis revealed that, under P-deficient conditions, the cell wall, especially the pectin fraction of amos1, released more P than that of wild type, accompanied by a reduction of the abscisic acid (ABA) level and an increase in ethylene production. By using an ABA-insensitive mutant, abi4, and applying ABA and ACC exogenously, we found that ABA inhibits cell wall P remobilization while ethylene facilitates P remobilization from the cell wall by increasing the pectin concentration, suggesting ABA can counteract the effect of ethylene. Furthermore, the elevated ABA level and the lower ethylene production also correlated well with the mimicked P deficiency in amos1. Thus, our study uncovers the role of AMOS1 in the maintenance of P homeostasis through ABA-antagonized ethylene signaling. PMID:27516532

Expression patterns of ABA and GA metabolism genes and hormone levels during rice seed development and imbibition: a comparison of dormant and non-dormant rice cultivars.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Fang, Jun; Xu, Fan; Chu, Jinfang; Yan, Cunyu; Schläppi, Michael R; Wang, Youping; Chu, Chengcai

2014-06-20

Seed dormancy is an important agronomic trait in cereals. Using deep dormant (N22), medium dormant (ZH11), and non-dormant (G46B) rice cultivars, we correlated seed dormancy phenotypes with abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA) metabolism gene expression profiles and phytohormone levels during seed development and imbibition. A time course analysis of ABA and GA content during seed development showed that N22 had a high ABA level at early and middle seed developmental stages, while at late developmental stage it declined to the level of ZH11; however, its ABA/GA ratio maintained at a high level throughout seed development. By contrast, G46B had the lowest ABA content during seed development though at early developmental stage its ABA level was close to that of ZH11, and its ABA/GA ratio peaked at late developmental stage that was at the same level of ZH11. Compared with N22 and G46B, ZH11 had an even and medium ABA level during seed development and its ABA/GA ratio peaked at the middle developmental stage. Moreover, the seed development time-point having high ABA/GA ratio also had relatively high transcript levels for key genes in ABA and GA metabolism pathways across three cultivars. These indicated that the embryo-imposed dormancy has been induced before the late developmental stage and is determined by ABA/GA ratio. A similar analysis during seed imbibition showed that ABA was synthesized in different degrees for the three cultivars. In addition, water uptake assay for intact mature seeds suggested that water could permeate through husk barrier into seed embryo for all three cultivars; however, all three cultivars showed distinct colors by vanillin-staining indicative of the existence of flavans in their husks, which are dormancy inhibition compounds responsible for the husk-imposed dormancy. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dormancy termination of western white pine (Pinus monticola Dougl. Ex D. Don) seeds is associated with changes in abscisic acid metabolism.

PubMed

Feurtado, J Allan; Ambrose, Stephen J; Cutler, Adrian J; Ross, Andrew R S; Abrams, Suzanne R; Kermode, Allison R

2004-02-01

Western white pine (Pinus monticola) seeds exhibit deep dormancy at maturity and seed populations require several months of moist chilling to reach their uppermost germination capacities. Abscisic acid (ABA) and its metabolites, phaseic acid (PA), dihydrophaseic acid (DPA), 7'-hydroxy ABA (7'OH ABA) and ABA-glucose ester (ABA-GE), were quantified in western white pine seeds during dormancy breakage (moist chilling) and germination using an HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry method with multiple reaction monitoring and internal standards incorporating deuterium-labeled analogs. In the seed coat, ABA and metabolite levels were high in dry seeds, but declined precipitously during the pre-moist-chilling water soak to relatively low levels thereafter. In the embryo and megagametophyte, ABA levels decreased significantly during moist chilling, coincident with an increase in the germination capacity of seeds. ABA catabolism occurred via several routes, depending on the stage and the seed tissue. Moist chilling of seeds led to increases in PA and DPA levels in both the embryo and megagametophyte. Within the embryo, 7'OH ABA and ABA-GE also accumulated during moist chilling; however, 7'OH ABA peaked early in germination. Changes in ABA flux, i.e. shifts in the ratio between biosynthesis and catabolism, occurred at three distinct stages during the transition from dormant seed to seedling. During moist chilling, the relative rate of ABA catabolism exceeded ABA biosynthesis. This trend became even more pronounced during germination, and germination was also accompanied by a decrease in the ABA catabolites DPA and PA, presumably as a result of their further metabolism and/or leaching/transport. The transition from germination to post-germinative growth was accompanied by a shift toward ABA biosynthesis. Dormant imbibed seeds, kept in warm moist conditions for 30 days (after an initial 13 days of soaking), maintained high ABA levels, while the amounts of PA, 7'OH ABA, and DPA decreased or remained at steady-state levels. Thus, in the absence of conditions required to break dormancy there were no net changes in ABA biosynthesis and catabolism.

Abscisic Acid and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants

PubMed Central

Sah, Saroj K.; Reddy, Kambham R.; Li, Jiaxu

2016-01-01

Abiotic stress is a primary threat to fulfill the demand of agricultural production to feed the world in coming decades. Plants reduce growth and development process during stress conditions, which ultimately affect the yield. In stress conditions, plants develop various stress mechanism to face the magnitude of stress challenges, although that is not enough to protect them. Therefore, many strategies have been used to produce abiotic stress tolerance crop plants, among them, abscisic acid (ABA) phytohormone engineering could be one of the methods of choice. ABA is an isoprenoid phytohormone, which regulates various physiological processes ranging from stomatal opening to protein storage and provides adaptation to many stresses like drought, salt, and cold stresses. ABA is also called an important messenger that acts as the signaling mediator for regulating the adaptive response of plants to different environmental stress conditions. In this review, we will discuss the role of ABA in response to abiotic stress at the molecular level and ABA signaling. The review also deals with the effect of ABA in respect to gene expression. PMID:27200044

Abscisic acid regulates pinoresinol-lariciresinol reductase gene expression and secoisolariciresinol accumulation in developing flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) seeds.

PubMed

Renouard, Sullivan; Corbin, Cyrielle; Lopez, Tatiana; Montguillon, Josiane; Gutierrez, Laurent; Lamblin, Frédéric; Lainé, Eric; Hano, Christophe

2012-01-01

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), the main phytoestrogenic lignan of Linum usitatissimum, is accumulated in the seed coat of flax during its development and pinoresinol-lariciresinol reductase (PLR) is a key enzyme in flax for its synthesis. The promoter of LuPLR1, a flax gene encoding a pinoresinol lariciresinol reductase, contains putative regulatory boxes related to transcription activation by abscisic acid (ABA). Gel mobility shift experiments evidenced an interaction of nuclear proteins extracted from immature flax seed coat with a putative cis-acting element involved in ABA response. As ABA regulates a number of physiological events during seed development and maturation we have investigated its involvement in the regulation of this lignan synthesis by different means. ABA and SDG accumulation time courses in the seed as well as LuPLR1 expression were first determined in natural conditions. These results showed that ABA timing and localization of accumulation in the flax seed coat could be correlated with the LuPLR1 gene expression and SDG biosynthesis. Experimental modulations of ABA levels were performed by exogenous application of ABA or fluridone, an inhibitor of ABA synthesis. When submitted to exogenous ABA, immature seeds synthesized 3-times more SDG, whereas synthesis of SDG was reduced in immature seeds treated with fluridone. Similarly, the expression of LuPLR1 gene in the seed coat was up-regulated by exogenous ABA and down-regulated when fluridone was applied. These results demonstrate that SDG biosynthesis in the flax seed coat is positively controlled by ABA through the transcriptional regulation of LuPLR1 gene.

Modulation of CycD3;1-CDK complexes by phytohormones and sucrose during maize germination.

PubMed

Garza-Aguilar, Sara M; Lara-Núñez, Aurora; García-Ramírez, Elpidio; Vázquez-Ramos, Jorge M

2017-05-01

Maize CycD3;1 associates to CDKA or CDKB1;1 proteins during germination and the complexes formed develop kinase activity. These complexes appear to vary in size as germination proceeds, suggesting association to different sets of proteins. CycD3;1 and associated CDK proteins respond to phytohormones and sucrose. Results revealed a reduction in the CycD3;1 protein amount along germination in the presence of indoleacetic acid (IAA) or abscisic acid (ABA), although in the latter protein levels recover at the end of germination. While the levels of CDKA increase with IAA, they decrease with ABA. Both phytohormones, IAA and ABA, increase levels of CDKB1;1 only during the early germination times. CycD3;1 associated kinase activity is only reduced by both phytohormones towards the end of the germination period. On the other hand, lack of sucrose in the imbibition medium strongly reduces CycD3;1 protein levels without affecting the levels of neither CDKA nor CDKB1;1. The corresponding CycD3;1 associated kinase activity is also severely decreased. The presence of sucrose in the medium appears to stabilize the CycD3;1 protein levels. © 2016 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Movement of Abscisic Acid into the Apoplast in Response to Water Stress in Xanthium strumarium L.

PubMed

Cornish, K; Zeevaart, J A

1985-07-01

The effect of water stress on the redistribution of abcisic acid (ABA) in mature leaves of Xanthium strumarium L. was investigated using a pressure dehydration technique. In both turgid and stressed leaves, the ABA in the xylem exudate, the ;apoplastic' ABA, increased before ;bulk leaf' stress-induced ABA accumulation began. In the initially turgid leaves, the ABA level remained constant in both the apoplast and the leaf as a whole until wilting symptoms appeared. Following turgor loss, sufficient quantities of ABA moved into the apoplast to stimulate stomatal closure. Thus, the initial increase of apoplastic ABA may be relevant to the rapid stomatal closure seen in stressed leaves before their bulk leaf ABA levels rise.Following recovery from water stress, elevated levels of ABA remained in the apoplast after the bulk leaf contents had returned to their prestress values. This apoplastic ABA may retard stomatal reopening during the initial recovery period.

Changes in the Levels of Abscisic Acid and Its Metabolites in Excised Leaf Blades of Xanthium strumarium during and after Water Stress 1

PubMed Central

Zeevaart, Jan A. D.

1980-01-01

The time course of abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation during water stress and of degradation following rehydration was investigated by analyzing the levels of ABA and its metabolites phaseic acid (PA) and alkalihydrolyzable conjugated ABA in excised leaf blades of Xanthium strumarium. Initial purification was by reverse-phase, preparative, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) which did not require prior partitioning. ABA and PA were purified further by analytical HPLC with a μBondapak-NH2 column, and quantified by GLC with an electron capture detector. The ABA content of stressed leaves increased for 4 to 5 hours and then leveled off due to a balance between synthesis and degradation. Since PA accumulated at a constant rate throughout the wilting period, it was concluded that the rate of ABA synthesis decreased after the first 4 to 5 hours stress. Conjugated ABA increased at a low rate during stress. This is interpreted to indicate that free ABA was converted to the conjugated form, rather than the reverse. Following rehydration of wilted leaves, the ABA level immediately ceased increasing; it remained constant for 1 hour and then declined rapidly to the prestress level over a 2- to 3-hour period with a concomitant rise in the PA level. In contrast to the rapid disappearance of ABA after relief of stress, the high PA content of rehydrated leaves declined only slowly. The level of conjugated ABA did not change following rehydration, indicating that conjugation of ABA was irreversible. Detached Xanthium leaves that were subjected to a wilting-recovery-rewilting cycle in darkness, responded to the second wilting period by formation of the same amount of ABA as accumulated after the first stress period. PMID:16661500

Changes in the Levels of Abscisic Acid and Its Metabolites in Excised Leaf Blades of Xanthium strumarium during and after Water Stress.

PubMed

Zeevaart, J A

1980-10-01

The time course of abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation during water stress and of degradation following rehydration was investigated by analyzing the levels of ABA and its metabolites phaseic acid (PA) and alkalihydrolyzable conjugated ABA in excised leaf blades of Xanthium strumarium. Initial purification was by reverse-phase, preparative, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) which did not require prior partitioning. ABA and PA were purified further by analytical HPLC with a muBondapak-NH(2) column, and quantified by GLC with an electron capture detector.The ABA content of stressed leaves increased for 4 to 5 hours and then leveled off due to a balance between synthesis and degradation. Since PA accumulated at a constant rate throughout the wilting period, it was concluded that the rate of ABA synthesis decreased after the first 4 to 5 hours stress. Conjugated ABA increased at a low rate during stress. This is interpreted to indicate that free ABA was converted to the conjugated form, rather than the reverse.Following rehydration of wilted leaves, the ABA level immediately ceased increasing; it remained constant for 1 hour and then declined rapidly to the prestress level over a 2- to 3-hour period with a concomitant rise in the PA level. In contrast to the rapid disappearance of ABA after relief of stress, the high PA content of rehydrated leaves declined only slowly. The level of conjugated ABA did not change following rehydration, indicating that conjugation of ABA was irreversible.Detached Xanthium leaves that were subjected to a wilting-recovery-rewilting cycle in darkness, responded to the second wilting period by formation of the same amount of ABA as accumulated after the first stress period.

Reduced abscisic acid content is responsible for enhanced sucrose accumulation by potassium nutrition in vegetable soybean seeds.

PubMed

Tu, Bingjie; Liu, Changkai; Tian, Bowen; Zhang, Qiuying; Liu, Xiaobing; Herbert, Stephen J

2017-05-01

In order to understand the physiological mechanism of potassium (K) application in enhancing sugar content of vegetable soybean seeds, pot experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 with two vegetable soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) cultivars (c.v. Zhongkemaodou 1 and c.v. 121) under normal rate of nitrogen and phosphorus application. Three potassium (K) fertilization treatments were imposed: No K application (K0), 120 kg K 2 SO 4 ha -1 at seeding (K1), and 120 kg K 2 SO 4 ha -1 at seedling + 1% K 2 SO 4 foliar application at flowering (K2). Contents of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellins (GA), cytokinins (ZR) and abscisic acid (ABA) in seeds were determined from 4 to 8 weeks after flowering. K fertilization increased the contents of IAA, GA, ZR, soluble sugar, sucrose and fresh pod yield, but reduced ABA content consistently. When the contents of soluble sugar and sucrose reached the highest level at 7 weeks after flowering for the 2 cultivars, the contents of IAA、GA、ZR all reached the lowest level in general. The content of ABA in seed was negatively correlated with the sucrose content (P < 0.01, r = -0.749**, -0.768** in 2014 and -0.535**, -0.791** in 2015 for c.v.121 and c.v. Zhongkemaodou 1 respectively). The changes in ratio of the ABA to (IAA + GA + ZR) from 4 to 8 weeks after flowering affected by K application were coincident to the changes of sucrose accumulation. The reduced ratio of ABA/(IAA + GA + ZR) affected by K nutrition particularly reduced abscisic acid content plays a critical role in enhancing sucrose content, which might be a partial mechanism involved in K nutrition to improve the quality of vegetable soybean.

Sinapic acid or its derivatives interfere with abscisic acid homeostasis during Arabidopsis thaliana seed germination.

PubMed

Bi, Baodi; Tang, Jingliang; Han, Shuang; Guo, Jinggong; Miao, Yuchen

2017-06-06

Sinapic acid and its esters have broad functions in different stages of seed germination and plant development and are thought to play a role in protecting against ultraviolet irradiation. To better understand the interactions between sinapic acid esters and seed germination processes in response to various stresses, we analyzed the role of the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) in the regulation of sinapic acid esters involved in seed germination and early seedling growth. We found that exogenous sinapic acid promotes seed germination in a dose-dependent manner in Arabidopsis thaliana. High-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis showed that exogenous sinapic acid increased the sinapoylcholine content of imbibed seeds. Furthermore, sinapic acid affected ABA catabolism, resulting in reduced ABA levels and increased levels of the ABA-glucose ester. Using mutants deficient in the synthesis of sinapate esters, we showed that the germination of mutant sinapoylglucose accumulator 2 (sng2) and bright trichomes 1 (brt1) seeds was more sensitive to ABA than the wild-type. Moreover, Arabidopsis mutants deficient in either abscisic acid deficient 2 (ABA2) or abscisic acid insensitive 3 (ABI3) displayed increased expression of the sinapoylglucose:choline sinapoyltransferase (SCT) and sinapoylcholine esterase (SCE) genes with sinapic acid treatment. This treatment also affected the accumulation of sinapoylcholine and free choline during seed germination. We demonstrated that sinapoylcholine, which constitutes the major phenolic component in seeds among various minor sinapate esters, affected ABA homeostasis during seed germination and early seedling growth in Arabidopsis. Our findings provide insights into the role of sinapic acid and its esters in regulating ABA-mediated inhibition of Arabidopsis seed germination in response to drought stress.

Cross-talk between abscisic acid-dependent and abscisic acid-independent pathways during abiotic stress.

PubMed

Roychoudhury, Aryadeep; Paul, Saikat; Basu, Supratim

2013-07-01

Salinity, drought and low temperature are the common forms of abiotic stress encountered by land plants. To cope with these adverse environmental factors, plants execute several physiological and metabolic responses. Both osmotic stress (elicited by water deficit or high salt) and cold stress increase the endogenous level of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). ABA-dependent stomatal closure to reduce water loss is associated with small signaling molecules like nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species and cytosolic free calcium, and mediated by rapidly altering ion fluxes in guard cells. ABA also triggers the expression of osmotic stress-responsive (OR) genes, which usually contain single/multiple copies of cis-acting sequence called abscisic acid-responsive element (ABRE) in their upstream regions, mostly recognized by the basic leucine zipper-transcription factors (TFs), namely, ABA-responsive element-binding protein/ABA-binding factor. Another conserved sequence called the dehydration-responsive element (DRE)/C-repeat, responding to cold or osmotic stress, but not to ABA, occurs in some OR promoters, to which the DRE-binding protein/C-repeat-binding factor binds. In contrast, there are genes or TFs containing both DRE/CRT and ABRE, which can integrate input stimuli from salinity, drought, cold and ABA signaling pathways, thereby enabling cross-tolerance to multiple stresses. A strong candidate that mediates such cross-talk is calcium, which serves as a common second messenger for abiotic stress conditions and ABA. The present review highlights the involvement of both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling components and their interaction or convergence in activating the stress genes. We restrict our discussion to salinity, drought and cold stress.

Abscisic acid induced freezing tolerance in chilling-sensitive suspension cultures and seedlings of rice

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The role of abscisic acid (ABA) as a possible activator of cold acclimation process was postulated since endogenous levels of ABA increase temporarily or constitutively during cold-hardening. Exogenous application of ABA has been known to induce freezing tolerance at ambient temperatures in in vitro systems derived from cold hardy plants. Yet, some cell cultures acquired much greater freezing tolerance by ABA than by cold whilst maintaining active growth. This raises questions about the relationships among ABA, cold acclimation and growth cessation. To address this question, we attempted to 1) determine whether exogenous ABA can confer freezing tolerance in chilling-sensitive rice suspension cells and seedlings, which obviously lack the mechanisms to acquire freezing tolerance in response to cold; 2) characterize this phenomenon by optimizing the conditions and compare with the case of cold hardy bromegrass cells. Results Non-embryogenic suspension cells of rice suffered serious chilling injury when exposed to 4°C. When incubated with ABA at the optimal conditions (0.5-1 g cell inoculum, 75 μM ABA, 25-30°C, 7–10 days), they survived slow freezing (2°C/h) to −9.0 ~ −9.3°C (LT50: 50% killing temperature) while control cells were mostly injured at −3°C (LT50: -0.5 ~ −1.5°C). Ice-inoculation of the cell suspension at −3°C and survival determination by regrowth confirmed that ABA-treated rice cells survived extracellular freezing at −9°C. ABA-induced freezing tolerance did not require any exposure to cold and was best achieved at 25-30°C where the rice cells maintained high growth even in the presence of ABA. ABA treatment also increased tolerance to heat (43°C) as determined by regrowth. ABA-treated cells tended to have more augmented cytoplasm and/or reduced vacuole sizes compared to control cultures with a concomitant increase in osmolarity and a decrease in water content. ABA-treated (2–7 days) in vitro grown seedlings and their leaves survived slow freezing to −3°C with only marginal injury (LT50: -4°C) whereas untreated seedlings were killed at −3°C (LT50: -2°C). Conclusions The results indicate that exogenous ABA can induce some levels of freezing tolerance in chilling-sensitive rice cells and seedlings, probably by eliciting mechanisms different from low temperature-induced cold acclimation. PMID:24004611

Ethylene Responses in Rice Roots and Coleoptiles Are Differentially Regulated by a Carotenoid Isomerase-Mediated Abscisic Acid Pathway[OPEN

PubMed Central

Yin, Cui-Cui; Ma, Biao; Collinge, Derek Phillip; Pogson, Barry James; He, Si-Jie; Xiong, Qing; Duan, Kai-Xuan; Chen, Hui; Yang, Chao; Lu, Xiang; Wang, Yi-Qin; Zhang, Wan-Ke; Chu, Cheng-Cai; Sun, Xiao-Hong; Fang, Shuang; Chu, Jin-Fang; Lu, Tie-Gang; Chen, Shou-Yi; Zhang, Jin-Song

2015-01-01

Ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) act synergistically or antagonistically to regulate plant growth and development. ABA is derived from the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway. Here, we analyzed the interplay among ethylene, carotenoid biogenesis, and ABA in rice (Oryza sativa) using the rice ethylene response mutant mhz5, which displays a reduced ethylene response in roots but an enhanced ethylene response in coleoptiles. We found that MHZ5 encodes a carotenoid isomerase and that the mutation in mhz5 blocks carotenoid biosynthesis, reduces ABA accumulation, and promotes ethylene production in etiolated seedlings. ABA can largely rescue the ethylene response of the mhz5 mutant. Ethylene induces MHZ5 expression, the production of neoxanthin, an ABA biosynthesis precursor, and ABA accumulation in roots. MHZ5 overexpression results in enhanced ethylene sensitivity in roots and reduced ethylene sensitivity in coleoptiles. Mutation or overexpression of MHZ5 also alters the expression of ethylene-responsive genes. Genetic studies revealed that the MHZ5-mediated ABA pathway acts downstream of ethylene signaling to inhibit root growth. The MHZ5-mediated ABA pathway likely acts upstream but negatively regulates ethylene signaling to control coleoptile growth. Our study reveals novel interactions among ethylene, carotenogenesis, and ABA and provides insight into improvements in agronomic traits and adaptive growth through the manipulation of these pathways in rice. PMID:25841037

Movement of Abscisic Acid into the Apoplast in Response to Water Stress in Xanthium strumarium L. 1

PubMed Central

Cornish, Katrina; Zeevaart, Jan A. D.

1985-01-01

The effect of water stress on the redistribution of abcisic acid (ABA) in mature leaves of Xanthium strumarium L. was investigated using a pressure dehydration technique. In both turgid and stressed leaves, the ABA in the xylem exudate, the `apoplastic' ABA, increased before `bulk leaf' stress-induced ABA accumulation began. In the initially turgid leaves, the ABA level remained constant in both the apoplast and the leaf as a whole until wilting symptoms appeared. Following turgor loss, sufficient quantities of ABA moved into the apoplast to stimulate stomatal closure. Thus, the initial increase of apoplastic ABA may be relevant to the rapid stomatal closure seen in stressed leaves before their bulk leaf ABA levels rise. Following recovery from water stress, elevated levels of ABA remained in the apoplast after the bulk leaf contents had returned to their prestress values. This apoplastic ABA may retard stomatal reopening during the initial recovery period. PMID:16664294

Cross-species approaches to seed dormancy and germination: conservation and biodiversity of ABA-regulated mechanisms and the Brassicaceae DOG1 genes.

PubMed

Graeber, Kai; Linkies, Ada; Müller, Kerstin; Wunchova, Andrea; Rott, Anita; Leubner-Metzger, Gerhard

2010-05-01

Seed dormancy is genetically determined with substantial environmental influence mediated, at least in part, by the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA). The ABA-related transcription factor ABI3/VP1 (ABA INSENSITIVE3/VIVIPAROUS1) is widespread among green plants. Alternative splicing of its transcripts appears to be involved in regulating seed dormancy, but the role of ABI3/VP1 goes beyond seeds and dormancy. In contrast, DOG1 (DELAY OF GERMINATION 1), a major quantitative trait gene more specifically involved in seed dormancy, was so far only known from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtDOG1) and whether it also has roles during the germination of non-dormant seeds was not known. Seed germination of Lepidium sativum ('garden cress') is controlled by ABA and its antagonists gibberellins and ethylene and involves the production of apoplastic hydroxyl radicals. We found orthologs of AtDOG1 in the Brassicaceae relatives L. sativum (LesaDOG1) and Brassica rapa (BrDOG1) and compared their gene structure and the sequences of their transcripts expressed in seeds. Tissue-specific analysis of LesaDOG1 transcript levels in L. sativum seeds showed that they are degraded upon imbibition in the radicle and the micropylar endosperm. ABA inhibits germination in that it delays radicle protrusion and endosperm weakening and it increased LesaDOG1 transcript levels during early germination due to enhanced transcription and/or inhibited degradation. A reduced decrease in LesaDOG1 transcript levels upon ABA treatment is evident in the late germination phase in both tissues. This temporal and ABA-related transcript expression pattern suggests a role for LesaDOG1 in the control of germination timing of non-dormant L. sativum seeds. The possible involvement of the ABA-related transcription factors ABI3 and ABI5 in the regulation of DOG1 transcript expression is discussed. Other species of the monophyletic genus Lepidium showed coat or embryo dormancy and are therefore highly suited for comparative seed biology.

Regulation of maize kernel weight and carbohydrate metabolism by abscisic acid applied at the early and middle post-pollination stages in vitro.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Li, Xu-Hui; Gao, Zhen; Shen, Si; Liang, Xiao-Gui; Zhao, Xue; Lin, Shan; Zhou, Shun-Li

2017-09-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulates in plants under drought stress, but views on the role of ABA in kernel formation and abortion are not unified. The response of the developing maize kernel to exogenous ABA was investigated by excising kernels from cob sections at four days after pollination and culturing in vitro with different concentrations of ABA (0, 5, 10, 100μM). When ABA was applied at the early post-pollination stage (EPPS), significant weight loss was observed at high ABA concentration (100μM), which could be attributed to jointly affected sink capacity and activity. Endosperm cells and starch granules were decreased significantly with high concentration, and ABA inhibited the activities of soluble acid invertase and acid cell wall invertase, together with earlier attainment of peak values. When ABA was applied at the middle post-pollination stage (MPPS), kernel weight was observably reduced with high concentration and mildly increased with low concentration, which was regulated due to sink activity. The inhibitory effect of high concentration and the mild stimulatory effect of low concentration on sucrose synthase and starch synthase activities were noted, but a peak level of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) was stimulated in all ABA treatments. Interestingly, AGPase peak values were advanced by low concentration and postponed by high concentration. In addition, compared with the control, the weight of low ABA concentration treatments were not statistically significant at the two stages, whereas weight loss from high concentration applied at EPPS was considerably obvious compared with that of the MPPS, but neither led to kernel abortion. The temporal- and dose-dependent impacts of ABA reveal a complex process of maize kernel growth and development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Over-expression of LeNCED1 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with the rbcS3C promoter allows recovery of lines that accumulate very high levels of abscisic acid and exhibit severe phenotypes.

PubMed

Tung, Swee Ang; Smeeton, Rachel; White, Charlotte A; Black, Colin R; Taylor, Ian B; Hilton, Howard W; Thompson, Andrew J

2008-07-01

Previous work where 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) was over-expressed using the constitutive Gelvin Superpromoter resulted in mild increases in abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation, accompanied by stomatal closure and increased water-use efficiency (WUE), but with apparently little impact on long-term biomass production. However, one of the negative effects of the over-expression of NCED using constitutive promoters in tomato was increased seed dormancy. Here we report the use of the rbcS3C promoter, from a gene encoding the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), to drive LeNCED1 transgene expression in tomato in a light-responsive and circadian manner. In comparison to the constitutive promoter, the rbcS3C promoter allowed the generation of transgenic plants with much higher levels of ABA accumulation in leaves and sap, but the effect on seed dormancy was diminished. These plants displayed the expected reductions in stomatal conductance and CO(2) assimilation, but they also exhibited a severe set of symptoms that included perturbed cotyledon release from the testa, increased photobleaching in young seedlings, substantially reduced chlorophyll and carotenoid content, interveinal leaf flooding, and greatly reduced growth. These symptoms illustrate adverse consequences of long-term, very high ABA accumulation. Only more moderate increases in ABA biosynthesis are likely to be useful in the context of agriculture. Implications are discussed for the design of transgenic 'high ABA' plants that exhibit increased WUE but have minimal negative phenotypic effects.

Importance of ABA homeostasis under terminal drought stress in regulating grain filling events

PubMed Central

Govind, Geetha; Seiler, Christiane; Wobus, Ulrich

2011-01-01

Recent studies suggest that abscisic acid (ABA) at its basal level plays an important role during seed set and grain filling events. Under drought stress ABA levels were found to be significantly enhanced in the developing seed. Until now we lacked an understanding of (1) ABA homeostasis in developing seeds under terminal drought and (2) the interactive role of ABA in regulating the starch biosynthesis pathway in developing grains under terminal drought. We have recently reported the possible regulation of ABA homeostasis in source (flag leaf) and sink (developing grains) tissues under post-anthesis drought stress in barley and concluded that significantly enhanced ABA levels in developing grains are due to strong activation of the ABA deconjugation pathway and fine regulation of the ABA biosynthesis-degradation pathway.1 Additionally, we provided evidence for the role of ABA in differential regulation of starch biosynthesis genes and a significant upregulation of starch degradation beta amylase genes under drought, i.e., ABA not only influences the rate of starch accumulation but also starch quality. PMID:21778825

Wheat ABA-insensitive mutants result in reduced grain dormancy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This paper describes the isolation of wheat mutants in the hard red spring Scarlet resulting in reduced sensitivity to the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) during seed germination. ABA induces seed dormancy during embryo maturation and inhibits the germination of mature seeds. Wheat sensitivity t...

The role of FaBG3 in fruit ripening and B. cinerea fungal infection of strawberry.

PubMed

Li, Qian; Ji, Kai; Sun, Yufei; Luo, Hao; Wang, Hongqing; Leng, Ping

2013-10-01

In plants, β-glucosidases (BG) have been implicated in developmental and pathogen defense, and are thought to take part in abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis via hydrolysis of ABA glucose ester to release active ABA; however, there is no genetic evidence for the role of BG genes in ripening and biotic/abiotic stress in fruits. To clarify the role of BG genes in fruit, eight Fa/FvBG genes encoding β-glucosidase were isolated using information from the GenBank strawberry nucleotide database. Of the Fa/FvBG genes examined, expression of FaBG3 was the highest, showing peaks at the mature stage, coincident with the changes observed in ABA content. To verify the role of this gene, we suppressed the expression of FaBG3 via inoculation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens containing tobacco rattle virus carrying a FaBG3 fragment (RNAi). The expression of FaBG3 in FaBG3-RNAi-treated fruit was markedly reduced, and the ABA content was lower than that of the control. FaBG3-RNAi-treated fruit did not exhibit full ripening, and were firmer, had lower sugar content, and were pale compared with the control due to down-regulation of ripening-related genes. FaBG3-RNAi-treated fruit with reduced ABA levels were much more resistant to Botrytis cinerea fungus but were more sensitive to dehydration stress than control fruit. These results indicate that FaBG3 may play key roles in fruit ripening, dehydration stress and B. cinerea fungal infection in strawberries via modulation of ABA homeostasis and transcriptional regulation of ripening-related genes. © 2013 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The SnRK2-APC/CTE regulatory module mediates the antagonistic action of gibberellic acid and abscisic acid pathways

PubMed Central

Lin, Qibing; Wu, Fuqing; Sheng, Peike; Zhang, Zhe; Zhang, Xin; Guo, Xiuping; Wang, Jiulin; Cheng, Zhijun; Wang, Jie; Wang, Haiyang; Wan, Jianmin

2015-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA) antagonistically regulate many developmental processes and responses to biotic or abiotic stresses in higher plants. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this antagonism is still poorly understood. Here, we show that loss-of-function mutation in rice Tiller Enhancer (TE), an activator of the APC/CTE complex, causes hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity to ABA and GA, respectively. We find that TE physically interacts with ABA receptor OsPYL/RCARs and promotes their degradation by the proteasome. Genetic analysis also shows OsPYL/RCARs act downstream of TE in mediating ABA responses. Conversely, ABA inhibits APC/CTE activity by phosphorylating TE through activating the SNF1-related protein kinases (SnRK2s), which may interrupt the interaction between TE and OsPYL/RCARs and subsequently stabilize OsPYL/RCARs. In contrast, GA can reduce the level of SnRK2s and may promote APC/CTE-mediated degradation of OsPYL/RCARs. Thus, we propose that the SnRK2-APC/CTE regulatory module represents a regulatory hub underlying the antagonistic action of GA and ABA in plants. PMID:26272249

Ectopic expression of ABSCISIC ACID 2/GLUCOSE INSENSITIVE 1 in Arabidopsis promotes seed dormancy and stress tolerance.

PubMed

Lin, Pei-Chi; Hwang, San-Gwang; Endo, Akira; Okamoto, Masanori; Koshiba, Tomokazu; Cheng, Wan-Hsing

2007-02-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone that plays a critical role in seed development, dormancy, and stress tolerance. 9-cis-Epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase is the key enzyme controlling ABA biosynthesis and stress tolerance. In this study, we investigated the effect of ectopic expression of another ABA biosynthesis gene, ABA2 (or GLUCOSE INSENSITIVE 1 [GIN1]) encoding a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We show that ABA2-overexpressing transgenic plants with elevated ABA levels exhibited seed germination delay and more tolerance to salinity than wild type when grown on agar plates and/or in soil. However, the germination delay was abolished in transgenic plants showing ABA levels over 2-fold higher than that of wild type grown on 250 mm NaCl. The data suggest that there are distinct mechanisms underlying ABA-mediated inhibition of seed germination under diverse stress. The ABA-deficient mutant aba2, with a shorter primary root, can be restored to normal root growth by exogenous application of ABA, whereas transgenic plants overexpressing ABA2 showed normal root growth. The data reflect that the basal levels of ABA are essential for maintaining normal primary root elongation. Furthermore, analysis of ABA2 promoter activity with ABA2::beta-glucuronidase transgenic plants revealed that the promoter activity was enhanced by multiple prolonged stresses, such as drought, salinity, cold, and flooding, but not by short-term stress treatments. Coincidently, prolonged drought stress treatment led to the up-regulation of ABA biosynthetic and sugar-related genes. Thus, the data support ABA2 as a late expression gene that might have a fine-tuning function in mediating ABA biosynthesis through primary metabolic changes in response to stress.

[Effects of calcium and ABA on photosynthesis and related enzymes activities in cucumber seedlings under drought stress].

PubMed

Chen, Lu Lu; Wang, Xiu Feng; Liu, Mei; Yang, Feng Juan; Shi, Qing Hua; Wei, Min; Li, Qing Ming

2016-12-01

To investigate the effect of calcium and ABA on photosynthesis and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in cucumber seedlings under drought stress, the cucumber was used as the expe-riment materials, normal nutrient solution culture was considered as the control, and PEG-6000 application in the nutrient solution simulated the drought stress. There were five different treatments which were spraying water, ABA, CaCl 2 +ABA, LaCl 3 (calcium channel inhibitor)+ABA and EGTA (calcium ion chelating agent)+ABA under drought stress. The results showed that drought stress inhibited the growth of cucumber seedlings, and reduced the activities of antioxidant enzymes, nitrate reductase, net photosynthetic rate and fluorescence parameters of the cucumber seedlings leaves. The application of ABA reduced the inhibition of activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), photosynthesis (P n , g s ) and the fluorescence parameters (F v '/F m ', q P and ETR), and decreased the damage of drought stress on plant. Spraying CaCl 2 +ABAsignificantly promoted the positive effect of ABA, while EGTA+ABA and LaCl 3 +ABA didn't show the promoting effect.

Regulation of Embryo Dormancy by Manipulation of Abscisic Acid in Kernels and Associated Cob Tissue of Zea mays L. Cultured in Vitro1

PubMed Central

Hole, David J.; Smith, J. D.; Cobb, B. Greg

1989-01-01

Sectors of Zea mays cobs, with and without kernels were cultured in vitro in the presence and absence of fluridone. Cultured kernels, cob tissue, and embryos developed similarly to those grown in the field. Abscisic acid (ABA) levels in the embryos were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. ABA levels in intact embryos cultured in the presence of fluridone were extremely low and indicate an inhibition of ABA synthesis. ABA levels in isolated cob tissue indicate that ABA can be produced by cob tissue. Sections containing kernels cultured in the presence of fluridone were transferred to medium containing fluridone and ABA. Dormancy was induced in more than 50% of the kernels transferred from 13 to 15 days after pollination, but all of the kernels transferred at 16 days after pollination or later were viviparous. ABA recovered from kernels that were placed in medium containing fluridone and ABA suggest that ABA can be transported through the cob tissue into developing embryos and that ABA is required for induction of dormancy in intact embryos. PMID:16666978

Abscisic acid dynamics in roots detected with genetically encoded FRET sensors

PubMed Central

Jones, Alexander M; Danielson, Jonas ÅH; ManojKumar, Shruti N; Lanquar, Viviane; Grossmann, Guido; Frommer, Wolf B

2014-01-01

Cytosolic hormone levels must be tightly controlled at the level of influx, efflux, synthesis, degradation and compartmentation. To determine ABA dynamics at the single cell level, FRET sensors (ABACUS) covering a range ∼0.2–800 µM were engineered using structure-guided design and a high-throughput screening platform. When expressed in yeast, ABACUS1 detected concentrative ABA uptake mediated by the AIT1/NRT1.2 transporter. Arabidopsis roots expressing ABACUS1-2µ (Kd∼2 µM) and ABACUS1-80µ (Kd∼80 µM) respond to perfusion with ABA in a concentration-dependent manner. The properties of the observed ABA accumulation in roots appear incompatible with the activity of known ABA transporters (AIT1, ABCG40). ABACUS reveals effects of external ABA on homeostasis, that is, ABA-triggered induction of ABA degradation, modification, or compartmentation. ABACUS can be used to study ABA responses in mutants and quantitatively monitor ABA translocation and regulation, and identify missing components. The sensor screening platform promises to enable rapid fine-tuning of the ABA sensors and engineering of plant and animal hormone sensors to advance our understanding of hormone signaling. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01741.001 PMID:24737862

Abscisic Acid Metabolism by a Cell-free Preparation from Echinocystis lobata Liquid Endoserum 1

PubMed Central

Gillard, Douglas F.; Walton, Daniel C.

1976-01-01

A cell-free enzyme system capable of metabolizing abscisic acid has been obtained from Eastern Wild Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata Michx.) liquid endosperm. The reaction products were determined to be phaseic acid (PA) and dihydrophaseic acid (DPA) by co-chromatography on thin layer chromatograms as the free acids, methyl esters, and their respective oxidation or reduction products. The crude enzyme preparation was separated by centrifugation into a particulate abscisic acid (ABA)-hydroxylating activity and a soluble PA-reducing activity. The particulate ABA-hydroxylating enzyme showed a requirement for O2 and NADPH, inhibition by CO, and high substrate specificity for (+)-ABA. Acetylation of short term incubation mixtures gave evidence for the presence of 6′-hydroxymethyl-ABA as an intermediate in PA formation. Determinations of endogenous ABA and DPA concentrations suggest that the ABA-hydroxylating and PA-reducing enzymes are extensively metabolizing ABA in the intact E. lobata seed. PMID:16659768

Abscisic Acid Flux Alterations Result in Differential Abscisic Acid Signaling Responses and Impact Assimilation Efficiency in Barley under Terminal Drought Stress1[C][W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Seiler, Christiane; Harshavardhan, Vokkaliga T.; Reddy, Palakolanu S.; Hensel, Götz; Kumlehn, Jochen; Eschen-Lippold, Lennart; Rajesh, Kalladan; Korzun, Viktor; Wobus, Ulrich; Lee, Justin; Selvaraj, Gopalan; Sreenivasulu, Nese

2014-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a central player in plant responses to drought stress. How variable levels of ABA under short-term versus long-term drought stress impact assimilation and growth in crops is unclear. We addressed this through comparative analysis, using two elite breeding lines of barley (Hordeum vulgare) that show senescence or stay-green phenotype under terminal drought stress and by making use of transgenic barley lines that express Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (AtNCED6) coding sequence or an RNA interference (RNAi) sequence of ABA 8′-hydroxylase under the control of a drought-inducible barley promoter. The high levels of ABA and its catabolites in the senescing breeding line under long-term stress were detrimental for assimilate productivity, whereas these levels were not perturbed in the stay-green type that performed better. In transgenic barley, drought-inducible AtNCED expression afforded temporal control in ABA levels such that the ABA levels rose sooner than in wild-type plants but also subsided, unlike as in the wild type , to near-basal levels upon prolonged stress treatment due to down-regulation of endogenous HvNCED genes. Suppressing of ABA catabolism with the RNA interference approach of ABA 8′-hydroxylase caused ABA flux during the entire period of stress. These transgenic plants performed better than the wild type under stress to maintain a favorable instantaneous water use efficiency and better assimilation. Gene expression analysis, protein structural modeling, and protein-protein interaction analyses of the members of the PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE1/PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE1-LIKE/REGULATORY COMPONENT OF ABA RECEPTORS, TYPE 2C PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE Sucrose non-fermenting1-related protein kinase2, and ABA-INSENSITIVE5/ABA-responsive element binding factor family identified specific members that could potentially impact ABA metabolism and stress adaptation in barley. PMID:24610749

Abscisic Acid Metabolism in Relation to Water Stress and Leaf Age in Xanthium strumarium1

PubMed Central

Cornish, Katrina; Zeevaart, Jan A.D.

1984-01-01

Intact plants of Xanthium strumarium L. were subjected to a water stress-recovery cycle. As the stress took effect, leaf growth ceased and stomatal resistance increased. The mature leaves then wilted, followed by the half expanded ones. Water, solute, and pressure potentials fell steadily in all leaves during the rest of the stress period. After 3 days, the young leaves lost turgor and the plants were rewatered. All the leaves rapidly regained turgor and the younger ones recommenced elongation. Stomatal resistance declined, but several days elapsed before pre-stress values were attained. Abscisic acid (ABA) and phaseic acid (PA) levels rose in all the leaves after the mature ones wilted. ABA-glucose ester (ABA-GE) levels increased to a lesser extent, and the young leaves contained little of this conjugate. PA leveled off in the older leaves during the last 24 hours of stress, and ABA levels declined slightly. The young leaves accumulated ABA and PA throughout the stress period and during the 14-hour period immediately following rewatering. The ABA and PA contents, expressed per unit dry weight, were highest in the young leaves. Upon rewatering, large quantities of PA appeared in the mature leaves as ABA levels fell to the pre-stress level within 14 hours. In the half expanded and young leaves, it took several days to reach pre-stress ABA values. ABA-GE synthesis ceased in the mature leaves, once the stress was relieved, but continued in the half expanded and young leaves for 2 days. Mature leaves, when detached and stressed, accumulated an amount of ABA similar to that in leaves on the intact plant. In contrast, detached and stressed young leaves produced little ABA. Detached mature leaves, and to a lesser extent the half expanded ones, rapidly catabolized ABA to PA and ABA-GE, but the young leaves did not. Studies with radioactive (±)-ABA indicated that in young leaves the conversion of ABA to PA took place at a much lower rate than in mature ones. Leaves of all ages rapidly conjugated PA to PA-glucose ester. Furthermore, when half expanded leaves were stressed on the intact plant, their rate of ABA catabolism was enhanced, an effect not observed in the young leaves. In conclusion, young leaves on intact Xanthium plants produce little stress-induced ABA themselves, but due to import and a low rate of catabolism accumulate more ABA and PA than mature leaves. PMID:16663944

Abscisic Acid Metabolism in Relation to Water Stress and Leaf Age in Xanthium strumarium.

PubMed

Cornish, K; Zeevaart, J A

1984-12-01

Intact plants of Xanthium strumarium L. were subjected to a water stress-recovery cycle. As the stress took effect, leaf growth ceased and stomatal resistance increased. The mature leaves then wilted, followed by the half expanded ones. Water, solute, and pressure potentials fell steadily in all leaves during the rest of the stress period. After 3 days, the young leaves lost turgor and the plants were rewatered. All the leaves rapidly regained turgor and the younger ones recommenced elongation. Stomatal resistance declined, but several days elapsed before pre-stress values were attained.Abscisic acid (ABA) and phaseic acid (PA) levels rose in all the leaves after the mature ones wilted. ABA-glucose ester (ABA-GE) levels increased to a lesser extent, and the young leaves contained little of this conjugate. PA leveled off in the older leaves during the last 24 hours of stress, and ABA levels declined slightly. The young leaves accumulated ABA and PA throughout the stress period and during the 14-hour period immediately following rewatering. The ABA and PA contents, expressed per unit dry weight, were highest in the young leaves. Upon rewatering, large quantities of PA appeared in the mature leaves as ABA levels fell to the pre-stress level within 14 hours. In the half expanded and young leaves, it took several days to reach pre-stress ABA values. ABA-GE synthesis ceased in the mature leaves, once the stress was relieved, but continued in the half expanded and young leaves for 2 days.Mature leaves, when detached and stressed, accumulated an amount of ABA similar to that in leaves on the intact plant. In contrast, detached and stressed young leaves produced little ABA. Detached mature leaves, and to a lesser extent the half expanded ones, rapidly catabolized ABA to PA and ABA-GE, but the young leaves did not. Studies with radioactive (+/-)-ABA indicated that in young leaves the conversion of ABA to PA took place at a much lower rate than in mature ones. Leaves of all ages rapidly conjugated PA to PA-glucose ester. Furthermore, when half expanded leaves were stressed on the intact plant, their rate of ABA catabolism was enhanced, an effect not observed in the young leaves.In conclusion, young leaves on intact Xanthium plants produce little stress-induced ABA themselves, but due to import and a low rate of catabolism accumulate more ABA and PA than mature leaves.

Abscisic Acid Accumulation by Roots of Xanthium strumarium L. and Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. in Relation to Water Stress.

PubMed

Cornish, K; Zeevaart, J A

1985-11-01

Plants of Xanthium strumarium L. and Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv ;Rheinlands Ruhm' were grown in solution culture, and control and steam-girdled intact plants were stressed. Detached roots of both species were stressed to different extents in two ways: (a) either in warm air or, (b) in the osmoticum Aquacide III. The roots of both species produced and accumulated progressively more abscisic acid (ABA), the greater the stress inflicted by either method. ABA-glucose ester levels in Xanthium roots were not affected by water stress and were too low to be the source of the stress-induced ABA. The fact that ABA accumulated in detached roots and in roots of girdled plants proves that ABA was synthesized in the roots and not merely transported from the shoots.Maximum ABA accumulation in detached roots occurred after 60 to 70% loss of fresh weight. In Xanthium roots, ABA levels continued to increase for at least 11 hours, and no catabolism was apparent when stressed roots were immersed in water, although the roots did stop accumulating ABA. When osmotically stressed, Xanthium roots reached a maximum ABA level after 2 hours, but ABA continued to rise in the medium.Under optimal stress conditions, endogenous ABA levels increased 100 times over their prestress values in detached roots of Xanthium, and 15 times in Lycopersicon under nonoptimal stress, when endogenous ABA was expressed as concentrations based on tissue water content. These are much greater relative increases than observed in the leaves (15 times in Xanthium, 3 times in Lycopersicon), although the roots contain substantially less ABA than the leaves in all circumstances. The results suggest that the endogenous level of ABA in roots could rise appreciably prior to leaf wilt, and could modify the plant's water economy before the leaves become stressed.

Abscisic Acid Accumulation by Roots of Xanthium strumarium L. and Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. in Relation to Water Stress 1

PubMed Central

Cornish, Katrina; Zeevaart, Jan A. D.

1985-01-01

Plants of Xanthium strumarium L. and Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv `Rheinlands Ruhm' were grown in solution culture, and control and steam-girdled intact plants were stressed. Detached roots of both species were stressed to different extents in two ways: (a) either in warm air or, (b) in the osmoticum Aquacide III. The roots of both species produced and accumulated progressively more abscisic acid (ABA), the greater the stress inflicted by either method. ABA-glucose ester levels in Xanthium roots were not affected by water stress and were too low to be the source of the stress-induced ABA. The fact that ABA accumulated in detached roots and in roots of girdled plants proves that ABA was synthesized in the roots and not merely transported from the shoots. Maximum ABA accumulation in detached roots occurred after 60 to 70% loss of fresh weight. In Xanthium roots, ABA levels continued to increase for at least 11 hours, and no catabolism was apparent when stressed roots were immersed in water, although the roots did stop accumulating ABA. When osmotically stressed, Xanthium roots reached a maximum ABA level after 2 hours, but ABA continued to rise in the medium. Under optimal stress conditions, endogenous ABA levels increased 100 times over their prestress values in detached roots of Xanthium, and 15 times in Lycopersicon under nonoptimal stress, when endogenous ABA was expressed as concentrations based on tissue water content. These are much greater relative increases than observed in the leaves (15 times in Xanthium, 3 times in Lycopersicon), although the roots contain substantially less ABA than the leaves in all circumstances. The results suggest that the endogenous level of ABA in roots could rise appreciably prior to leaf wilt, and could modify the plant's water economy before the leaves become stressed. PMID:16664467

Abscisic acid regulates seed germination of Vellozia species in response to temperature.

PubMed

Vieira, B C; Bicalho, E M; Munné-Bosch, S; Garcia, Q S

2017-03-01

The relationship between the phytohormones, gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) and light and temperature on seed germination is still not well understood. We aimed to investigate the role of the ABA and GA on seed germination of Vellozia caruncularis, V. intermedia and V. alutacea in response to light/dark conditions on different temperature. Seeds were incubated in GA (GA 3 or GA 4 ) or ABA and their respective biosynthesis inhibitors (paclobutrazol - PAC, and fluridone - FLU) solutions at two contrasting temperatures (25 and 40 °C). Furthermore, endogenous concentrations of active GAs and those of ABA were measured in seeds of V. intermedia and V. alutacea during imbibition/germination. Exogenous ABA inhibited the germination of Vellozia species under all conditions tested. GA, FLU and FLU + GA 3 stimulated germination in the dark at 25 °C (GA 4 being more effective than GA 3 ). PAC reduced seed germination in V. caruncularis and V. alutacea, but did not affect germination of V. intermedia at 40 °C either under light or dark conditions. During imbibition in the dark, levels of active GAs decreased in the seeds of V. intermedia, but were not altered in those of V. alutacea. Incubation at 40 °C decreased ABA levels during imbibition in both V. caruncularis and V. alutacea. We conclude that the seeds of Vellozia species studied here require light or high temperature to germinate and ABA has a major role in the regulation of Vellozia seed germination in response to light and temperature. © 2016 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Functional convergence of oxylipin and abscisic acid pathways controls stomatal closure in response to drought.

PubMed

Savchenko, Tatyana; Kolla, Venkat A; Wang, Chang-Quan; Nasafi, Zainab; Hicks, Derrick R; Phadungchob, Bpantamars; Chehab, Wassim E; Brandizzi, Federica; Froehlich, John; Dehesh, Katayoon

2014-03-01

Membranes are primary sites of perception of environmental stimuli. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are major structural constituents of membranes that also function as modulators of a multitude of signal transduction pathways evoked by environmental stimuli. Different stresses induce production of a distinct blend of oxygenated polyunsaturated fatty acids, "oxylipins." We employed three Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ecotypes to examine the oxylipin signature in response to specific stresses and determined that wounding and drought differentially alter oxylipin profiles, particularly the allene oxide synthase branch of the oxylipin pathway, responsible for production of jasmonic acid (JA) and its precursor 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (12-OPDA). Specifically, wounding induced both 12-OPDA and JA levels, whereas drought induced only the precursor 12-OPDA. Levels of the classical stress phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) were also mainly enhanced by drought and little by wounding. To explore the role of 12-OPDA in plant drought responses, we generated a range of transgenic lines and exploited the existing mutant plants that differ in their levels of stress-inducible 12-OPDA but display similar ABA levels. The plants producing higher 12-OPDA levels exhibited enhanced drought tolerance and reduced stomatal aperture. Furthermore, exogenously applied ABA and 12-OPDA, individually or combined, promote stomatal closure of ABA and allene oxide synthase biosynthetic mutants, albeit most effectively when combined. Using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Brassica napus verified the potency of this combination in inducing stomatal closure in plants other than Arabidopsis. These data have identified drought as a stress signal that uncouples the conversion of 12-OPDA to JA and have revealed 12-OPDA as a drought-responsive regulator of stomatal closure functioning most effectively together with ABA.

Auxin as a player in the biocontrol of Fusarium head blight disease of barley and its potential as a disease control agent.

PubMed

Petti, Carloalberto; Reiber, Kathrin; Ali, Shahin S; Berney, Margaret; Doohan, Fiona M

2012-11-22

Mechanisms involved in the biological control of plant diseases are varied and complex. Hormones, including the auxin indole acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA), are essential regulators of a multitude of biological functions, including plant responses to biotic and abiotic stressors. This study set out to determine what hormones might play a role in Pseudomonas fluorescens -mediated control of Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease of barley and to determine if biocontrol-associated hormones directly affect disease development. A previous study distinguished bacterium-responsive genes from bacterium-primed genes, distinguished by the fact that the latter are only up-regulated when both P. fluorescens and the pathogen Fusarium culmorum are present. In silico analysis of the promoter sequences available for a subset of the bacterium-primed genes identified several hormones, including IAA and ABA as potential regulators of transcription. Treatment with the bacterium or pathogen resulted in increased IAA and ABA levels in head tissue; both microbes had additive effects on the accumulation of IAA but not of ABA. The microbe-induced accumulation of ABA preceded that of IAA. Gene expression analysis showed that both hormones up-regulated the accumulation of bacterium-primed genes. But IAA, more than ABA up-regulated the transcription of the ABA biosynthesis gene NCED or the signalling gene Pi2, both of which were previously shown to be bacterium-responsive rather than primed. Application of IAA, but not of ABA reduced both disease severity and yield loss caused by F. culmorum, but neither hormone affect in vitro fungal growth. Both IAA and ABA are involved in the P. fluorescens-mediated control of FHB disease of barley. Gene expression studies also support the hypothesis that IAA plays a role in the primed response to F. culmorum. This hypothesis was validated by the fact that pre-application of IAA reduced both symptoms and yield loss asssociated with the disease. This is the first evidence that IAA plays a role in the control of FHB disease and in the bacterial priming of host defences.

Auxin as a player in the biocontrol of Fusarium head blight disease of barley and its potential as a disease control agent

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Mechanisms involved in the biological control of plant diseases are varied and complex. Hormones, including the auxin indole acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA), are essential regulators of a multitude of biological functions, including plant responses to biotic and abiotic stressors. This study set out to determine what hormones might play a role in Pseudomonas fluorescens –mediated control of Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease of barley and to determine if biocontrol-associated hormones directly affect disease development. Results A previous study distinguished bacterium-responsive genes from bacterium-primed genes, distinguished by the fact that the latter are only up-regulated when both P. fluorescens and the pathogen Fusarium culmorum are present. In silico analysis of the promoter sequences available for a subset of the bacterium-primed genes identified several hormones, including IAA and ABA as potential regulators of transcription. Treatment with the bacterium or pathogen resulted in increased IAA and ABA levels in head tissue; both microbes had additive effects on the accumulation of IAA but not of ABA. The microbe-induced accumulation of ABA preceded that of IAA. Gene expression analysis showed that both hormones up-regulated the accumulation of bacterium-primed genes. But IAA, more than ABA up-regulated the transcription of the ABA biosynthesis gene NCED or the signalling gene Pi2, both of which were previously shown to be bacterium-responsive rather than primed. Application of IAA, but not of ABA reduced both disease severity and yield loss caused by F. culmorum, but neither hormone affect in vitro fungal growth. Conclusions Both IAA and ABA are involved in the P. fluorescens-mediated control of FHB disease of barley. Gene expression studies also support the hypothesis that IAA plays a role in the primed response to F. culmorum. This hypothesis was validated by the fact that pre-application of IAA reduced both symptoms and yield loss asssociated with the disease. This is the first evidence that IAA plays a role in the control of FHB disease and in the bacterial priming of host defences. PMID:23173736

Chemical inhibition of potato ABA 8'-hydroxylase activity alters in vitro and in vivo ABA metabolism and endogenous ABA levels but does not affect potato microtuber dormancy duration

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effects of azole-type P450 inhibitors and two metabolism-resistant ABA analogs on in vitro ABA 8'-hydroxylase activity, in planta ABA metabolism, endogenous ABA content, and tuber meristem dormancy duration were examined in potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Russet Burbank). When functionally expr...

Inhibition of FUSCA3 degradation at high temperature is dependent on ABA signaling and is regulated by the ABA/GA ratio.

PubMed

Chiu, Rex Shun; Saleh, Yazan; Gazzarrini, Sonia

2016-11-01

During seed imbibition at supra-optimal temperature, an increase in the abscisic acid (ABA)/gibberellin (GA) ratio imposes secondary dormancy to prevent germination (thermoinhibition). FUSCA3 (FUS3), a positive regulator of seed dormancy, accumulates in seeds imbibed at high temperature and increases ABA levels to inhibit germination. Recently, we showed that ABA inhibits FUS3 degradation at high temperature, and that ABA and high temperature also inhibit the ubiquitin-proteasome system, by dampening both proteasome activity and protein polyubiquitination. Here, we investigated the role of ABA signaling components and the ABA antagonizing hormone, GA, in the regulation of FUS3 levels. We show that the ABA receptor mutant, pyl1-1, is less sensitive to ABA and thermoinhibition. In this mutant background, FUS3 degradation in vitro is faster. Similarly, GA alleviates thermoinhibition and also increases FUS3 degradation. These results indicate that inhibition of FUS3 degradation at high temperature is dependent on a high ABA/GA ratio and a functional ABA signaling pathway. Thus, FUS3 constitutes an important node in ABA-GA crosstalk during germination at supra-optimal temperature.

An Arabidopsis mitochondria-localized RRL protein mediates abscisic acid signal transduction through mitochondrial retrograde regulation involving ABI4.

PubMed

Yao, Xuan; Li, Juanjuan; Liu, Jianping; Liu, Kede

2015-10-01

The molecular mechanisms of abscisic acid (ABA) signalling have been studied for many years; however, how mitochondria-localized proteins play roles in ABA signalling remains unclear. Here an Arabidopsis mitochondria-localized protein RRL (RETARDED ROOT GROWTH-LIKE) was shown to function in ABA signalling. A previous study had revealed that the Arabidopsis mitochondria-localized protein RRG (RETARDED ROOT GROWTH) is required for cell division in the root meristem. RRL shares 54% and 57% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid sequences, respectively, with RRG; nevertheless, RRL shows a different function in Arabidopsis. In this study, disruption of RRL decreased ABA sensitivity whereas overexpression of RRL increased ABA sensitivity during seed germination and seedling growth. High expression levels of RRL were found in germinating seeds and developing seedlings, as revealed by β-glucuronidase (GUS) staining of ProRRL-GUS transgenic lines. The analyses of the structure and function of mitochondria in the knockout rrl mutant showed that the disruption of RRL causes extensively internally vacuolated mitochondria and reduced ABA-stimulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Previous studies have revealed that the expression of alternative oxidase (AOX) in the alternative respiratory pathway is increased by mitochondrial retrograde regulation to regain ROS levels when the mitochondrial electron transport chain is impaired. The APETALA2 (AP2)-type transcription factor ABI4 is a regulator of ALTERNATIVE OXIDASE1a (AOX1a) in mitochondrial retrograde signalling. This study showed that ABA-induced AOX1a and ABI4 expression was inhibited in the rrl mutant, suggesting that RRL is probably involved in ABI4-mediated mitochondrial retrograde signalling. Furthermore, the results revealed that ABI4 is a downstream regulatory factor in RRL-mediated ABA signalling in seed germination and seedling growth. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Abscisic acid regulation of DC8, a carrot embryonic gene. [Daucus carota

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hatzopoulos, P.; Fong, F.; Sung, Z.R.

1990-10-01

DC8 encodes a hydrophylic 66 kilodalton protein located in the cytoplasm and cell walls of carrot (Daucus carota) embryo and endosperm. During somatic embryogenesis, the levels of DC8 mRNA and protein begin to increase 5 days after removal of auxin. To study the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in the regulation of DC8 gene, fluridone, 1-methyl-3-phenyl,-5(3-trifluoro-methyl-phenyl)-4(1H)-pyridinone, was used to inhibit the endogenous ABA content of the embryos. Fluridone, 50 micrograms per milliliter, effectively inhibits the accumulation of ABA in globular-tage embryos. Western and Northern analysis show that when fluridone is added to the culture medium DC8 protein and mRNA decreasemore » to very low levels. ABA added to fluridone supplemented culture media restores the DC8 protein and mRNA to control levels. Globular-stage embryos contain 0.9 to 1.4 {times} 10{sup {minus}7} molar ABA while 10{sup {minus}6} molar exogenously supplied ABA is the optimal concentration for restoration of DC8 protein accumulation in fluridone-treated embryos. The mRNA level is increased after 15 minutes of ABA addition and reaches maximal levels by 60 minutes. Evidence is presented that, unlike other ABA-regulated genes, DC8 is not induced in nonembryonic tissues via desiccation nor addition of ABA.« less

The putative glutamate receptor 1.1 (AtGLR1.1) in Arabidopsis thaliana regulates abscisic acid biosynthesis and signaling to control development and water loss.

PubMed

Kang, Jiman; Mehta, Sohum; Turano, Frank J

2004-10-01

The involvement of the putative glutamate receptor 1.1 (AtGLR1.1) gene in the regulation of abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signaling was investigated in Arabidopsis. Seeds from AtGLR1.1-deficient (antiAtGLR1.1) lines had increased sensitivity to exogenous ABA with regard to the effect of the hormone on the inhibition of seed germination and root growth. Seed germination, which was inhibited by an animal ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonist, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-[1H,4H]-dione, was restored by co-incubation with an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis, fluridone. These results confirm that germination in antiAtGLR1.1 lines was inhibited by increased ABA. When antiAtGLR1.1 and WT seeds were co-incubated in fluridone and exogenous ABA, the antiAtGLR1.1 seeds were more sensitive to ABA. In addition, the antiAtGLR1.1 lines exhibited altered expression of ABA biosynthetic (ABA) and signaling (ABI) genes, when compared with WT. Combining the physiological and molecular results suggest that ABA biosynthesis and signaling in antiAtGLR1.1 lines are altered. ABA levels in leaves of antiAtGLR1.1 lines are higher than those in WT. In addition, the antiAtGLR1.1 lines had reduced stomatal apertures, and exhibited enhanced drought tolerance due to deceased water loss compared with WT lines. The results from these experiments imply that ABA biosynthesis and signaling can be regulated through AtGLR1.1 to trigger pre- and post-germination arrest and changes in whole plant responses to water stress. Combined with our earlier results, these findings suggest that AtGLR1.1 integrates and regulates the different aspects of C, N and water balance that are required for normal plant growth and development.

The DA antagonist tiapride impairs context-related extinction learning in a novel context without affecting renewal

PubMed Central

Lissek, Silke; Glaubitz, Benjamin; Wolf, Oliver T.; Tegenthoff, Martin

2015-01-01

Renewal describes the recovery of an extinguished response if recall is tested in a context different from the extinction context. Behavioral studies demonstrated that attention to relevant context strengthens renewal. Neurotransmitters mediating attention and learning such as the dopaminergic (DA) system presumably modulate extinction learning and renewal. However, the role of DA for non-fear-based extinction learning and renewal in humans has not yet been investigated. This fMRI study investigated effects of DA-antagonism upon context-related extinction in a predictive learning task in which extinction occurred either in a novel (ABA) or an unchanged (AAA) context. The tiapride-treated group (TIA) showed significantly impaired ABA extinction learning and a significant within-group difference between ABA and AAA extinction, compared to placebo (PLAC). Groups did not differ in their level of ABA renewal. In ABA extinction, TIA showed reduced activation in dlPFC and OFC, hippocampus, and temporal regions. Across groups, activation in PFC and hippocampus correlated negatively with ABA extinction errors. Results suggest that in context-related extinction learning DA in PFC and hippocampus is involved in readjusting the cue-outcome relationship in the presence of a novel context. However, relating context to the appropriate association during recall does not appear to rely exclusively on DA signaling. PMID:26388752

ABA Suppresses Root Hair Growth via the OBP4 Transcriptional Regulator1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Kawamura, Ayako; Schäfer, Sabine; Breuer, Christian; Shibata, Michitaro; Mitsuda, Nobutaka; Ohme-Takagi, Masaru; Matsui, Minami

2017-01-01

Plants modify organ growth and tune morphogenesis in response to various endogenous and environmental cues. At the cellular level, organ growth is often adjusted by alterations in cell growth, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this control remain poorly understood. In this study, we identify the DNA BINDING WITH ONE FINGER (DOF)-type transcription regulator OBF BINDING PROTEIN4 (OBP4) as a repressor of cell growth. Ectopic expression of OBP4 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) inhibits cell growth, resulting in severe dwarfism and the repression of genes involved in the regulation of water transport, root hair development, and stress responses. Among the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors known to control root hair growth, OBP4 binds the ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE6-LIKE2 (RSL2) promoter to repress its expression. The accumulation of OBP4 proteins is detected in expanding root epidermal cells, and its expression level is increased by the application of abscisic acid (ABA) at concentrations sufficient to inhibit root hair growth. ABA-dependent induction of OBP4 is associated with the reduced expression of RSL2. Furthermore, ectopic expression of OBP4 or loss of RSL2 function results in ABA-insensitive root hair growth. Taken together, our results suggest that OBP4-mediated transcriptional repression of RSL2 contributes to the ABA-dependent inhibition of root hair growth in Arabidopsis. PMID:28167701

ABA-dependent inhibition of the ubiquitin proteasome system during germination at high temperature in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Chiu, Rex Shun; Pan, Shiyue; Zhao, Rongmin; Gazzarrini, Sonia

2016-12-01

During germination, endogenous and environmental factors trigger changes in the transcriptome, translatome and proteome to break dormancy. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) degrades proteins that promote dormancy to allow germination. While research on the UPS has focused on the identification of proteasomal substrates, little information is known about the regulation of its activity. Here we characterized the activity of the UPS during dormancy release and maintenance by monitoring protein ubiquitination and degradation of two proteasomal substrates: Suc-LLVY-AMC, a well characterized synthetic substrate, and FUSCA3 (FUS3), a dormancy-promoting transcription factor degraded by the 26S proteasome. Our data indicate that proteasome activity and protein ubiquitination increase during imbibition at optimal temperature (21°C), and are required for seed germination. However, abscisic acid (ABA) and supraoptimal temperature (32°C) inhibit germination by dampening both protein ubiquitination and proteasome activity. Inhibition of UPS function by high temperature is reduced by the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, fluridone, and in ABA biosynthetic mutants, suggesting that it is ABA dependent. Accordingly, inhibition of FUS3 degradation at 32°C is also dependent on ABA. Native gels show that inhibition of proteasome activity is caused by interference with the 26S/30S ratio as well as free 19S and 20S levels, impacting the proteasome degradation cycle. Transfer experiments show that ABA-mediated inhibition of proteasome activity at 21°C is restricted to the first 2 days of germination, a time window corresponding to seed sensitivity to environmental and ABA-mediated growth inhibition. Our data show that ABA and high temperature inhibit germination under unfavourable growth conditions by repressing the UPS. © 2016 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of abscisic acid on ethylene biosynthesis and perception in Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. flower development

PubMed Central

Trivellini, Alice; Ferrante, Antonio; Vernieri, Paolo; Serra, Giovanni

2011-01-01

The effect of the complex relationship between ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) on flower development and senescence in Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. was investigated. Ethylene biosynthetic (HrsACS and HrsACO) and receptor (HrsETR and HrsERS) genes were isolated and their expression evaluated in three different floral tissues (petals, style–stigma plus stamens, and ovaries) of detached buds and open flowers. This was achieved through treatment with 0.1 mM 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) solution, 500 nl l−1 methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), and 0.1 mM ABA solution. Treatment with ACC and 1-MCP confirmed that flower senescence in hibiscus is ethylene dependent, and treatment with exogenous ABA suggested that ABA may play a role in this process. The 1-MCP impeded petal in-rolling and decreased ABA content in detached open flowers after 9 h. This was preceded by an earlier and sequential increase in ABA content in 1-MCP-treated petals and style–stigma plus stamens between 1 h and 6 h. ACC treatment markedly accelerated flower senescence and increased ethylene production after 6 h and 9 h, particularly in style–stigma plus stamens. Ethylene evolution was positively correlated in these floral tissues with the induction of the gene expression of ethylene biosynthetic and receptor genes. Finally, ABA negatively affected the ethylene biosynthetic pathway and tissue sensitivity in all flower tissues. Transcript abundance of HrsACS, HrsACO, HrsETR, and HrsERS was reduced by exogenous ABA treatment. This research underlines the regulatory effect of ABA on the ethylene biosynthetic and perception machinery at a physiological and molecular level when inhibitors or promoters of senescence are exogenously applied. PMID:21841180

Abscisic acid metabolite profiling as indicators of plastic responses to drought in grasses from arid Patagonian Monte (Argentina).

PubMed

Cenzano, Ana M; Masciarelli, O; Luna, M Virginia

2014-10-01

The identification of hormonal and biochemical traits that play functional roles in the adaptation to drought is necessary for the conservation and planning of rangeland management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of drought on i) the water content (WC) of different plant organs, ii) the endogenous level of abscisic acid (ABA) and metabolites (phaseic acid-PA, dihydrophaseic acid-DPA and abscisic acid conjugated with glucose ester-ABA-GE), iii) the total carotenoid concentration and iv) to compare the traits of two desert perennial grasses (Pappostipa speciosa and Poa ligularis) with contrasting morphological and functional drought resistance traits and life-history strategies. Both species were subjected to two levels of gravimetric soil moisture (the highest near field capacity during autumn-winter and the lowest corresponding to summer drought). Drought significantly increased the ABA and DPA levels in the green leaves of P. speciosa and P. ligularis. Drought decreased ABA in the roots of P. speciosa while it increased ABA in the roots of P. ligularis. P. ligularis had the highest ABA level and WC in green leaves. While P. speciosa had the highest DPA levels in leaves. In conclusion, we found the highest ABA level in the mesophytic species P. ligularis and the lowest ABA level in the xerophytic species P. speciosa, revealing that the ABA metabolite profile in each grass species is a plastic response to drought resistance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A Permeable Cuticle Is Associated with the Release of Reactive Oxygen Species and Induction of Innate Immunity

PubMed Central

L'Haridon, Floriane; Besson-Bard, Angélique; Binda, Matteo; Serrano, Mario; Abou-Mansour, Eliane; Balet, Francine; Schoonbeek, Henk-Jan; Hess, Stephane; Mir, Ricardo; Léon, José; Lamotte, Olivier; Métraux, Jean-Pierre

2011-01-01

Wounded leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana show transient immunity to Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of grey mould. Using a fluorescent probe, histological staining and a luminol assay, we now show that reactive oxygen species (ROS), including H2O2 and O2 −, are produced within minutes after wounding. ROS are formed in the absence of the enzymes Atrboh D and F and can be prevented by diphenylene iodonium (DPI) or catalase. H2O2 was shown to protect plants upon exogenous application. ROS accumulation and resistance to B. cinerea were abolished when wounded leaves were incubated under dry conditions, an effect that was found to depend on abscisic acid (ABA). Accordingly, ABA biosynthesis mutants (aba2 and aba3) were still fully resistant under dry conditions even without wounding. Under dry conditions, wounded plants contained higher ABA levels and displayed enhanced expression of ABA-dependent and ABA-reporter genes. Mutants impaired in cutin synthesis such as bdg and lacs2.3 are already known to display a high level of resistance to B. cinerea and were found to produce ROS even when leaves were not wounded. An increased permeability of the cuticle and enhanced ROS production were detected in aba2 and aba3 mutants as described for bdg and lacs2.3. Moreover, leaf surfaces treated with cutinase produced ROS and became more protected to B. cinerea. Thus, increased permeability of the cuticle is strongly linked with ROS formation and resistance to B. cinerea. The amount of oxalic acid, an inhibitor of ROS secreted by B. cinerea could be reduced using plants over expressing a fungal oxalate decarboxylase of Trametes versicolor. Infection of such plants resulted in a faster ROS accumulation and resistance to B. cinerea than that observed in untransformed controls, demonstrating the importance of fungal suppression of ROS formation by oxalic acid. Thus, changes in the diffusive properties of the cuticle are linked with the induction ROS and attending innate defenses. PMID:21829351

Abscisic acid ameliorates atherosclerosis by suppressing macrophage and CD4+ T cell recruitment into the aortic wall

PubMed Central

Guri, Amir J.; Misyak, Sarah A.; Hontecillas, Raquel; Hasty, Alyssa; Liu, Dongmin; Si, Hongwei; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2009-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a natural phytohormone which improves insulin sensitivity and reduces adipose tissue inflammation when supplemented into diets of obese mice. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which abscisic acid (ABA) prevents or ameliorates atherosclerosis. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE −/−) mice were fed high-fat diets with or without ABA for 84 days. Systolic blood pressure was assessed on days 0, 28, 56, and 72. Gene expression, immune cell infiltration, and histological lesions were evaluated in the aortic root wall. Human aortic endothelial cells were used to examine the effect of ABA on 3’, 5’-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and nitric oxide (NO) production in vitro. We report that ABA-treated mice had significantly improved systolic blood pressure and decreased accumulation of F4/80+CD11b+ macrophages and CD4+ T cells in aortic root walls. At the molecular level, ABA significantly enhanced aortic endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and tended to suppress aortic vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression and plasma MCP-1 concentrations. ABA also caused a dose-dependent increase in intracellular concentrations of cAMP and NO and upregulated eNOS mRNA expression in human aortic endothelial cells. This is the first report showing that ABA prevents or ameliorates atherosclerosis-induced hypertension, immune cell recruitment into the aortic root wall, and upregulates aortic eNOS expression in ApoE−/− mice. PMID:20092994

Abscisic acid ameliorates atherosclerosis by suppressing macrophage and CD4+ T cell recruitment into the aortic wall.

PubMed

Guri, Amir J; Misyak, Sarah A; Hontecillas, Raquel; Hasty, Alyssa; Liu, Dongmin; Si, Hongwei; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2010-12-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a natural phytohormone which improves insulin sensitivity and reduces adipose tissue inflammation when supplemented into diets of obese mice. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which ABA prevents or ameliorates atherosclerosis. apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice were fed high-fat diets with or without ABA for 84 days. Systolic blood pressure was assessed on Days 0, 28, 56 and 72. Gene expression, immune cell infiltration and histological lesions were evaluated in the aortic root wall. Human aortic endothelial cells were used to examine the effect of ABA on 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and nitric oxide (NO) production in vitro. We report that ABA-treated mice had significantly improved systolic blood pressure and decreased accumulation of F4/80(+)CD11b(+) macrophages and CD4(+) T cells in aortic root walls. At the molecular level, ABA significantly enhanced aortic endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and tended to suppress aortic vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression and plasma MCP-1 concentrations. ABA also caused a dose-dependent increase in intracellular concentrations of cAMP and NO and up-regulated eNOS mRNA expression in human aortic endothelial cells. This is the first report showing that ABA prevents or ameliorates atherosclerosis-induced hypertension, immune cell recruitment into the aortic root wall and up-regulates aortic eNOS expression in ApoE(-/-) mice. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of abscisic acid in regulating cucumber fruit development and ripening and its transcriptional regulation.

PubMed

Wang, Yanping; Wang, Ya; Ji, Kai; Dai, Shengjie; Hu, Ying; Sun, Liang; Li, Qian; Chen, Pei; Sun, Yufei; Duan, Chaorui; Wu, Yan; Luo, Hao; Zhang, Dian; Guo, Yangdong; Leng, Ping

2013-03-01

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), a kind of fruit usually harvested at the immature green stage, belongs to non-climacteric fruit. To investigate the contribution of abscisic acid (ABA) to cucumber fruit development and ripening, variation in ABA level was investigated and a peak in ABA level was found in pulp before fruit get fully ripe. To clarify this point further, exogenous ABA was applied to cucumber fruits at two different development stages. Results showed that ABA application at the turning stage promotes cucumber fruit ripening, while application at the immature green stage had inconspicuous effects. In addition, with the purpose of understanding the transcriptional regulation of ABA, two partial cDNAs of CsNCED1 and CsNCED2 encoding 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED), a key enzyme in ABA biosynthetic pathway; one partial cDNA of CsCYP707A1 for 8'-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in the oxidative catabolism of ABA and two partial cDNAs of CsBG1 and CsBG2 for β-glucosidase (BG) that hydrolyzes ABA glucose ester (ABA-GE) to release active ABA were cloned from cucumber. The DNA and deduced amino acid sequences of these obtained genes respectively showed high similarities to their homologous genes in other plants. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that ABA content may be regulated by its biosynthesis (CsNCEDs), catabolism (CsCYP707A1) and reactivation genes (CsBGs) at the transcriptional level during cucumber fruit development and ripening, in response to ABA application, dehydration and pollination, among which CsNCED1, CsCYP707A1 and CsBG1 were highly expressed in pulp and may play more important roles in regulating ABA metabolism. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Abscisic acid ameliorates the systemic sclerosis fibroblast phenotype in vitro

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruzzone, Santina, E-mail: santina.bruzzone@unige.it; Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 9, 16132 Genova; Advanced Biotechnology Center, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ABA is an endogenous hormone in humans, regulating different cell responses. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ABA reverts some of the functions altered in SSc fibroblasts to a normal phenotype. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer UV-B irradiation increases ABA content in SSc cultures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SSc fibroblasts could benefit from exposure to ABA and/or to UV-B. -- Abstract: The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) has been recently identified as an endogenous hormone in humans, regulating different cell functions, including inflammatory processes, insulin release and glucose uptake. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic inflammatory disease resulting in fibrosis of skin and internal organs. In this study, we investigated themore » effect of exogenous ABA on fibroblasts obtained from healthy subjects and from SSc patients. Migration of control fibroblasts induced by ABA was comparable to that induced by transforming growth factor-{beta} (TGF-{beta}). Conversely, migration toward ABA, but not toward TGF-{beta}, was impaired in SSc fibroblasts. In addition, ABA increased cell proliferation in fibroblasts from SSc patients, but not from healthy subjects. Most importantly, presence of ABA significantly decreased collagen deposition by SSc fibroblasts, at the same time increasing matrix metalloproteinase-1 activity and decreasing the expression level of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1). Thus, exogenously added ABA appeared to revert some of the functions altered in SSc fibroblasts to a normal phenotype. Interestingly, ABA levels in plasma from SSc patients were found to be significantly lower than in healthy subjects. UV-B irradiation induced an almost 3-fold increase in ABA content in SSc cultures. Altogether, these results suggest that the fibrotic skin lesions in SSc patients could benefit from exposure to high(er) ABA levels.« less

Shoot-derived abscisic acid promotes root growth.

PubMed

McAdam, Scott A M; Brodribb, Timothy J; Ross, John J

2016-03-01

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a major role in regulating root growth. Most work to date has investigated the influence of root-sourced ABA on root growth during water stress. Here, we tested whether foliage-derived ABA could be transported to the roots, and whether this foliage-derived ABA had an influence on root growth under well-watered conditions. Using both application studies of deuterium-labelled ABA and reciprocal grafting between wild-type and ABA-biosynthetic mutant plants, we show that both ABA levels in the roots and root growth in representative angiosperms are controlled by ABA synthesized in the leaves rather than sourced from the roots. Foliage-derived ABA was found to promote root growth relative to shoot growth but to inhibit the development of lateral roots. Increased root auxin (IAA) levels in plants with ABA-deficient scions suggest that foliage-derived ABA inhibits root growth through the root growth-inhibitor IAA. These results highlight the physiological and morphological importance, beyond the control of stomata, of foliage-derived ABA. The use of foliar ABA as a signal for root growth has important implications for regulating root to shoot growth under normal conditions and suggests that leaf rather than root hydration is the main signal for regulating plant responses to moisture. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Involvement of NADPH oxidase isoforms in the production of O2− manipulated by ABA in the senescing leaves of early-senescence-leaf (esl) mutant rice (Oryza sativa)

PubMed Central

Wang, Fubiao; Zhao, Qian; Liu, Jianchao; Cheng, Fangmin

2018-01-01

In this study, the differences in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in senescing leaves were investigated by early-senescence-leaf (esl) mutant and its wild type, to clarify the relationship among ABA levels, ROS generation, and NADPH oxidase (Nox) in senescing leaves of rice (Oryza sativa). The temporal expression levels of OsNox isoforms in senescing leaves and their expression patterns in response to ABA treatment were determined through quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Results showed that the flag leaf of the esl mutant generated more O2- concentrations and accumulated higher ABA levels than the wild-type cultivar did in the grain-filling stage. Exogenous ABA treatment induced O2- generation; however, it was depressed by diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI) pretreatment in the detached leaf segments. This finding suggested the involvement of NADPH oxidase in ABA-induced O2- generation. The esl mutant exhibited significantly higher expression of OsNox2, OsNox5, OsNox6, and OsNox7 in the initial of grain-filling stage, followed by sharply decrease. The transcriptional levels of OsNox1, OsNox3, and OsFR07 in the flag leaf of the esl mutant were significantly lower than those in the wild-type cultivar. The expression levels of OsNox2, OsNox5, OsNox6, and OsNox7 were significantly enhanced by exogenous ABA treatments. The enhanced expression levels of OsNox2 and OsNox6 were dependent on the duration of ABA treatment. The inducible expression levels of OsNox5 and OsNox7 were dependent on ABA concentrations. By contrast, exogenous ABA treatment severely repressed the transcripts of OsNox1, OsNox3, and OsFR07 in the detached leaf segments. Therefore, OsNox2, OsNox5, OsNox6, and OsNox7 were probably involved in the ABA-induced O2- generation in the initial stage of leaf senescence. Subsequently, other oxidases activated in deteriorating cells were associated with ROS generation and accumulation in the senescing leaves of the esl mutant. Conversely, OsNox1, OsNox3, and OsFR07 were not associated with ABA-induced O2- generation during leaf senescence. PMID:29309410

Involvement of NADPH oxidase isoforms in the production of O2- manipulated by ABA in the senescing leaves of early-senescence-leaf (esl) mutant rice (Oryza sativa).

PubMed

Li, Zhaowei; Wang, Fubiao; Zhao, Qian; Liu, Jianchao; Cheng, Fangmin

2018-01-01

In this study, the differences in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in senescing leaves were investigated by early-senescence-leaf (esl) mutant and its wild type, to clarify the relationship among ABA levels, ROS generation, and NADPH oxidase (Nox) in senescing leaves of rice (Oryza sativa). The temporal expression levels of OsNox isoforms in senescing leaves and their expression patterns in response to ABA treatment were determined through quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Results showed that the flag leaf of the esl mutant generated more O2- concentrations and accumulated higher ABA levels than the wild-type cultivar did in the grain-filling stage. Exogenous ABA treatment induced O2- generation; however, it was depressed by diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI) pretreatment in the detached leaf segments. This finding suggested the involvement of NADPH oxidase in ABA-induced O2- generation. The esl mutant exhibited significantly higher expression of OsNox2, OsNox5, OsNox6, and OsNox7 in the initial of grain-filling stage, followed by sharply decrease. The transcriptional levels of OsNox1, OsNox3, and OsFR07 in the flag leaf of the esl mutant were significantly lower than those in the wild-type cultivar. The expression levels of OsNox2, OsNox5, OsNox6, and OsNox7 were significantly enhanced by exogenous ABA treatments. The enhanced expression levels of OsNox2 and OsNox6 were dependent on the duration of ABA treatment. The inducible expression levels of OsNox5 and OsNox7 were dependent on ABA concentrations. By contrast, exogenous ABA treatment severely repressed the transcripts of OsNox1, OsNox3, and OsFR07 in the detached leaf segments. Therefore, OsNox2, OsNox5, OsNox6, and OsNox7 were probably involved in the ABA-induced O2- generation in the initial stage of leaf senescence. Subsequently, other oxidases activated in deteriorating cells were associated with ROS generation and accumulation in the senescing leaves of the esl mutant. Conversely, OsNox1, OsNox3, and OsFR07 were not associated with ABA-induced O2- generation during leaf senescence.

β-Aminobutyric acid increases abscisic acid accumulation and desiccation tolerance and decreases water use but fails to improve grain yield in two spring wheat cultivars under soil drying.

PubMed

Du, Yan-Lei; Wang, Zhen-Yu; Fan, Jing-Wei; Turner, Neil C; Wang, Tao; Li, Feng-Min

2012-08-01

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of the non-protein amino acid, β-aminobutyric acid (BABA), on the homeostasis between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defence during progressive soil drying, and its relationship with the accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA), water use, grain yield, and desiccation tolerance in two spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars released in different decades and with different yields under drought. Drenching the soil with 100 µM BABA increased drought-induced ABA production, leading to a decrease in the lethal leaf water potential (Ψ) used to measure desiccation tolerance, decreased water use, and increased water use efficiency for grain (WUEG) under moderate water stress. In addition, at severe water stress levels, drenching the soil with BABA reduced ROS production, increased antioxidant enzyme activity, and reduced the oxidative damage to lipid membranes. The data suggest that the addition of BABA triggers ABA accumulation that acts as a non-hydraulic root signal, thereby closing stomata, and reducing water use at moderate stress levels, and also reduces the production of ROS and increases the antioxidant defence enzymes at severe stress levels, thus increasing the desiccation tolerance. However, BABA treatment had no effect on grain yield of wheat when water availability was limited. The results suggest that there are ways of effectively priming the pre-existing defence pathways, in addition to genetic means, to improve the desiccation tolerance and WUEG of wheat.

Promotion of Germination Using Hydroxamic Acid Inhibitors of 9-cis-Epoxycarotenoid Dioxygenase

PubMed Central

Awan, Sajjad Z.; Chandler, Jake O.; Harrison, Peter J.; Sergeant, Martin J.; Bugg, Timothy D. H.; Thompson, Andrew J.

2017-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) inhibits seed germination and the regulation of ABA biosynthesis has a role in maintenance of seed dormancy. The key rate-limiting step in ABA biosynthesis is catalyzed by 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED). Two hydroxamic acid inhibitors of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD), D4 and D7, previously found to inhibit CCD and NCED in vitro, are shown to have the novel property of decreasing mean germination time of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seeds constitutively overexpressing LeNCED1. Post-germination, D4 exhibited no negative effects on tomato seedling growth in terms of height, dry weight, and fresh weight. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) seeds containing a tetracycline-inducible LeNCED1 transgene were used to show that germination could be negatively and positively controlled through the chemical induction of gene expression and the chemical inhibition of the NCED protein: application of tetracycline increased mean germination time and delayed hypocotyl emergence in a similar manner to that observed when exogenous ABA was applied and this was reversed by D4 when NCED expression was induced at intermediate levels. D4 also improved germination in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seeds under thermoinhibitory temperatures and in tomato seeds imbibed in high osmolarity solutions of polyethylene glycol. D4 reduced ABA and dihydrophaseic acid accumulation in tomato seeds overexpressing LeNCED1 and reduced ABA accumulation in wild type tomato seeds imbibed on polyethylene glycol. The evidence supports a mode of action of D4 through NCED inhibition, and this molecule provides a lead compound for the design of NCED inhibitors with greater specificity and potency. PMID:28373878

Uncoupling the Effects of Abscisic Acid on Plant Growth and Water Relations. Analysis of sto1/nced3, an Abscisic Acid-Deficient but Salt Stress-Tolerant Mutant in Arabidopsis1

PubMed Central

Ruggiero, Bruno; Koiwa, Hisashi; Manabe, Yuzuki; Quist, Tanya M.; Inan, Gunsu; Saccardo, Franco; Joly, Robert J.; Hasegawa, Paul M.; Bressan, Ray A.; Maggio, Albino

2004-01-01

We have identified a T-DNA insertion mutation of Arabidopsis (ecotype C24), named sto1 (salt tolerant), that results in enhanced germination on both ionic (NaCl) and nonionic (sorbitol) hyperosmotic media. sto1 plants were more tolerant in vitro than wild type to Na+ and K+ both for germination and subsequent growth but were hypersensitive to Li+. Postgermination growth of the sto1 plants on sorbitol was not improved. Analysis of the amino acid sequence revealed that STO1 encodes a 9-cis-epoxicarotenoid dioxygenase (similar to 9-cis-epoxicarotenoid dioxygenase GB:AAF26356 [Phaseolus vulgaris] and to NCED3 GB:AB020817 [Arabidopsis]), a key enzyme in the abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetic pathway. STO1 transcript abundance was substantially reduced in mutant plants. Mutant sto1 plants were unable to accumulate ABA following a hyperosmotic stress, although their basal ABA level was only moderately altered. Either complementation of the sto1 with the native gene from the wild-type genome or supplementation of ABA to the growth medium restored the wild-type phenotype. Improved growth of sto1 mutant plants on NaCl, but not sorbitol, medium was associated with a reduction in both NaCl-induced expression of the ICK1 gene and ethylene accumulation. Osmotic adjustment of sto1 plants was substantially reduced compared to wild-type plants under conditions where sto1 plants grew faster. The sto1 mutation has revealed that reduced ABA can lead to more rapid growth during hyperionic stress by a signal pathway that apparently is at least partially independent of signals that mediate nonionic osmotic responses. PMID:15466233

Reactive oxygen species induced by heat stress during grain filling of rice (Oryza sativa L.) are involved in occurrence of grain chalkiness.

PubMed

Suriyasak, Chetphilin; Harano, Keisuke; Tanamachi, Koichiro; Matsuo, Kazuhiro; Tamada, Aina; Iwaya-Inoue, Mari; Ishibashi, Yushi

2017-09-01

Heat stress during grain filling increases rice grain chalkiness due to increased activity of α-amylase, which hydrolyzes starch. In rice and barley seeds, reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced after imbibition induce α-amylase activity via regulation of gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) levels during seed germination. Here, we examined whether ROS is involved in induction of grain chalkiness by α-amylase in developing rice grains under heat stress. To elucidate the role of ROS in grain chalkiness, we grew post-anthesis rice plants (Oryza sativa L. cv. Koshihikari) under control (25°C) or heat stress (30°C) conditions with or without antioxidant (dithiothreitol) treatment. The developing grains were analyzed for expression of NADPH oxidases, GA biosynthesis genes (OsGA3ox1, OsGA20ox1), ABA catabolism genes (OsABA8'OH1, OsABA8'OH2) and an α-amylase gene (OsAmy3E), endogenous H 2 O 2 content and the grain quality. In grains exposed to heat stress, the expression of NADPH oxidase genes (especially, OsRbohB, OsRbohD, OsRbohF and OsRbohI) and the ROS content increased. Heat stress also increased the expression of OsGA3ox1, OsGA20ox1, OsABA8'OH1, OsABA8'OH2 and OsAmy3E. On the other hand, dithiothreitol treatment reduced the effects of heat stress on the expression of these genes and significantly reduced grain chalkiness induced by heat stress. These results suggest that, similar to cereal seed germination mechanism, ROS produced under heat stress is involved in α-amylase induction in maturating rice grains through GA/ABA metabolism, and consequently caused grain chalkiness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Roles of a maize phytochrome-interacting factors protein ZmPIF3 in regulation of drought stress responses by controlling stomatal closure in transgenic rice without yield penalty.

PubMed

Gao, Yong; Wu, Meiqin; Zhang, Menjiao; Jiang, Wei; Liang, Enxing; Zhang, Dongping; Zhang, Changquan; Xiao, Ning; Chen, Jianmin

2018-06-05

ZmPIF3 plays an important role in ABA-mediated regulation of stomatal closure in the control of water loss, and can improve both drought tolerance and did not affect the grain yield in the transgenic rice. Phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) are a subfamily of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors and play important roles in regulating plant growth and development. In our previous study, overexpression of a maize PIFs family gene, ZmPIF3, improved drought tolerance in transgenic rice. In this study, measurement of water loss rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, guard cell aperture, density and length of ZmPIF3 transgenic plants showed that ZmPIF3 can enhance water-saving and drought-resistance by decreasing stomatal aperture and reducing transpiration in both transgenic rice and transgenic Arabidopsis. Scrutiny of sensitivity to ABA showed that ZmPIF3 transgenic rice was hypersensitive to ABA, while the endogenous ABA level was not significantly changed. These results indicate that ZmPIF3 plays a major role in the ABA signaling pathway. In addition, DGE results further suggest that ZmPIF3 participates in the ABA signaling pathway and regulates stomatal aperture in rice. Comparison analysis of the phenotype, physiology, and transcriptome of ZmPIF3 transgenic rice compared to control plants further suggests that ZmPIF3 is a positive regulator of ABA signaling and enhances water-saving and drought-resistance traits by reducing stomatal openings to control water loss. Moreover, investigation of the agronomic traits of ZmPIF3 transgenic rice from four cultivating seasons showed that ZmPIF3 expression increased the tiller and panicle number and did not affect the grain yield in the transgenic rice. These results demonstrate that ZmPIF3 is a promising candidate gene in the transgenic breeding of water-saving and drought-resistant rice plants and crop improvement.

Malbec grape (Vitis vinifera L.) responses to the environment: Berry phenolics as influenced by solar UV-B, water deficit and sprayed abscisic acid.

PubMed

Alonso, Rodrigo; Berli, Federico J; Fontana, Ariel; Piccoli, Patricia; Bottini, Rubén

2016-12-01

High-altitude vineyards receive elevated solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) levels so producing high quality berries for winemaking because of induction in the synthesis of phenolic compounds. Water deficit (D) after veraison, is a commonly used tool to regulate berry polyphenols concentration in red wine cultivars. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in the acclimation to environmental factors/signals (including UV-B and D). The aim of the present study was to evaluate independent and interactive effects of high-altitude solar UV-B, moderate water deficit and ABA applications on Vitis vinifera cv. Malbec berries. The experiment was conducted during two growing seasons with two treatments of UV-B (+UV-B and -UV-B), watering (+D and -D) and ABA (+ABA and -ABA), in a factorial design. Berry fresh weight, sugar content, fruit yield, phenolic compounds profile and antioxidant capacity (ORAC) were analyzed at harvest. Previous incidence of high UV-B prevented deleterious effects of water deficit, i.e. berry weight reduction and diminution of sugar accumulation. High UV-B increased total phenols (mainly astilbin, quercetin and kaempferol) and ORAC, irrespectively of the combination with other factors. Fruit yield was reduced by combining water deficit and high UV-B or water deficit and ABA. Two applications of ABA were enough to induced biochemical changes increasing total anthocyanins, especially those with higher antioxidant capacity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

ABA signaling in guard cells entails a dynamic protein-protein interaction relay from the PYL-RCAR family receptors to ion channels.

PubMed

Lee, Sung Chul; Lim, Chae Woo; Lan, Wenzhi; He, Kai; Luan, Sheng

2013-03-01

Plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) serves as an integrator of environmental stresses such as drought to trigger stomatal closure by regulating specific ion channels in guard cells. We previously reported that SLAC1, an outward anion channel required for stomatal closure, was regulated via reversible protein phosphorylation events involving ABA signaling components, including protein phosphatase 2C members and a SnRK2-type kinase (OST1). In this study, we reconstituted the ABA signaling pathway as a protein-protein interaction relay from the PYL/RCAR-type receptors, to the PP2C-SnRK2 phosphatase-kinase pairs, to the ion channel SLAC1. The ABA receptors interacted with and inhibited PP2C phosphatase activity against the SnRK2-type kinase, releasing active SnRK2 kinase to phosphorylate, and activate the SLAC1 channel, leading to reduced guard cell turgor and stomatal closure. Both yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays were used to verify the interactions among the components in the pathway. These biochemical assays demonstrated activity modifications of phosphatases and kinases by their interaction partners. The SLAC1 channel activity was used as an endpoint readout for the strength of the signaling pathway, depending on the presence of different combinations of signaling components. Further study using transgenic plants overexpressing one of the ABA receptors demonstrated that changing the relative level of interacting partners would change ABA sensitivity.

The Small Ethylene Response Factor ERF96 is Involved in the Regulation of the Abscisic Acid Response in Arabidopsis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Xiaoping; Liu, Shanda; Tian, Hainan

We report that ethylene regulates many aspects of plant growth and development including seed germination, leaf senescence, and fruit ripening, and of plant responses to environmental stimuli including both biotic and abiotic stresses. Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are plant-specific transcription factors and are a subfamily of the AP2 (APETALA2)/ERF transcription factor family. The function of many members in this large gene family remains largely unknown. ERF96, a member of the Group IX ERF family transcription factors, has recently been shown to be a transcriptional activator that is involved in plant defense response in Arabidopsis. Here we provide evidence that ERF96more » is a positive regulator of abscisic acid (ABA) responses. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that there are a total four small ERFs in Arabidopsis including ERF95, ERF96, ERF97, and ERF98, and that ERF96 forms a cluster with ERF95 and ERF97. By using quantitative RT-PCR, we found that ERF96 is expressed in all tissues and organs examined except roots, with relatively high expression in flowers and seeds. Results from the protoplast transfection assay indicated that the EDLL motif-containing C-terminal domain is responsible for ERF96’s transcriptional activity. Although loss-of-function mutant of ERF96 was morphologically similar to wild type plants, transgenic plants overexpressing ERF96 had smaller rosette size and were delayed in flowering time. In ABA sensitivity assays, we found that ERF96 overexpression plants were hypersensitive to ABA in terms of ABA inhibition of seed germination, early seedling development and root elongation. Consistent with these observations, elevated transcript levels of some ABA-responsive genes including RD29A, ABI5, ABF3, ABF4, P5CS, and COR15A were observed in the transgenic plants in the presence of ABA. However, in the absence of ABA treatment, the transcript levels of these ABA-responsive genes remained largely unchanged. Our experiments also showed that water loss in ERF96 overexpression plants was slower than that in Col wild type plants. Stomatal closure assays indicated that ERF96 overexpression plants had reduced stomatal aperture in the presence of ABA. In conclusion, taken together, our results suggest that ERF96 positively regulates ABA responses in Arabidopsis.« less

The Small Ethylene Response Factor ERF96 is Involved in the Regulation of the Abscisic Acid Response in Arabidopsis

DOE PAGES

Wang, Xiaoping; Liu, Shanda; Tian, Hainan; ...

2015-11-26

We report that ethylene regulates many aspects of plant growth and development including seed germination, leaf senescence, and fruit ripening, and of plant responses to environmental stimuli including both biotic and abiotic stresses. Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are plant-specific transcription factors and are a subfamily of the AP2 (APETALA2)/ERF transcription factor family. The function of many members in this large gene family remains largely unknown. ERF96, a member of the Group IX ERF family transcription factors, has recently been shown to be a transcriptional activator that is involved in plant defense response in Arabidopsis. Here we provide evidence that ERF96more » is a positive regulator of abscisic acid (ABA) responses. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that there are a total four small ERFs in Arabidopsis including ERF95, ERF96, ERF97, and ERF98, and that ERF96 forms a cluster with ERF95 and ERF97. By using quantitative RT-PCR, we found that ERF96 is expressed in all tissues and organs examined except roots, with relatively high expression in flowers and seeds. Results from the protoplast transfection assay indicated that the EDLL motif-containing C-terminal domain is responsible for ERF96’s transcriptional activity. Although loss-of-function mutant of ERF96 was morphologically similar to wild type plants, transgenic plants overexpressing ERF96 had smaller rosette size and were delayed in flowering time. In ABA sensitivity assays, we found that ERF96 overexpression plants were hypersensitive to ABA in terms of ABA inhibition of seed germination, early seedling development and root elongation. Consistent with these observations, elevated transcript levels of some ABA-responsive genes including RD29A, ABI5, ABF3, ABF4, P5CS, and COR15A were observed in the transgenic plants in the presence of ABA. However, in the absence of ABA treatment, the transcript levels of these ABA-responsive genes remained largely unchanged. Our experiments also showed that water loss in ERF96 overexpression plants was slower than that in Col wild type plants. Stomatal closure assays indicated that ERF96 overexpression plants had reduced stomatal aperture in the presence of ABA. In conclusion, taken together, our results suggest that ERF96 positively regulates ABA responses in Arabidopsis.« less

The Physiological Role of Abscisic Acid in Eliciting Turion Morphogenesis.

PubMed Central

Smart, C. C.; Fleming, A. J.; Chaloupkova, K.; Hanke, D. E.

1995-01-01

The exogenous application of hormones has led to their implication in a number of processes within the plant. However, proof of their function in vivo depends on quantitative data demonstrating that the exogenous concentration used to elicit a response leads to tissue hormone levels within the physiological range. Such proof is often lacking in many investigations. We are using abscisic acid (ABA)-induced turion formation in Spirodela polyrrhiza L. to investigate the mechanism by which a hormone can trigger a morphogenic switch. In this paper, we demonstrate that the exogenous concentration of ABA used to induce turions leads to tissue concentrations of ABA within the physiological range, as quantified by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography/gas chromatography-electron capture detection analysis. These results are consistent with ABA having a physiological role in turion formation, and they provide an estimate of the changes in endogenous ABA concentration required if environmental effectors of turion formation (e.g. nitrate deficiency, cold) act via an increased level of ABA. In addition, we show that the (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of ABA are equally effective in inducing turions. Moreover, comparison of the ABA; levels attained after treatment with (+)-, (-)-, and ([plus or minus])-ABA and their effect on turion induction and comparison of the effectiveness of ABA on turion induction under different pH regimes suggest that ABA most likely interacts with a plasmalemma-located receptor system to induce turion formation. PMID:12228499

Expression of an Arabidopsis molybdenum cofactor sulphurase gene in soybean enhances drought tolerance and increases yield under field conditions.

PubMed

Li, Yajun; Zhang, Jiachang; Zhang, Juan; Hao, Ling; Hua, Jinping; Duan, Liusheng; Zhang, Mingcai; Li, Zhaohu

2013-08-01

LOS5/ABA3 gene encoding molybdenum cofactor sulphurase is involved in aldehyde oxidase (AO) activity in Arabidopsis, which indirectly regulates ABA biosynthesis and increased stress tolerance. Here, we used a constitutive super promoter to drive LOS5/ABA3 overexpression in soybean (Glycine max L.) to enhance drought tolerance in growth chamber and field conditions. Expression of LOS5/ABA3 was up-regulated by drought stress, which led to increasing AO activity and then a notable increase in ABA accumulation. Transgenic soybean under drought stress had reduced water loss by decreased stomatal aperture size and transpiration rate, which alleviated leaf wilting and maintained higher relative water content. Exposed to drought stress, transgenic soybean exhibited reduced cell membrane damage by reducing electrolyte leakage and production of malondialdehyde and promoting proline accumulation and antioxidant enzyme activities. Also, overexpression of LOS5/ABA3 enhanced expression of stress-up-regulated genes. Furthermore, the seed yield of transgenic plants is at least 21% higher than that of wide-type plants under drought stress conditions in the field. These data suggest that overexpression of LOS5/ABA3 could improve drought tolerance in transgenic soybean via enhanced ABA accumulation, which could activate expression of stress-up-regulated genes and cause a series of physiological and biochemical resistant responses. © 2013 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sites of abscisic acid synthesis and metabolism in Ricinus communis L

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zeevaart, J.A.D.

1977-05-01

The sites of abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis and metabolism in Ricinus communis L. were investigated by analyzing the levels of ABA and its two metabolites phaseic acid (PA) and dihydrophaseic acid (DPA) in the shoot tips, mature leaves, and phloem sap of stressed and nonstressed plants. Water stress increased the concentration of ABA, PA, and DPA in phloem exudate and also increased the levels of all three compounds in mature leaves and in shoot tips. The latter had a very high DPA content (18.7 ..mu..g/g fresh weight) even in plants not subjected to water stress. When young and mature leavesmore » were excised and allowed to wilt, the level of ABA increased in both, demonstrating that leaves at an early stage of development have the capacity to produce ABA. These results have been interpreted to mean that in mature leaves of nonstressed Ricinus plants, ABA is synthesized and metabolized, and that ABA itself, as well as its metabolites, are translocated in the phloem to the shoot tips (sinks). Since DPA, but not ABA, accumulates in the shoot tips, it follows that ABA is metabolized rapidly in the apical region. To what extent ABA present in young leaves of nonstressed plants is the consequence of synthesis in situ and of import from older leaves remains to be determined.« less

Effects of mechanical stress or abscisic acid on growth, water status and leaf abscisic acid content of eggplant seedlings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Latimer, J. G.; Mitchell, C. A.

1988-01-01

Container-grown eggplant (Solanum melongena L. var esculentum Nees. 'Burpee's Black Beauty') seedlings were conditioned with brief, periodic mechanical stress or abscisic acid (ABA) in a greenhouse prior to outdoor exposure. Mechanical stress consisted of seismic (shaking) or thigmic (stem flexing) treatment. Exogenous ABA (10(-3) or 10(-4)M) was applied as a soil drench 3 days prior to outdoor transfer. During conditioning, only thigmic stress reduced stem elongation and only 10(-3) M ABA reduced relative growth rate (RGR). Both conditioning treatments increased leaf specific chlorophyll content, but mechanical stress did not affect leaf ABA content. Outdoor exposure of unconditioned eggplant seedlings decreased RGR and leaf-specific chlorophyll content, but tended to increase leaf ABA content relative to that of plants maintained in the greenhouse. Conditioning did not affect RGR of plants subsequently transferred outdoors, but did reduce stem growth. Seismic stress applied in the greenhouse reduced dry weight gain by plants subsequently transferred outdoors. Mechanical stress treatments increased leaf water potential by 18-25% relative to that of untreated plants.

Water Deficit and Abscisic Acid Cause Differential Inhibition of Shoot versus Root Growth in Soybean Seedlings : Analysis of Growth, Sugar Accumulation, and Gene Expression.

PubMed

Creelman, R A; Mason, H S; Bensen, R J; Boyer, J S; Mullet, J E

1990-01-01

Roots often continue to elongate while shoot growth is inhibited in plants subjected to low-water potentials. The cause of this differential response to water deficit was investigated. We examined hypocotyl and root growth, polysome status and mRNA populations, and abscisic acid (ABA) content in etiolated soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Williams) seedlings whose growth was inhibited by transfer to low-water potential vermiculite or exogenous ABA. Both treatments affected growth and dry weight in a similar fashion. Maximum inhibition of hypocotyl growth occurred when internal ABA levels (modulated by ABA application) reached the endogenous level found in the elongating zone of seedlings grown in water-deficient vermiculite. Conversely, root growth was affected to only a slight extent in low-water potential seedlings and by most ABA treatments (in some, growth was promoted). In every seedling section examined, transfer of seedlings into low-water potential vermiculite caused ABA levels to increase approximately 5- to 10-fold over that found in well-watered seedlings. Changes in soluble sugar content, polysome status, and polysome mRNA translation products seen in low-water potential seedlings did not occur with ABA treatments sufficient to cause significant inhibition of hypocotyl elongation. These data suggest that both variation in endogenous ABA levels, and differing sensitivity to ABA in hypocotyls and roots can modulate root/shoot growth ratios. However, exogenous ABA did not induce changes in sugar accumulation, polysome status, and mRNA populations seen after transfer into low-water potential vermiculite.

Water Deficit and Abscisic Acid Cause Differential Inhibition of Shoot versus Root Growth in Soybean Seedlings 1

PubMed Central

Creelman, Robert A.; Mason, Hugh S.; Bensen, Robert J.; Boyer, John S.; Mullet, John E.

1990-01-01

Roots often continue to elongate while shoot growth is inhibited in plants subjected to low-water potentials. The cause of this differential response to water deficit was investigated. We examined hypocotyl and root growth, polysome status and mRNA populations, and abscisic acid (ABA) content in etiolated soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Williams) seedlings whose growth was inhibited by transfer to low-water potential vermiculite or exogenous ABA. Both treatments affected growth and dry weight in a similar fashion. Maximum inhibition of hypocotyl growth occurred when internal ABA levels (modulated by ABA application) reached the endogenous level found in the elongating zone of seedlings grown in water-deficient vermiculite. Conversely, root growth was affected to only a slight extent in low-water potential seedlings and by most ABA treatments (in some, growth was promoted). In every seedling section examined, transfer of seedlings into low-water potential vermiculite caused ABA levels to increase approximately 5- to 10-fold over that found in well-watered seedlings. Changes in soluble sugar content, polysome status, and polysome mRNA translation products seen in low-water potential seedlings did not occur with ABA treatments sufficient to cause significant inhibition of hypocotyl elongation. These data suggest that both variation in endogenous ABA levels, and differing sensitivity to ABA in hypocotyls and roots can modulate root/shoot growth ratios. However, exogenous ABA did not induce changes in sugar accumulation, polysome status, and mRNA populations seen after transfer into low-water potential vermiculite. Images Figure 6 Figure 7 PMID:16667248

The Time Required for Dormancy Release in Arabidopsis Is Determined by DELAY OF GERMINATION1 Protein Levels in Freshly Harvested Seeds[OA

PubMed Central

Nakabayashi, Kazumi; Bartsch, Melanie; Xiang, Yong; Miatton, Emma; Pellengahr, Silke; Yano, Ryoichi; Seo, Mitsunori; Soppe, Wim J.J.

2012-01-01

Seed dormancy controls the start of a plant’s life cycle by preventing germination of a viable seed in an unfavorable season. Freshly harvested seeds usually show a high level of dormancy, which is gradually released during dry storage (after-ripening). Abscisic acid (ABA) has been identified as an essential factor for the induction of dormancy, whereas gibberellins (GAs) are required for germination. The molecular mechanisms controlling seed dormancy are not well understood. DELAY OF GERMINATION1 (DOG1) was recently identified as a major regulator of dormancy in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we show that the DOG1 protein accumulates during seed maturation and remains stable throughout seed storage and imbibition. The levels of DOG1 protein in freshly harvested seeds highly correlate with dormancy. The DOG1 protein becomes modified during after-ripening, and its levels in stored seeds do not correlate with germination potential. Although ABA levels in dog1 mutants are reduced and GA levels enhanced, we show that DOG1 does not regulate dormancy primarily via changes in hormone levels. We propose that DOG1 protein abundance in freshly harvested seeds acts as a timer for seed dormancy release, which functions largely independent from ABA. PMID:22829147

RING Type E3 Ligase CaAIR1 in Pepper Acts in the Regulation of ABA Signaling and Drought Stress Response.

PubMed

Park, Chanmi; Lim, Chae Woo; Baek, Woonhee; Lee, Sung Chul

2015-09-01

Several E3 ubiquitin ligases have been associated with the response to abiotic and biotic stresses in higher plants. Here, we report that the hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) ABA-Insensitive RING protein 1 gene (CaAIR1) is essential for a hypersensitive response to drought stress. CaAIR1 contains a C3HC4-type RING finger motif, which plays a role for attachment of ubiquitins to the target protein, and a putative transmembrane domain. The expression levels of CaAIR1 are up-regulated in pepper leaves by ABA treatments, drought and NaCl, suggesting its role in the response to abiotic stress. Our analysis showed that CaAIR1 displays self-ubiquitination and is localized in the nucleus. We generated CaAIR1-silenced peppers via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and CaAIR1-overexpressing (OX) transgenic Arabidopsis plants to evaluate their responses to ABA and drought. VIGS of CaAIR1 in pepper plants conferred an enhanced tolerance to drought stress, which was accompanied by low levels of transpirational water loss in the drought-treated leaves. CaAIR1-OX plants displayed an impaired sensitivity to ABA during seed germination, seedling and adult stages. Moreover, these plants showed enhanced sensitivity to drought stress because of reduced stomatal closure and decreased expression of stress-responsive genes. Thus, our data indicate that CaAIR1 is a negative regulator of the ABA-mediated drought stress tolerance mechanism. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Overexpression of a Protein Phosphatase 2C from Beech Seeds in Arabidopsis Shows Phenotypes Related to Abscisic Acid Responses and Gibberellin Biosynthesis1

PubMed Central

Reyes, David; Rodríguez, Dolores; González-García, Mary Paz; Lorenzo, Oscar; Nicolás, Gregorio; García-Martínez, José Luis; Nicolás, Carlos

2006-01-01

A functional abscisic acid (ABA)-induced protein phosphatase type 2C (PP2C) was previously isolated from beech (Fagus sylvatica) seeds (FsPP2C2). Because transgenic work is not possible in beech, in this study we overexpressed this gene in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) to provide genetic evidence on FsPP2C2 function in seed dormancy and other plant responses. In contrast with other PP2Cs described so far, constitutive expression of FsPP2C2 in Arabidopsis, under the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter, produced enhanced sensitivity to ABA and abiotic stress in seeds and vegetative tissues, dwarf phenotype, and delayed flowering, and all these effects were reversed by gibberellic acid application. The levels of active gibberellins (GAs) were reduced in 35S:FsPP2C2 plants, although transcript levels of AtGA20ox1 and AtGA3ox1 increased, probably as a result of negative feedback regulation, whereas the expression of GASA1 was induced by GAs. Additionally, FsPP2C2-overexpressing plants showed a strong induction of the Responsive to ABA 18 (RAB18) gene. Interestingly, FsPP2C2 contains two nuclear targeting sequences, and transient expression assays revealed that ABA directed this protein to the nucleus. Whereas other plant PP2Cs have been shown to act as negative regulators, our results support the hypothesis that FsPP2C2 is a positive regulator of ABA. Moreover, our results indicate the existence of potential cross-talk between ABA signaling and GA biosynthesis. PMID:16815952

Osmotic stress, endogenous abscisic acid and the control of leaf morphology in Hippuris vulgaris L

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goliber, T. E.; Feldman, L. J.

1989-01-01

Previous reports indicate that heterophyllous aquatic plants can be induced to form aerial-type leaves on submerged shoots when they are grown in exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). This study reports on the relationship between osmotic stress (e.g. the situation encountered by a shoot tip when it grows above the water surface), endogenous ABA (as measured by gas chromatography-electron capture detector) and leaf morphology in the heterophyllous aquatic plant, Hippuris vulgaris. Free ABA could not be detected in submerged shoots of H. vulgaris but in aerial shoots ABA occurred at ca. 40 ng (g fr wt)-1. When submerged shoots were osmotically stressed ABA appeared at levels of 26 to 40 ng (g fr wt)-1. These and other data support two main conclusions: (1) Osmotically stressing a submerged shoot causes the appearance of detectable levels of ABA. (2) The rise of ABA in osmotically stressed submerged shoots in turn induces a change in leaf morphology from the submerged to the aerial form. This corroborates the hypothesis that, in the natural environment, ABA levels rise in response to the osmotic stress encountered when a submerged shoot grows up through the water/air interface and that the increased ABA leads to the production of aerial-type leaves.

Overexpression of a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia increases abscisic acid and phaseic acid levels and enhances drought tolerance.

PubMed

Qin, Xiaoqiong; Zeevaart, Jan A D

2002-02-01

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays important roles in seed maturation and dormancy and in adaptation to a variety of environmental stresses. An effort to engineer plants with elevated ABA levels and subsequent stress tolerance is focused on the genetic manipulation of the cleavage reaction. It has been shown in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) that the gene encoding the cleavage enzyme (PvNCED1) is up-regulated by water stress, preceding accumulation of ABA. Transgenic wild tobacco (Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv.) plants were produced that overexpress the PvNCED1 gene either constitutively or in an inducible manner. The constitutive expression of PvNCED1 resulted in an increase in ABA and its catabolite, phaseic acid (PA). When the PvNCED1 gene was driven by the dexamethasone (DEX)-inducible promoter, a transient induction of PvNCED1 message and accumulation of ABA and PA were observed in different lines after application of DEX. Accumulation of ABA started to level off after 6 h, whereas the PA level continued to increase. In the presence of DEX, seeds from homozygous transgenic line TN1 showed a 4-d delay in germination. After spraying with DEX, the detached leaves from line TN1 had a drastic decrease in their water loss relative to control leaves. These plants also showed a marked increase in their tolerance to drought stress. These results indicate that it is possible to manipulate ABA levels in plants by overexpressing the key regulatory gene in ABA biosynthesis and that stress tolerance can be improved by increasing ABA levels.

Overexpression of a 9-cis-Epoxycarotenoid Dioxygenase Gene in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Increases Abscisic Acid and Phaseic Acid Levels and Enhances Drought Tolerance1

PubMed Central

Qin, Xiaoqiong; Zeevaart, Jan A.D.

2002-01-01

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays important roles in seed maturation and dormancy and in adaptation to a variety of environmental stresses. An effort to engineer plants with elevated ABA levels and subsequent stress tolerance is focused on the genetic manipulation of the cleavage reaction. It has been shown in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) that the gene encoding the cleavage enzyme (PvNCED1) is up-regulated by water stress, preceding accumulation of ABA. Transgenic wild tobacco (Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv.) plants were produced that overexpress the PvNCED1 gene either constitutively or in an inducible manner. The constitutive expression of PvNCED1 resulted in an increase in ABA and its catabolite, phaseic acid (PA). When the PvNCED1 gene was driven by the dexamethasone (DEX)-inducible promoter, a transient induction of PvNCED1 message and accumulation of ABA and PA were observed in different lines after application of DEX. Accumulation of ABA started to level off after 6 h, whereas the PA level continued to increase. In the presence of DEX, seeds from homozygous transgenic line TN1 showed a 4-d delay in germination. After spraying with DEX, the detached leaves from line TN1 had a drastic decrease in their water loss relative to control leaves. These plants also showed a marked increase in their tolerance to drought stress. These results indicate that it is possible to manipulate ABA levels in plants by overexpressing the key regulatory gene in ABA biosynthesis and that stress tolerance can be improved by increasing ABA levels. PMID:11842158

Exogenous progesterone exacerbates running response of adolescent female mice to repeated food restriction stress by changing α4-GABAA receptor activity of hippocampal pyramidal cells.

PubMed

Wable, G S; Chen, Y-W; Rashid, S; Aoki, C

2015-12-03

Adolescent females are particularly vulnerable to mental illnesses with co-morbidity of anxiety, such as anorexia nervosa (AN). We used an animal model of AN, called activity-based anorexia (ABA), to investigate the neurobiological basis of vulnerability to repeated, food restriction (FR) stress-evoked anxiety. Twenty-one of 23 adolescent female mice responded to the 1st FR with increased wheel-running activity (WRA), even during the limited period of food access, thereby capturing AN's symptoms of voluntary FR and over-exercise. Baseline WRA was an excellent predictor of FR-elicited WRA (severity of ABA, SOA), with high baseline runners responding to FR with minimal SOA (i.e., negative correlation). Nine gained resistance to ABA following the 1st FR. Even though allopregnanolone (3α-OH-5α-pregnan-20-one, THP), the metabolite of progesterone (P4), is a well-recognized anxiolytic agent, subcutaneous P4 to these ABA-resistant animals during the 2nd FR was exacerbative, evoking greater WRA than the counterpart resistant group that received oil vehicle, only. Moreover, P4 had no WRA-reducing effect on animals that remained ABA-vulnerable. To explain the sensitizing effect of P4 upon the resistant mice, we examined the relationship between P4 treatment and levels of the α4 subunit of GABAARs at spines of pyramidal cells of the hippocampal CA1, a parameter previously shown to correlate with resistance to ABA. α4 levels at spine membrane correlated strongly and negatively with SOA during the 1st ABA (prior to P4 injection), confirming previous findings. α4 levels were greater among P4-treated animals that had gained resistance than of vehicle-treated resistant animals or of the vulnerable animals with or without P4. We propose that α4-GABAARs play a protective role by counterbalancing the ABA-induced increase in excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons, and although exogenous P4's metabolite, THP, enhances α4 expression, especially among those that can gain resistance, it also interferes with α4-GABAARs' protective role by desensitizing α4-GABAARs. Copyright © 2015 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A role for progesterone and α4-containing GABAA receptors of hippocampal pyramidal cells in the exacerbated running response of adolescent female mice to repeated food restriction stress

PubMed Central

Wable, Gauri; Chen, Yi-Wen; Rashid, Shannon; Aoki, Chiye

2015-01-01

Adolescent females are particularly vulnerable to mental illnesses with comorbidity of anxiety, such as anorexia nervosa (AN). We used an animal model of AN, called activity-based anorexia (ABA), to investigate the neurobiological basis of vulnerability to repeated, food restriction (FR) stress-evoked anxiety. Twenty-one of 23 adolescent female mice responded to the 1st FR with increased wheel running activity (WRA), even during the limited period of food access, thereby capturing AN's symptoms of voluntary FR and over-exercise. Baseline WRA was an excellent predictor of FR-elicited WRA (severity of ABA, SOA), with high baseline-runners responding to FR with minimal SOA (i.e., negative correlation). Nine gained resistance to ABA following the 1st FR. Even though allopregnanolone (3α-OH-5α-pregnan-20-one, THP), the metabolite of progesterone (P4), is a well-recognized anxiolytic agent, subcutaneous P4 to these ABA-resistant animals during the 2nd FR was exacerbative, evoking greater WRA than the counterpart resistant group that received oil vehicle, only. Moreover, P4 had no WRA-reducing effect on animals that remained ABA-vulnerable. To explain the sensitizing effect of P4 upon the resistant mice, we examined the relationship between P4 treatment and levels of the α4 subunit of GABAARs at spines of pyramidal cells of the hippocampal CA1, a parameter previously shown to correlate with resistance to ABA. α4 levels at spine membrane correlated strongly and negatively with SOA during the 1st ABA (prior to P4 injection), confirming previous findings. α4 expression levels were greater among P4-treated animals that had gained resistance than of vehicle-treated resistant animals or of the vulnerable animals with or without P4. We propose that α4-GABAARs play a protective role by counterbalancing the ABA-induced increase in excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons, and although exogenous P4's metabolite, THP, enhances α4 expression, especially among those that can gain resistance, it also interferes with α4-GABAARs’ protective role by desensitizing α4-GABAARs. PMID:26383252

Induction of Lipid and Oleosin Biosynthesis by (+)-Abscisic Acid and Its Metabolites in Microspore-Derived Embryos of Brassica napus L.cv Reston (Biological Responses in the Presence of 8[prime]-Hydroxyabscisic Acid).

PubMed Central

Zou, J.; Abrams, G. D.; Barton, D. L.; Taylor, D. C.; Pomeroy, M. K.; Abrams, S. R.

1995-01-01

Microspore-derived (MD) embryos of Brassica napus L. cv Reston were used to test the effects of (+)-abscisic acid ([(+)-ABA]) and its metabolites, 8[prime]-hydroxyabscisic acid (8[prime]-OH ABA) and (-)-phaseic acid (PA), on the accumulation of very long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (VLCMFAs) and induction of genes encoding a 19-kD oleosin protein and a [delta]15 desaturase during embryogenesis. Developing early to mid-cotyledonary MD embryos at 16 to 19 d in culture were treated with 10 [mu]M hormone/metabolite for 4 d. At various times during incubation, embryos and medium were analyzed to determine levels of hormone/metabolite, VLCMFAs, and oleosin or [delta]15 desaturase transcripts. The VLCMFAs, 20:1 and 22:1, primarily in triacylglycerols, increased by 200% after 72 h in the presence of (+)-ABA and 8[prime]-OH ABA relative to the control. In contrast, treatment with PA for 72 h had little effect (20% increase) on the level of VLCMFAs. The first 24 to 72 h of (+)-ABA treatment were critical in the induction of VLCMFA biosynthesis, with 8[prime]-OH ABA lagging slightly behind (+)-ABA in promoting this response. The accumulation of VLCMFAs was positively correlated with an increase in elongase activity. (+)-ABA and its 8[prime]-OH ABA metabolite induced the accumulation of a 19-kD oleosin transcript within 2 to 4 h in culture. In addition, both (+)-ABA and 8[prime]-OH ABA induced the same level of [delta]15 desaturase transcript by 8 h. PA had no effect on the induction of either oleosin or [delta]15 desaturase transcripts. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the biological activity of 8[prime]-OH ABA and of stimulatory effects of (+)-ABA and 8[prime]-OH ABA on lipid and oleosin biosynthesis. PMID:12228493

Fruit load induces changes in global gene expression and in abscisic acid (ABA) and indole acetic acid (IAA) homeostasis in citrus buds

PubMed Central

Shalom, Liron; Samuels, Sivan; Zur, Naftali; Shlizerman, Lyudmila; Doron-Faigenboim, Adi; Blumwald, Eduardo; Sadka, Avi

2014-01-01

Many fruit trees undergo cycles of heavy fruit load (ON-Crop) in one year, followed by low fruit load (OFF-Crop) the following year, a phenomenon known as alternate bearing (AB). The mechanism by which fruit load affects flowering induction during the following year (return bloom) is still unclear. Although not proven, it is commonly accepted that the fruit or an organ which senses fruit presence generates an inhibitory signal that moves into the bud and inhibits apical meristem transition. Indeed, fruit removal from ON-Crop trees (de-fruiting) induces return bloom. Identification of regulatory or metabolic processes modified in the bud in association with altered fruit load might shed light on the nature of the AB signalling process. The bud transcriptome of de-fruited citrus trees was compared with those of ON- and OFF-Crop trees. Fruit removal resulted in relatively rapid changes in global gene expression, including induction of photosynthetic genes and proteins. Altered regulatory mechanisms included abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism and auxin polar transport. Genes of ABA biosynthesis were induced; however, hormone analyses showed that the ABA level was reduced in OFF-Crop buds and in buds shortly following fruit removal. Additionally, genes associated with Ca2+-dependent auxin polar transport were remarkably induced in buds of OFF-Crop and de-fruited trees. Hormone analyses showed that auxin levels were reduced in these buds as compared with ON-Crop buds. In view of the auxin transport autoinhibition theory, the possibility that auxin distribution plays a role in determining bud fate is discussed. PMID:24706719

Abscisic Acid Levels and Seed Dormancy

PubMed Central

Sondheimer, E.; Tzou, D. S.; Galson, Eva C.

1968-01-01

Dormant seeds from Fraxinus species require cold-temperature after-ripening prior to germination. Earlier, we found that abscisic acid (ABA) will inhibit germination of excised nondormant embryos and that this can be reversed with a combination of gibberellic acid and kinetin. Using Milborrow's quantitative “racemate dilution” method the ABA concentration in 3 types of Fraxinus seed and pericarp were determined. While ABA was present in all tissues, the highest concentration was found in the seed and pericarp of dormant F. americana. During the chilling treatment of F. americana the ABA levels decreased 37% in the pericarp and 68% in the seed. The ABA concentration of the seed of the nondormant species, F. ornus, is as low as that found in F. americana seeds after cold treatment. Experiments with exogenously added ABA solutions indicate that it is unlikely that the ABA in the pericarp functions in the regulation of seed dormancy. However, the ABA in the seed does seem to have a regulatory role in germination. Images PMID:16656935

Gladiolus hybridus ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 5 (GhABI5) is an important transcription factor in ABA signaling that can enhance Gladiolus corm dormancy and Arabidopsis seed dormancy.

PubMed

Wu, Jian; Seng, Shanshan; Sui, Juanjuan; Vonapartis, Eliana; Luo, Xian; Gong, Benhe; Liu, Chen; Wu, Chenyu; Liu, Chao; Zhang, Fengqin; He, Junna; Yi, Mingfang

2015-01-01

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates plant development and is crucial for abiotic stress response. In this study, cold storage contributes to reducing endogenous ABA content, resulting in dormancy breaking of Gladiolus. The ABA inhibitor fluridone also promotes germination, suggesting that ABA is an important hormone that regulates corm dormancy. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of the Gladiolus ABI5 homolog (GhABI5), which is a basic leucine zipper motif transcriptional factor (TF). GhABI5 is expressed in dormant vegetative organs (corm, cormel, and stolon) as well as in reproductive organs (stamen), and it is up-regulated by ABA or drought. Complementation analysis reveals that GhABI5 rescues the ABA insensitivity of abi5-3 during seed germination and induces the expression of downstream ABA response genes in Arabidopsis thaliana (EM1, EM6, and RD29B). Down-regulation of GhABI5 in dormant cormels via virus induced gene silence promotes sprouting and reduces the expression of downstream genes (GhLEA and GhRD29B). The results of this study reveal that GhABI5 regulates bud dormancy (vegetative organ) in Gladiolus in addition to its well-studied function in Arabidopsis seeds (reproductive organ).

Influence of chilling and drought on water relations and abscisic acid accumulation in bean

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vernieri, P.; Pardossi, A.; Tognoni, F.

Intact bean seedlings were subjected to either chilling (4{degree}C) or drought stress. Leaf water relations and abscisic acid (ABA) content were monitored throughout a stress-recovery cycle. Chilling at low relative humidity (RH) and drought caused similar water deficits, as indicated by the decline in relative water content and water potentials, but they had different effects on ABA accumulation. There was a rapid increase in ABA levels in the leaves of water-deprived plants while only slight ABA accumulation was observed after 48 h of chilling (4{degree}C). After 24 h cold treatment there were large changes in turgor but no change inmore » ABA content. Plants chilled for 24 h accumulated ABA only when transferred to recovery conditions (20{degree}C, 90-95% RH, in the dark) to an extent that was related to the rate of leaf rehydration. When the chilling treatment was performed in a water-saturated atmosphere, plants did not suffer any water stress and ABA levels did not increase over a period of 48 h. However, when the chilling treatment lasted for a longer period (72 h), a significant increase in ABA levels was found also in the absence of water deficit. Experiments performed with leaf discs incubated in a mannitol solution (osmotic potential {minus}1{center dot}6 MPa) at different temperatures indicated that low temperature markedly inhibits ABA synthesis and that water stress induces increases in ABA content only at non-limiting warm temperatures.« less

Abscisic acid synergizes with rosiglitazone to improve glucose tolerance, down-modulate macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue: possible action of the cAMP/PKA/PPAR γ axis

PubMed Central

Guri, Amir J; Hontecillas, Raquel; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2010-01-01

Background & Aims Abscisic acid (ABA) is effective in preventing insulin resistance and obesity-related inflammation through a PPAR γ-dependent mechanism. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy ABA in improving glucose homeostasis and suppress inflammation when administered in combination with rosiglitazone (Ros) and to determine whether PPAR γ activation by ABA is initiated via cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling. Methods Obese db/db mice were fed high-fat diets containing 0, 10, or 70 mg/kg Ros with and without racemic ABA (100 mg/kg) for 60 days. Glucose tolerance and fasting insulin levels were assessed at 6 and 8 weeks, respectively, and adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) infiltration was examined by flow cytometry. Gene expression was examined on white adipose tissue (WAT) and stromal vascular cells (SVCs) cultured with ABA, Ros, or an ABA/Ros combination. Results Both Ros and ABA improved glucose tolerance, and ABA decreased plasma insulin levels while having no effect on Ros-induced weight gain. ABA in combination with low-dose Ros (10 mg/kg; Roslo) synergistically inhibited ATM infiltration. Treatment of SVCs with Ros, ABA or ABA/Ros suppressed expression of the M1 marker CCL17. ABA and Ros synergistically increased PPAR γ activity and pretreatment with a cAMP-inhibitor or a PKA-inhibitor abrogated ABA-induced PPAR γ activation. Conclusions ABA and Ros act synergistically to modulate PPAR γ activity and macrophage accumulation in WAT and ABA enhances PPAR γ activity through a membrane-initiated mechanism dependent on cAMP/PKA signaling. PMID:20207056

Abscisic acid synergizes with rosiglitazone to improve glucose tolerance and down-modulate macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue: possible action of the cAMP/PKA/PPAR γ axis.

PubMed

Guri, Amir J; Hontecillas, Raquel; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2010-10-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is effective in preventing insulin resistance and obesity-related inflammation through a PPAR γ-dependent mechanism. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy ABA in improving glucose homeostasis and suppress inflammation when administered in combination with rosiglitazone (Ros) and to determine whether PPAR γ activation by ABA is initiated via cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling. Obese db/db mice were fed high-fat diets containing 0, 10, or 70 mg/kg Ros with and without racemic ABA (100 mg/kg) for 60 days. Glucose tolerance and fasting insulin levels were assessed at 6 and 8 weeks, respectively, and adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) infiltration was examined by flow cytometry. Gene expression was examined on white adipose tissue (WAT) and stromal vascular cells (SVCs) cultured with ABA, Ros, or an ABA/Ros combination. Both Ros and ABA improved glucose tolerance, and ABA decreased plasma insulin levels while having no effect on Ros-induced weight gain. ABA in combination with low-dose Ros (10 mg/kg; Roslo) synergistically inhibited ATM infiltration. Treatment of SVCs with Ros, ABA or ABA/Ros suppressed expression of the M1 marker CCL17. ABA and Ros synergistically increased PPAR γ activity and pretreatment with a cAMP-inhibitor or a PKA-inhibitor abrogated ABA-induced PPAR γ activation. ABA and Ros act synergistically to modulate PPAR γ activity and macrophage accumulation in WAT and ABA enhances PPAR γ activity through a membrane-initiated mechanism dependent on cAMP/PKA signaling. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Implication of Abscisic Acid on Ripening and Quality in Sweet Cherries: Differential Effects during Pre- and Post-harvest

PubMed Central

Tijero, Verónica; Teribia, Natalia; Muñoz, Paula; Munné-Bosch, Sergi

2016-01-01

Sweet cherry, a non-climacteric fruit, is usually cold-stored during post-harvest to prevent over-ripening. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of abscisic acid (ABA) on fruit growth and ripening of this fruit, considering as well its putative implication in over-ripening and effects on quality. We measured the endogenous concentrations of ABA during the ripening of sweet cherries (Prunus avium L. var. Prime Giant) collected from orchard trees and in cherries exposed to 4°C and 23°C during 10 days of post-harvest. Furthermore, we examined to what extent endogenous ABA concentrations were related to quality parameters, such as fruit biomass, anthocyanin accumulation and levels of vitamins C and E. Endogenous concentrations of ABA in fruits increased progressively during fruit growth and ripening on the tree, to decrease later during post-harvest at 23°C. Cold treatment, however, increased ABA levels and led to an inhibition of over-ripening. Furthermore, ABA levels positively correlated with anthocyanin and vitamin E levels during pre-harvest, but not during post-harvest. We conclude that ABA plays a major role in sweet cherry development, stimulating its ripening process and positively influencing quality parameters during pre-harvest. The possible influence of ABA preventing over-ripening in cold-stored sweet cherries is also discussed. PMID:27200070

Maternal synthesis of abscisic acid controls seed development and yield in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia.

PubMed

Frey, Anne; Godin, Béatrice; Bonnet, Magda; Sotta, Bruno; Marion-Poll, Annie

2004-04-01

The role of maternally derived abscisic acid (ABA) during seed development has been studied using ABA-deficient mutants of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viviani. ABA deficiency induced seed abortion, resulting in reduced seed yield, and delayed growth of the remaining embryos. Mutant grafting onto wild-type stocks and reciprocal crosses indicated that maternal ABA, synthesized in maternal vegetative tissues and translocated to the seed, promoted early seed development and growth. Moreover ABA deficiency delayed both seed coat pigmentation and capsule dehiscence. Mutant grafting did not restore these phenotypes, indicating that ABA synthesized in the seed coat and capsule envelope may have a positive effect on capsule and testa maturation. Together these results shed light on the positive role of maternal ABA during N. plumbaginifolia seed development.

Transcriptional regulation of genes encoding ABA metabolism enzymes during the fruit development and dehydration stress of pear 'Gold Nijisseiki'.

PubMed

Dai, Shengjie; Li, Ping; Chen, Pei; Li, Qian; Pei, Yuelin; He, Suihuan; Sun, Yufei; Wang, Ya; Kai, Wenbin; Zhao, Bo; Liao, Yalan; Leng, Ping

2014-09-01

To investigate the contribution of abscisic acid (ABA) in pear 'Gold Nijisseiki' during fruit ripening and under dehydration stress, two cDNAs (PpNCED1 and PpNCED2) which encode 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) (a key enzyme in ABA biosynthesis), two cDNAs (PpCYP707A1 and PpCYP707A2) which encode 8'-hydroxylase (a key enzyme in the oxidative catabolism of ABA), one cDNA (PpACS3) which encodes 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), and one cDNA (PpACO1) which encodes ACC oxidase involved in ethylene biosynthesis were cloned from 'Gold Nijisseiki' fruit. In the pulp, peel and seed, expressions of PpNCED1 and PpNCED2 rose in two stages which corresponded with the increase of ABA levels. The expression of PpCYP707A1 dramatically declined after 60-90 days after full bloom (DAFB) in contrast to the changes of ABA levels during this period, while PpCYP707A2 stayed low during the whole development of fruit. Application of exogenous ABA at 100 DAFB increased the soluble sugar content and the ethylene release but significantly decreased the titratable acid and chlorophyll contents in fruits. When fruits harvested at 100 DAFB were stored in the laboratory (25 °C, 50% relative humidity), the ABA content and the expressions of PpNCED1/2 and PpCYP707A1 in the pulp, peel and seed increased significantly, while ethylene reached its highest value after the maximum peak of ABA accompanied with the expressions of PpACS3 and PpACO1. In sum the endogenous ABA may play an important role in the fruit ripening and dehydration of pear 'Gold Nijisseiki' and the ABA level was regulated mainly by the dynamics of PpNCED1, PpNCED2 and PpCYP707A1 at the transcriptional level. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Gene Overexpression and RNA Silencing Tools for the Genetic Manipulation of the S-(+)-Abscisic Acid Producing Ascomycete Botrytis cinerea

PubMed Central

Ding, Zhong-Tao; Zhang, Zhi; Luo, Di; Zhou, Jin-Yan; Zhong, Juan; Yang, Jie; Xiao, Liang; Shu, Dan; Tan, Hong

2015-01-01

The phytopathogenic ascomycete Botrytis cinerea produces several secondary metabolites that have biotechnical significance and has been particularly used for S-(+)-abscisic acid production at the industrial scale. To manipulate the expression levels of specific secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes of B. cinerea with Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system, two expression vectors (pCBh1 and pCBg1 with different selection markers) and one RNA silencing vector, pCBSilent1, were developed with the In-Fusion assembly method. Both expression vectors were highly effective in constitutively expressing eGFP, and pCBSilent1 effectively silenced the eGFP gene in B. cinerea. Bcaba4, a gene suggested to participate in ABA biosynthesis in B. cinerea, was then targeted for gene overexpression and RNA silencing with these reverse genetic tools. The overexpression of bcaba4 dramatically induced ABA formation in the B. cinerea wild type strain Bc-6, and the gene silencing of bcaba4 significantly reduced ABA-production in an ABA-producing B. cinerea strain. PMID:25955649

The P450 Monooxygenase BcABA1 Is Essential for Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis in Botrytis cinerea

PubMed Central

Siewers, Verena; Smedsgaard, Jørn; Tudzynski, Paul

2004-01-01

The phytopathogenic ascomycete Botrytis cinerea is known to produce abscisic acid (ABA), which is thought to be involved in host-pathogen interaction. Biochemical analyses had previously shown that, in contrast to higher plants, the fungal ABA biosynthesis probably does not proceed via carotenoids but involves direct cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate and subsequent oxidation steps. We present here evidence that this “direct” pathway is indeed the only one used by an ABA-overproducing strain of B. cinerea. Targeted inactivation of the gene bccpr1 encoding a cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase reduced the ABA production significantly, proving the involvement of P450 monooxygenases in the pathway. Expression analysis of 28 different putative P450 monooxygenase genes revealed two that were induced under ABA biosynthesis conditions. Targeted inactivation showed that one of these, bcaba1, is essential for ABA biosynthesis: ΔBcaba1 mutants contained no residual ABA. Thus, bcaba1 represents the first identified fungal ABA biosynthetic gene. PMID:15240257

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rock, C.D.; Zeevaart, J.A.D.

Previous {sup 18}O labeling studies of abscisic acid (ABA) have shown that apple (Malus domestica Borkh. cv Granny Smith) fruits synthesize a majority of ({sup 18}O)ABA with the label incorporated in the 1{prime}-hydroxyl position and unlabeled in the carboxyl group (JAD Zeevaart, TG Heath, DA Gage (1989) Plant Physiol 91: 1594-1601). It was proposed that exchange of {sup 18}O in the side chain with the medium occurred at an aldehyde intermediate stage of ABA biosynthesis. We have isolated ABA-aldehyde and 1{prime}-4{prime}-trans-ABA-diol (ABA-trans-diol) from {sup 18}O-labeled apple fruit tissue and measured the extent and position of {sup 18}O incorporation by tandemmore » mass spectrometry. {sup 18}O-Labeling patterns of ABA-aldehyde, ABA-trans-diol, and ABA indicate that ABA-aldehyde is a precursor to, and ABA-trans-diol a catabolite of, ABA. Exchange of {sup 18}O in the carbonyl of ABA-aldehyde can be the cause of loss of {sup 18}O from the side chain of ({sup 18}O)ABA. Results of feeding experiments with deuterated substrates provide further support for the precursor-product relationship of ABA-aldehyde {yields} ABA {yields} ABA-trans-diol. The ABA-aldehyde and ABA-trans-diol contents of fruits and leaves were low, approximately 1 and 0.02 nanograms per gram fresh weight for ABA-aldehyde and ABA-trans-diol, respectively, while ABA levels in fruits ranged from 10 to 200 nanograms per gram fresh weight. ABA biosynthesis was about 10-fold lower in fruits than in leaves. In fruits, the majority of ABA was conjugated to {beta}-D-glucopyranosyl abscisate, whereas in leaves ABA was mainly hydroxylated to phaseic acid. Parallel pathways for ABA and trans-ABA biosynthesis and conjugation in fruits and leaves are proposed.« less

Comprehensive Analysis of ABA Effects on Ethylene Biosynthesis and Signaling during Tomato Fruit Ripening.

PubMed

Mou, Wangshu; Li, Dongdong; Bu, Jianwen; Jiang, Yuanyuan; Khan, Zia Ullah; Luo, Zisheng; Mao, Linchun; Ying, Tiejin

2016-01-01

ABA has been widely acknowledged to regulate ethylene biosynthesis and signaling during fruit ripening, but the molecular mechanism underlying the interaction between these two hormones are largely unexplored. In the present study, exogenous ABA treatment obviously promoted fruit ripening as well as ethylene emission, whereas NDGA (Nordihydroguaiaretic acid, an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis) application showed the opposite biological effects. Combined RNA-seq with time-course RT-PCR analysis, our study not only helped to illustrate how ABA regulated itself at the transcription level, but also revealed that ABA can facilitate ethylene production and response probably by regulating some crucial genes such as LeACS4, LeACO1, GR and LeETR6. In addition, investigation on the fruits treated with 1-MCP immediately after ABA exposure revealed that ethylene might be essential for the induction of ABA biosynthesis and signaling at the onset of fruit ripening. Furthermore, some specific transcription factors (TFs) known as regulators of ethylene synthesis and sensibility (e.g. MADS-RIN, TAGL1, CNR and NOR) were also observed to be ABA responsive, which implied that ABA influenced ethylene action possibly through the regulation of these TFs expression. Our comprehensive physiological and molecular-level analysis shed light on the mechanism of cross-talk between ABA and ethylene during the process of tomato fruit ripening.

Comprehensive Analysis of ABA Effects on Ethylene Biosynthesis and Signaling during Tomato Fruit Ripening

PubMed Central

Bu, Jianwen; Jiang, Yuanyuan; Khan, Zia Ullah; Luo, Zisheng; Mao, Linchun; Ying, Tiejin

2016-01-01

ABA has been widely acknowledged to regulate ethylene biosynthesis and signaling during fruit ripening, but the molecular mechanism underlying the interaction between these two hormones are largely unexplored. In the present study, exogenous ABA treatment obviously promoted fruit ripening as well as ethylene emission, whereas NDGA (Nordihydroguaiaretic acid, an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis) application showed the opposite biological effects. Combined RNA-seq with time-course RT-PCR analysis, our study not only helped to illustrate how ABA regulated itself at the transcription level, but also revealed that ABA can facilitate ethylene production and response probably by regulating some crucial genes such as LeACS4, LeACO1, GR and LeETR6. In addition, investigation on the fruits treated with 1-MCP immediately after ABA exposure revealed that ethylene might be essential for the induction of ABA biosynthesis and signaling at the onset of fruit ripening. Furthermore, some specific transcription factors (TFs) known as regulators of ethylene synthesis and sensibility (e.g. MADS-RIN, TAGL1, CNR and NOR) were also observed to be ABA responsive, which implied that ABA influenced ethylene action possibly through the regulation of these TFs expression. Our comprehensive physiological and molecular-level analysis shed light on the mechanism of cross-talk between ABA and ethylene during the process of tomato fruit ripening. PMID:27100326

The effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on growth, stomata, flavonoid, and ABA content in cucumber leaves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Lizhe; Wang, Jianhui; Liu, Yanhong; Chen, Tuo; Xu, Shijian; Feng, Huyuan; Wang, Xunling

2003-06-01

Cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Jinchun No 3) grown in a greenhouse were treated with three different biologically effective ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation levels: 1.28 kJ. m-2 (CK), 8.82kJ.m-2 (T1) and 12.6 kJ. m-2 (T2). Irradiances corresponded to 8% and 21% reduction in stratospheric ozone in Lanzhou. Plants at three-leaf stage were irradiated 7 h daily for 25 days. The growth, stomata, flavonoid and ABA content in cucumber leaves exposed to 3 levels of UV-B radiation were determined in this paper. The results indicated that, compared with the control after 25 days UV-B radiation, RI of cucumber under T1 treatment is -18.0% and RI under T2 treatment is -48% mostly because of the reduce of leave area and dry weight accompanying with the increase of SLW; the rate of stomata closure under the treatments of T1 and T2 on the 6th day was up to respectively 70% and 89%, and amounted to 90% and 100% on the 18th day, and the guard cells in some stomata apparatus became permanent pores and lost their function at the same time; with the duration of UV-B radiation, the rise of the absorbance to ultraviolet light (305nm) showed the content increase of flavonoid; Abscisic acid (ABA) was determined by means of ELISA which showed that under the T1 treatment, the content of ABA was up to maximum to 510% higher than that of the control on the 21st day, meanwhile, under the treatment of T2, it was the highest on the 18th day to 680% of the control, and then had a decrease tendency on 21st day. The result still indicated that ABA accumulation could be induced by enhanced UV-B the radiation. The bigger was the dose of radiation, the higher was the accumulation of ABA. When intensity of UV-B radiation went beyond the degree of endurance of cucumber plants, ABA content descended then. Cucumber plants resist enhanced UV-B radiation by means of improving the contents of ABA and flavonoid. The increase of ABA content in cucumber leaves could lead to the stomata closure. Therefore, the changes of ABA content and absorbance, the rate of stoma closure in cucumber leaves were the adaptive mechanism to enhanced UV-B radiation.

[Role of NO signal in ABA-induced phenolic acids accumulation in Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots].

PubMed

Shen, Lihong; Ren, Jiahui; Jin, Wenfang; Wang, Ruijie; Ni, Chunhong; Tong, Mengjiao; Liang, Zongsuo; Yang, Dongfeng

2016-02-01

To investigate roles of nitric oxide (NO) signal in accumulations of phenolic acids in abscisic.acid (ABA)-induced Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots, S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots were treated with different concentrations of sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-an exogenous NO donor, for 6 days, and contents of phenolic acids in the hairy roots are determined. Then with treatment of ABA and NO scavenger (2-(4-carboxy-2-phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1- oxyl-3-oxide, c-PTIO) or NO synthase inhibitor (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-NAME), contents of phenolic acids and expression levels of three key genes involved in phenolic acids biosynthesis were detected. Phenolic acids production in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots was most significantly improved by 100 µmoL/L SNP. Contents of RA and salvianolic acid B increased by 3 and 4 folds. ABA significantly improved transcript levels of PAL (phenylalanine ammonia lyase), TAT (tyrosine aminotransferase) and RAS (rosmarinic acid synthase), and increased phenolic acids accumulations. However, with treatments of ABA+c-PTIO or ABA+L-NAME, accumulations of phenolic acids and expression levels of the three key genes were significantly inhibited. Both NO and ABA can increase accumulations of phenolic acids in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots. NO signal probably mediates the ABA-induced phenolic acids production.

Basic leucine zipper transcription factor SlbZIP1 mediates salt and drought stress tolerance in tomato.

PubMed

Zhu, Mingku; Meng, Xiaoqing; Cai, Jing; Li, Ge; Dong, Tingting; Li, Zongyun

2018-05-08

Basic region/leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors perform as crucial regulators in ABA-mediated stress response in plants. Nevertheless, the functions for most bZIP family members in tomato remain to be deciphered. Here we examined the functional characterization of SlbZIP1 under salt and drought stresses in tomato. Silencing of SlbZIP1 in tomato resulted in reduced expression of multiple ABA biosynthesis- and signal transduction-related genes in transgenic plants. In stress assays, SlbZIP1-RNAi transgenic plants exhibited reduced tolerance to salt and drought stresses compared with WT plants, as are evaluated by multiple physiological parameters associated with stress responses, such as decreased ABA, chlorophyll contents and CAT activity, and increased MDA content. In addition, RNA-seq analysis of transgenic plants revealed that the transcription levels of multiple genes encoding defense proteins related to responses to abiotic stress (e.g. endochitinase, peroxidases, and lipid transfer proteins) and biotic stress (e.g. pathogenesis-related proteins) were downregulated in SlbZIP1-RNAi plants, suggesting that SlbZIP1 plays a role in regulating the genes related to biotic and abiotic stress response. Collectively, the data suggest that SlbZIP1 exerts an essential role in salt and drought stress tolerance through modulating an ABA-mediated pathway, and SlbZIP1 may hold potential applications in the engineering of salt- and drought-tolerant tomato cultivars.

Profiling ABA metabolites in Nicotiana tabacum L. leaves by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Turecková, Veronika; Novák, Ondrej; Strnad, Miroslav

2009-11-15

We have developed a simple method for extracting and purifying (+)-abscisic acid (ABA) and eight ABA metabolites--phaseic acid (PA), dihydrophaseic acid (DPA), neophaseic acid (neoPA), ABA-glucose ester (ABAGE), 7'-hydroxy-ABA (7'-OH-ABA), 9'-hydroxy-ABA (9'-OH-ABA), ABAaldehyde, and ABAalcohol--before analysis by a novel technique for these substances, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The procedure includes addition of deuterium-labelled standards, extraction with methanol-water-acetic acid (10:89:1, v/v), simple purification by Oasis((R)) HLB cartridges, rapid chromatographic separation by UPLC, and sensitive, accurate quantification by MS/MS in multiple reaction monitoring modes. The detection limits of the technique ranged between 0.1 and 1 pmol for ABAGE and ABA acids in negative ion mode, and 0.01-0.50 pmol for ABAGE, ABAaldehyde, ABAalcohol and the methylated acids in positive ion mode. The fast liquid chromatographic separation and analysis of ABA and its eight measured derivatives by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS provide rapid, accurate and robust quantification of most of the substances, and the low detection limits allow small amounts of tissue (1-5mg) to be used in quantitative analysis. To demonstrate the potential of the technique, we isolated ABA and its metabolites from control and water-stressed tobacco leaf tissues then analysed them by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Only ABA, PA, DPA, neoPA, and ABAGE were detected in the samples. PA was the most abundant analyte (ca. 1000 pmol/g f.w.) in both the control and water-stressed tissues, followed by ABAGE and DPA, which were both present at levels ca. 5-fold lower. ABA levels were at least 100-fold lower than PA concentrations, but they increased following the water stress treatment, while ABAGE, PA, and DPA levels decreased. Overall, the technique offers substantial improvements over previously described methods, enabling the detailed, direct study of diverse ABA metabolites in small amounts of plant tissue.

Gladiolus hybridus ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 5 (GhABI5) is an important transcription factor in ABA signaling that can enhance Gladiolus corm dormancy and Arabidopsis seed dormancy

PubMed Central

Wu, Jian; Seng, Shanshan; Sui, Juanjuan; Vonapartis, Eliana; Luo, Xian; Gong, Benhe; Liu, Chen; Wu, Chenyu; Liu, Chao; Zhang, Fengqin; He, Junna; Yi, Mingfang

2015-01-01

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates plant development and is crucial for abiotic stress response. In this study, cold storage contributes to reducing endogenous ABA content, resulting in dormancy breaking of Gladiolus. The ABA inhibitor fluridone also promotes germination, suggesting that ABA is an important hormone that regulates corm dormancy. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of the Gladiolus ABI5 homolog (GhABI5), which is a basic leucine zipper motif transcriptional factor (TF). GhABI5 is expressed in dormant vegetative organs (corm, cormel, and stolon) as well as in reproductive organs (stamen), and it is up-regulated by ABA or drought. Complementation analysis reveals that GhABI5 rescues the ABA insensitivity of abi5-3 during seed germination and induces the expression of downstream ABA response genes in Arabidopsis thaliana (EM1, EM6, and RD29B). Down-regulation of GhABI5 in dormant cormels via virus induced gene silence promotes sprouting and reduces the expression of downstream genes (GhLEA and GhRD29B). The results of this study reveal that GhABI5 regulates bud dormancy (vegetative organ) in Gladiolus in addition to its well-studied function in Arabidopsis seeds (reproductive organ). PMID:26579187

An ABA-mimicking ligand that reduces water loss and promotes drought resistance in plants

PubMed Central

Cao, Minjie; Liu, Xue; Zhang, Yan; Xue, Xiaoqian; Zhou, X Edward; Melcher, Karsten; Gao, Pan; Wang, Fuxing; Zeng, Liang; Zhao, Yang; Zhao, Yang; Deng, Pan; Zhong, Dafang; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Xu, H Eric; Xu, Yong

2013-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is the most important hormone for plants to resist drought and other abiotic stresses. ABA binds directly to the PYR/PYL family of ABA receptors, resulting in inhibition of type 2C phosphatases (PP2C) and activation of downstream ABA signaling. It is envisioned that intervention of ABA signaling by small molecules could help plants to overcome abiotic stresses such as drought, cold and soil salinity. However, chemical instability and rapid catabolism by plant enzymes limit the practical application of ABA itself. Here we report the identification of a small molecule ABA mimic (AM1) that acts as a potent activator of multiple members of the family of ABA receptors. In Arabidopsis, AM1 activates a gene network that is highly similar to that induced by ABA. Treatments with AM1 inhibit seed germination, prevent leaf water loss, and promote drought resistance. We solved the crystal structure of AM1 in complex with the PYL2 ABA receptor and the HAB1 PP2C, which revealed that AM1 mediates a gate-latch-lock interacting network, a structural feature that is conserved in the ABA-bound receptor/PP2C complex. Together, these results demonstrate that a single small molecule ABA mimic can activate multiple ABA receptors and protect plants from water loss and drought stress. Moreover, the AM1 complex crystal structure provides a structural basis for designing the next generation of ABA-mimicking small molecules. PMID:23835477

Overexpression of an ABA biosynthesis gene using a stress inducible promoter enhances drought resistance in petunia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plants respond to drought stress by closing their stomata and reducing transpirational water loss. The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates growth and stomatal closure particularly when the plant is under environmental stresses. One of the key enzymes in the ABA biosynthesis of higher plants ...

Electrochemical behavior and voltammetric determination of acetaminophen based on glassy carbon electrodes modified with poly(4-aminobenzoic acid)/electrochemically reduced graphene oxide composite films.

PubMed

Zhu, Wencai; Huang, Hui; Gao, Xiaochun; Ma, Houyi

2014-12-01

Poly(4-aminobenzoic acid)/electrochemically reduced graphene oxide composite film modified glassy carbon electrodes (4-ABA/ERGO/GCEs) were fabricated by a two-step electrochemical method. The electrochemical behavior of acetaminophen at the modified electrode was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry. The results indicated that 4-ABA/ERGO composite films possessed excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of acetaminophen. The electrochemical reaction of acetaminophen at 4-ABA/ERGO/GCE is proved to be a surface-controlled process involving the same number of protons and electrons. The voltammetric determination of acetaminophen performed with the 4-ABA/ERGO modified electrode presents a good linearity in the range of 0.1-65 μM with a low detection limit of 0.01 μM (S/N=3). In the case of using the 4-ABA/ERGO/GCE, acetaminophen and dopamine can be simultaneously determined without mutual interference. Furthermore, the 4-ABA/ERGO/GCE has good reproducibility and stability, and can be used to determine acetaminophen in tablets. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of abscisic acid and its glucosyl ester in embryogenic callus cultures of Vitis vinifera in relation to the maturation of somatic embryos using a new liquid chromatography-ELISA analysis method.

PubMed

Prado, María Jesús; Largo, Asier; Domínguez, Cristina; González, María Victoria; Rey, Manuel; Centeno, María Luz

2014-06-15

The levels of abscisic acid (ABA), its conjugate ABA-GE, and IAA were determined in embryogenic calli of Vitis vinifera L. (cv. Mencía) cultured in DM1 differentiation medium, to relate them to the maturation process of somatic embryos. To achieve this goal, we developed an analytical method that included two steps of solid-phase extraction, chromatographic separation by HPLC, ABA-GE hydrolysis, and sensitive ELISA quantification. Because the ABA immunoassay was based on new polyclonal antibodies raised against a C4'-ABA conjugate, the assay was characterized (detection limit, midrange, measure range, and cross-reaction) and validated by a comparison of the ABA data obtained with this ELISA procedure and with a physicochemical method (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Radioactive-labeled internal standards were initially added to callus extracts to correct the losses of plant hormones, and thus assure the accuracy of the measurements. The endogenous concentration of ABA in the embryogenic callus cultured in DM1 medium was doubled at the fifth week of culture, concurring with the maturation process of somatic embryos, as indicated by the accumulation of carbohydrates observed through histological analysis. The ABA-GE content was higher than ABA, decreasing at 21 days of culture in DM1 medium but increasing thereafter. The data suggest the involvement of the synthesis and conjugation of ABA in the final stages of development in grapevine somatic embryos from embryogenic callus. IAA levels were low, suggesting that auxin plays no significant role during the maturation of somatic embryos. In addition, the lower ABA levels in calli cultured in DM differentiation medium with PGRs, a medium presenting high precocious germination and deficiencies in somatic embryo development indicate that an increase in ABA content during the development of somatic embryos in grapevine is necessary for their correct maturation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Role of the Putative Osmosensor Arabidopsis Histidine Kinase1 in Dehydration Avoidance and Low-Water-Potential Response1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Kumar, M. Nagaraj; Jane, Wann-Neng; Verslues, Paul E.

2013-01-01

The molecular basis of plant osmosensing remains unknown. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Histidine Kinase1 (AHK1) can complement the osmosensitivity of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) osmosensor mutants lacking Synthetic Lethal of N-end rule1 and SH3-containing Osmosensor and has been proposed to act as a plant osmosensor. We found that ahk1 mutants in either the Arabidopsis Nossen-0 or Columbia-0 background had increased stomatal density and stomatal index consistent with greater transpirational water loss. However, the growth of ahk1 mutants was not more sensitive to controlled moderate low water potential (ψw) or to salt stress. Also, ahk1 mutants had increased, rather than reduced, solute accumulation across a range of low ψw severities. ahk1 mutants had reduced low ψw induction of Δ1-Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate Synthetase1 (P5CS1) and 9-cis-Epoxycarotenoid Dioxygenase3, which encode rate-limiting enzymes in proline and abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis, respectively. However, neither Pro nor ABA accumulation was reduced in ahk1 mutants at low ψw. P5CS1 protein level was not reduced in ahk1 mutants. This indicated that proline accumulation was regulated in part by posttranscriptional control of P5CS1 that was not affected by AHK1. Expression of AHK1 itself was reduced by low ψw, in contrast to previous reports. These results define a role of AHK1 in controlling stomatal density and the transcription of stress-responsive genes. These phenotypes may be mediated in part by reduced ABA sensitivity. More rapid transpiration and water depletion can also explain the previously reported sensitivity of ahk1 to uncontrolled soil drying. The unimpaired growth, ABA, proline, and solute accumulation of ahk1 mutants at low ψw suggest that AHK1 may not be the main plant osmosensor required for low ψw tolerance. PMID:23184230

AgRP(83-132) and SHU9119 differently affect activity-based anorexia.

PubMed

Hillebrand, Jacquelien J G; Kas, Martien J H; Scheurink, Anton J W; van Dijk, Gertjan; Adan, Roger A H

2006-08-01

Activity-based anorexia (ABA) mimics starvation and hyperactivity of anorexia nervosa patients in rats. Activation of the melanocortin (MC) system leads to hypophagia and increased energy expenditure in ad libitum fed rats. Therefore, activation of the MC system might underlie the development and propagation of ABA. Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene expression is normally decreased during negative energy balance. Strikingly, we found a transient up-regulation of POMC mRNA levels in the arcuate nucleus during the development of ABA, indicating a hyperactive MC system. However, wheel running and food intake were not influenced by treating ABA rats with the competitive antagonist SHU9119. This suggests that agonism of MC receptors by endogenous alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) levels does not underlie ABA. Instead, treatment with the inverse agonist AgRP(83-132) did ameliorate signs of ABA. This implies that modulation of constitutive MC receptor activity rather than antagonizing putative alpha-MSH release contributes to the development and propagation of ABA.

Regulation of carotenoid and ABA accumulation during the development and germination of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia seeds.

PubMed

Frey, Anne; Boutin, Jean-Pierre; Sotta, Bruno; Mercier, Raphaël; Marion-Poll, Annie

2006-08-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is derived from epoxycarotenoid cleavage and regulates seed development and maturation. A detailed carotenoid analysis was undertaken to study the contribution of epoxycarotenoid synthesis to the regulation of ABA accumulation in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia developing seeds. Maximal accumulation of xanthophylls occurred at mid-development in wild type seeds, when total ABA levels also peaked. In contrast, in ABA-deficient mutants xanthophyll synthesis was delayed, in agreement with the retardation in seed maturation. Seed dormancy was restored in mutants impaired in the conversion of zeaxanthin into violaxanthin by zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), by the introduction of the Arabidopsis AtZEP gene under the control of promoters inducing expression during later stages of seed development compared to wild type NpZEP, and in dry and imbibed seeds. Alterations in the timing and level of ZEP expression did not highly affect the temporal regulation of ABA accumulation in transgenic seeds, despite notable perturbations in xanthophyll accumulation. Therefore, major regulatory control of ABA accumulation might occur downstream of epoxycarotenoid synthesis.

Fruit load induces changes in global gene expression and in abscisic acid (ABA) and indole acetic acid (IAA) homeostasis in citrus buds.

PubMed

Shalom, Liron; Samuels, Sivan; Zur, Naftali; Shlizerman, Lyudmila; Doron-Faigenboim, Adi; Blumwald, Eduardo; Sadka, Avi

2014-07-01

Many fruit trees undergo cycles of heavy fruit load (ON-Crop) in one year, followed by low fruit load (OFF-Crop) the following year, a phenomenon known as alternate bearing (AB). The mechanism by which fruit load affects flowering induction during the following year (return bloom) is still unclear. Although not proven, it is commonly accepted that the fruit or an organ which senses fruit presence generates an inhibitory signal that moves into the bud and inhibits apical meristem transition. Indeed, fruit removal from ON-Crop trees (de-fruiting) induces return bloom. Identification of regulatory or metabolic processes modified in the bud in association with altered fruit load might shed light on the nature of the AB signalling process. The bud transcriptome of de-fruited citrus trees was compared with those of ON- and OFF-Crop trees. Fruit removal resulted in relatively rapid changes in global gene expression, including induction of photosynthetic genes and proteins. Altered regulatory mechanisms included abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism and auxin polar transport. Genes of ABA biosynthesis were induced; however, hormone analyses showed that the ABA level was reduced in OFF-Crop buds and in buds shortly following fruit removal. Additionally, genes associated with Ca(2+)-dependent auxin polar transport were remarkably induced in buds of OFF-Crop and de-fruited trees. Hormone analyses showed that auxin levels were reduced in these buds as compared with ON-Crop buds. In view of the auxin transport autoinhibition theory, the possibility that auxin distribution plays a role in determining bud fate is discussed. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

FERONIA interacts with ABI2-type phosphatases to facilitate signaling cross-talk between abscisic acid and RALF peptide in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Chen, Jia; Yu, Feng; Liu, Ying; Du, Changqing; Li, Xiushan; Zhu, Sirui; Wang, Xianchun; Lan, Wenzhi; Rodriguez, Pedro L.; Liu, Xuanming; Li, Dongping; Chen, Liangbi; Luan, Sheng

2016-01-01

Receptor-like kinase FERONIA (FER) plays a crucial role in plant response to small molecule hormones [e.g., auxin and abscisic acid (ABA)] and peptide signals [e.g., rapid alkalinization factor (RALF)]. It remains unknown how FER integrates these different signaling events in the control of cell growth and stress responses. Under stress conditions, increased levels of ABA will inhibit cell elongation in the roots. In our previous work, we have shown that FER, through activation of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 (GEF1)/4/10-Rho of Plant 11 (ROP11) pathway, enhances the activity of the phosphatase ABA Insensitive 2 (ABI2), a negative regulator of ABA signaling, thereby inhibiting ABA response. In this study, we found that both RALF and ABA activated FER by increasing the phosphorylation level of FER. The FER loss-of-function mutant displayed strong hypersensitivity to both ABA and abiotic stresses such as salt and cold conditions, indicating that FER plays a key role in ABA and stress responses. We further showed that ABI2 directly interacted with and dephosphorylated FER, leading to inhibition of FER activity. Several other ABI2-like phosphatases also function in this pathway, and ABA-dependent FER activation required PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE (PYR)/PYR1-LIKE (PYL)/REGULATORY COMPONENTS OF ABA RECEPTORS (RCAR)–A-type protein phosphatase type 2C (PP2CA) modules. Furthermore, suppression of RALF1 gene expression, similar to disruption of the FER gene, rendered plants hypersensitive to ABA. These results formulated a mechanism for ABA activation of FER and for cross-talk between ABA and peptide hormone RALF in the control of plant growth and responses to stress signals. PMID:27566404

The Putative E3 Ubiquitin Ligase ECERIFERUM9 Regulates Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis and Response during Seed Germination and Postgermination Growth in Arabidopsis1[W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Zhao, Huayan; Zhang, Huoming; Cui, Peng; Ding, Feng; Wang, Guangchao; Li, Rongjun; Jenks, Matthew A.; Lü, Shiyou; Xiong, Liming

2014-01-01

The ECERIFERUM9 (CER9) gene encodes a putative E3 ubiquitin ligase that functions in cuticle biosynthesis and the maintenance of plant water status. Here, we found that CER9 is also involved in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling in seeds and young seedlings of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The germinated embryos of the mutants exhibited enhanced sensitivity to ABA during the transition from reversible dormancy to determinate seedling growth. Expression of the CER9 gene is closely related to ABA levels and displays a similar pattern to that of ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5), which encodes a positive regulator of ABA responses in seeds. cer9 mutant seeds exhibited delayed germination that is independent of seed coat permeability. Quantitative proteomic analyses showed that cer9 seeds had a protein profile similar to that of the wild type treated with ABA. Transcriptomics analyses revealed that genes involved in ABA biosynthesis or signaling pathways were differentially regulated in cer9 seeds. Consistent with this, high levels of ABA were detected in dry seeds of cer9. Blocking ABA biosynthesis by fluridone treatment or by combining an ABA-deficient mutation with cer9 attenuated the phenotypes of cer9. Whereas introduction of the abi1-1, abi3-1, or abi4-103 mutation could completely eliminate the ABA hypersensitivity of cer9, introduction of abi5 resulted only in partial suppression. These results indicate that CER9 is a novel negative regulator of ABA biosynthesis and the ABA signaling pathway during seed germination. PMID:24812105

Two New Alleles of the abscisic aldehyde oxidase 3 Gene Reveal Its Role in Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis in Seeds1

PubMed Central

González-Guzmán, Miguel; Abia, David; Salinas, Julio; Serrano, Ramón; Rodríguez, Pedro L.

2004-01-01

The abscisic aldehyde oxidase 3 (AAO3) gene product of Arabidopsis catalyzes the final step in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. An aao3-1 mutant in a Landsberg erecta genetic background exhibited a wilty phenotype in rosette leaves, whereas seed dormancy was not affected (Seo et al., 2000a). Therefore, it was speculated that a different aldehyde oxidase would be the major contributor to ABA biosynthesis in seeds (Seo et al., 2000a). Through a screening based on germination under high-salt concentration, we isolated two mutants in a Columbia genetic background, initially named sre2-1 and sre2-2 (for salt resistant). Complementation tests with different ABA-deficient mutants indicated that sre2-1 and sre2-2 mutants were allelic to aao3-1, and therefore they were renamed as aao3-2 and aao3-3, respectively. Indeed, molecular characterization of the aao3-2 mutant revealed a T-DNA insertional mutation that abolished the transcription of AAO3 gene, while sequence analysis of AAO3 in aao3-3 mutant revealed a deletion of three nucleotides and several missense mutations. Physiological characterization of aao3-2 and aao3-3 mutants revealed a wilty phenotype and osmotolerance in germination assays. In contrast to aao3-1, both aao3-2 and aao3-3 mutants showed a reduced dormancy. Accordingly, ABA levels were reduced in dry seeds and rosette leaves of both aao3-2 and aao3-3. Taken together, these results indicate that AAO3 gene product plays a major role in seed ABA biosynthesis. PMID:15122034

TaCHP: a wheat zinc finger protein gene down-regulated by abscisic acid and salinity stress plays a positive role in stress tolerance.

PubMed

Li, Cuiling; Lv, Jian; Zhao, Xin; Ai, Xinghui; Zhu, Xinlei; Wang, Mengcheng; Zhao, Shuangyi; Xia, Guangmin

2010-09-01

The plant response to abiotic stresses involves both abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent and ABA-independent signaling pathways. Here we describe TaCHP, a CHP-rich (for cysteine, histidine, and proline rich) zinc finger protein family gene extracted from bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), is differentially expressed during abiotic stress between the salinity-sensitive cultivar Jinan 177 and its tolerant somatic hybrid introgression cultivar Shanrong No.3. TaCHP expressed in the roots of seedlings at the three-leaf stage, and the transcript localized within the cells of the root tip cortex and meristem. TaCHP transcript abundance was higher in Shanrong No.3 than in Jinan 177, but was reduced by the imposition of salinity or drought stress, as well as by the exogenous supply of ABA. When JN17, a salinity hypersensitive wheat cultivar, was engineered to overexpress TaCHP, its performance in the face of salinity stress was improved, and the ectopic expression of TaCHP in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) also improved the ability of salt tolerance. The expression level of a number of stress reporter genes (AtCBF3, AtDREB2A, AtABI2, and AtABI1) was raised in the transgenic lines in the presence of salinity stress, while that of AtMYB15, AtABA2, and AtAAO3 was reduced in its absence. The presence in the upstream region of the TaCHP open reading frame of the cis-elements ABRE, MYBRS, and MYCRS suggests that it is a component of the ABA-dependent and -independent signaling pathways involved in the plant response to abiotic stress. We suggest that TaCHP enhances stress tolerance via the promotion of CBF3 and DREB2A expression.

Glutathione and abscisic acid supplementation influences somatic embryo maturation and hormone endogenous levels during somatic embryogenesis in Podocarpus lambertii Klotzsch ex Endl.

PubMed

Fraga, Hugo Pacheco de Freitas; Vieira, Leila do Nascimento; Puttkammer, Catarina Corrêa; Dos Santos, Henrique Pessoa; Garighan, Julio de Andrade; Guerra, Miguel Pedro

2016-12-01

Here we propose a protocol for embryogenic cultures induction, proliferation and maturation for the Brazilian conifer Podocarpus lambertii, and investigated the effect of abscisic acid (ABA) and glutathione (GSH) supplementation on the maturation phase. ABA, zeatin (Z) and salicylic acid (SA) endogenous levels were quantified. Number of somatic embryos obtained in ABA-supplemented treatment was significant higher than in ABA-free treatment, showing the relevance of ABA supplementation during somatic embryos maturation. Histological analysis showed the stereotyped sequence of developmental stages in conifer somatic embryos, reaching the late torpedo-staged embryo. GSH supplementation in maturation culture medium improved the somatic embryos number and morphological features. GSH 0mM and GSH 0.1mM treatments correlated with a decreased ABA endogenous level during maturation, while GSH 0.5mM treatment showed constant levels. All treatments resulted in decreased Z endogenous levels, supporting the concept that cytokinins are important during the initial cell division but not for the later stages of embryo development. The lowest SA levels found in GSH 0.5mM treatment were coincident with early embryonic development, and this treatment resulted in the highest development of somatic embryos. Thus, a correlation between lower SA levels and improved somatic embryo formation can be hypothesized. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential hormonal and gene expression dynamics in two inbred sunflower lines with contrasting dormancy level.

PubMed

Roselló, Paula L; Vigliocco, Ana E; Andrade, Andrea M; Riera, Natalí V; Calafat, Mario; Molas, María L; Alemano, Sergio G

2016-05-01

Seed germination and dormancy are tightly regulated by hormone metabolism and signaling pathway. We investigated the endogenous content of abscisic acid (ABA), its catabolites, and gibberellins (GAs), as well as the expression level of certain ABA and GAs metabolic and signaling genes in embryo of dry and imbibed cypselas of inbred sunflower (Helianthus annuus L., Asteraceae) lines: B123 (dormant) and B91 (non-dormant). Under our experimental conditions, the expression of RGL2 gene might be related to the ABA peak in B123 line at 3 h of imbibition. Indeed, RGL2 transcripts are absent in dry and early embedded cypselas of the non-dormant line B91. ABA increase was accompanied by a significant ABA-Glucosyl ester (ABA-GE) and phaseic acid (PA) (two ABA catabolites) decrease in B123 line (3 h) which indicates that ABA metabolism seems to be more active in this line, and that it would be involved in the imposition and maintenance of sunflower seed dormancy, as it has been reported for many species. Finally, an increase of bioactive GAs (GA1 and GA3) occurs at 12 h of imbibition in both lines after a decrease in ABA content. This study shows the first report about the RGL2 tissue-specific gene expression in sunflower inbred lines with contrasting dormancy level. Furthermore, our results provide evidence that ABA and GAs content and differential expression of metabolism and signaling genes would be interacting in seed dormancy regulation through a mechanism of action related to embryo itself. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Salt Stress Represses Soybean Seed Germination by Negatively Regulating GA Biosynthesis While Positively Mediating ABA Biosynthesis

PubMed Central

Shu, Kai; Qi, Ying; Chen, Feng; Meng, Yongjie; Luo, Xiaofeng; Shuai, Haiwei; Zhou, Wenguan; Ding, Jun; Du, Junbo; Liu, Jiang; Yang, Feng; Wang, Qiang; Liu, Weiguo; Yong, Taiwen; Wang, Xiaochun; Feng, Yuqi; Yang, Wenyu

2017-01-01

Soybean is an important and staple oilseed crop worldwide. Salinity stress has adverse effects on soybean development periods, especially on seed germination and post-germinative growth. Improving seed germination and emergence will have positive effects under salt stress conditions on agricultural production. Here we report that NaCl delays soybean seed germination by negatively regulating gibberellin (GA) while positively mediating abscisic acid (ABA) biogenesis, which leads to a decrease in the GA/ABA ratio. This study suggests that fluridone (FLUN), an ABA biogenesis inhibitor, might be a potential plant growth regulator that can promote soybean seed germination under saline stress. Different soybean cultivars, which possessed distinct genetic backgrounds, showed a similar repressed phenotype during seed germination under exogenous NaCl application. Biochemical analysis revealed that NaCl treatment led to high MDA (malondialdehyde) level during germination and the post-germinative growth stages. Furthermore, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities also changed after NaCl treatment. Subsequent quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis showed that the transcription levels of ABA and GA biogenesis and signaling genes were altered after NaCl treatment. In line with this, phytohormone measurement also revealed that NaCl considerably down-regulated active GA1, GA3, and GA4 levels, whereas the ABA content was up-regulated; and therefore ratios, such as GA1/ABA, GA3/ABA, and GA4/ABA, are decreased. Consistent with the hormonal quantification, FLUN partially rescued the delayed-germination phenotype caused by NaCl-treatment. Altogether, these results demonstrate that NaCl stress inhibits soybean seed germination by decreasing the GA/ABA ratio, and that FLUN might be a potential plant growth regulator that could promote soybean seed germination under salinity stress. PMID:28848576

Salt Stress Represses Soybean Seed Germination by Negatively Regulating GA Biosynthesis While Positively Mediating ABA Biosynthesis.

PubMed

Shu, Kai; Qi, Ying; Chen, Feng; Meng, Yongjie; Luo, Xiaofeng; Shuai, Haiwei; Zhou, Wenguan; Ding, Jun; Du, Junbo; Liu, Jiang; Yang, Feng; Wang, Qiang; Liu, Weiguo; Yong, Taiwen; Wang, Xiaochun; Feng, Yuqi; Yang, Wenyu

2017-01-01

Soybean is an important and staple oilseed crop worldwide. Salinity stress has adverse effects on soybean development periods, especially on seed germination and post-germinative growth. Improving seed germination and emergence will have positive effects under salt stress conditions on agricultural production. Here we report that NaCl delays soybean seed germination by negatively regulating gibberellin (GA) while positively mediating abscisic acid (ABA) biogenesis, which leads to a decrease in the GA/ABA ratio. This study suggests that fluridone (FLUN), an ABA biogenesis inhibitor, might be a potential plant growth regulator that can promote soybean seed germination under saline stress. Different soybean cultivars, which possessed distinct genetic backgrounds, showed a similar repressed phenotype during seed germination under exogenous NaCl application. Biochemical analysis revealed that NaCl treatment led to high MDA (malondialdehyde) level during germination and the post-germinative growth stages. Furthermore, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities also changed after NaCl treatment. Subsequent quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis showed that the transcription levels of ABA and GA biogenesis and signaling genes were altered after NaCl treatment. In line with this, phytohormone measurement also revealed that NaCl considerably down-regulated active GA 1 , GA 3 , and GA 4 levels, whereas the ABA content was up-regulated; and therefore ratios, such as GA 1 /ABA, GA 3 /ABA, and GA 4 /ABA, are decreased. Consistent with the hormonal quantification, FLUN partially rescued the delayed-germination phenotype caused by NaCl-treatment. Altogether, these results demonstrate that NaCl stress inhibits soybean seed germination by decreasing the GA/ABA ratio, and that FLUN might be a potential plant growth regulator that could promote soybean seed germination under salinity stress.

Proteomics and Functional Analyses of Pepper Abscisic Acid–Responsive 1 (ABR1), Which Is Involved in Cell Death and Defense Signaling[C][W

PubMed Central

Choi, Du Seok; Hwang, Byung Kook

2011-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key regulator of plant growth and development, as well as plant defense responses. A high-throughput in planta proteome screen identified the pepper (Capsicum annuum) GRAM (for glucosyltransferases, Rab-like GTPase activators, and myotubularins) domain-containing ABA-RESPONSIVE1 (ABR1), which is highly induced by infection with avirulent Xanthomonas campestris pv vesicatoria and also by treatment with ABA. The GRAM domain is essential for the cell death response and for the nuclear localization of ABR1. ABR1 is required for priming cell death and reactive oxygen species production, as well as ABA-salicylic acid (SA) antagonism. Silencing of ABR1 significantly compromised the hypersensitive response but enhanced bacterial pathogen growth and ABA levels in pepper. High levels of ABA in ABR1-silenced plants antagonized the SA levels induced by pathogen infection. Heterologous transgenic expression of ABR1 in Arabidopsis thaliana conferred enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato and Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis infection. The susceptibility of the Arabidopsis ABR1 putative ortholog mutant, abr1, to these pathogens also supports the involvement of ABR1 in disease resistance. Together, these results reveal ABR1 as a novel negative regulator of ABA signaling and suggest that the nuclear ABR1 pool is essential for the cell death induction associated with ABA-SA antagonism. PMID:21335377

Involvement of plant endogenous ABA in Bacillus megaterium PGPR activity in tomato plants.

PubMed

Porcel, Rosa; Zamarreño, Ángel María; García-Mina, José María; Aroca, Ricardo

2014-01-25

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are naturally occurring soil bacteria which benefit plants by improving plant productivity and immunity. The mechanisms involved in these processes include the regulation of plant hormone levels such as ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA). The aim of the present study was to determine whether the activity of Bacillus megaterium PGPR is affected by the endogenous ABA content of the host plant. The ABA-deficient tomato mutants flacca and sitiens and their near-isogenic wild-type parental lines were used. Growth, stomatal conductance, shoot hormone concentration, competition assay for colonization of tomato root tips, and root expression of plant genes expected to be modulated by ABA and PGPR were examined. Contrary to the wild-type plants in which PGPR stimulated growth rates, PGPR caused growth inhibition in ABA-deficient mutant plants. PGPR also triggered an over accumulation of ethylene in ABA-deficient plants which correlated with a higher expression of the pathogenesis-related gene Sl-PR1b. Positive correlation between over-accumulation of ethylene and a higher expression of Sl-PR1b in ABA-deficient mutant plants could indicate that maintenance of normal plant endogenous ABA content may be essential for the growth promoting action of B. megaterium by keeping low levels of ethylene production.

Expression of ABA synthesis and metabolism genes under different irrigation strategies and atmospheric VPDs is associated with stomatal conductance in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv Cabernet Sauvignon).

PubMed

Speirs, Jim; Binney, Allan; Collins, Marisa; Edwards, Everard; Loveys, Brian

2013-04-01

The influence of different levels of irrigation and of variation in atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD) on the synthesis, metabolism, and transport of abscisic acid (ABA) and the effects on stomatal conductance were examined in field-grown Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines. Xylem sap, leaf tissue, and root tissue were collected at regular intervals during two seasons in conjunction with measurements of leaf water potential (Ψleaf) and stomatal conductance (gs). The different irrigation levels significantly altered the Ψleaf and gs of the vines across both seasons. ABA abundance in the xylem sap was correlated with gs. The expression of genes associated with ABA synthesis, NCED1 and NCED2, was higher in the roots than in the leaves throughout and highest in the roots in mid January, a time when soil moisture declined and VPD was at its highest. Their expression in roots was also inversely related to the levels of irrigation and correlated with ABA abundance in the roots, xylem sap, and leaves. Three genes encoding ABA 8'-hydroxylases were isolated and their identities confirmed by expression in yeast cells. The expression of one of these, Hyd1, was elevated in leaves when VPD was below 2.0-2.5 kPa and minimal at higher VPD levels. The results provide evidence that ABA plays an important role in linking stomatal response to soil moisture status and that changes in ABA catabolism at or near its site of action allows optimization of gas exchange to current environmental conditions.

Increasing abscisic acid levels by immunomodulation in barley grains induces precocious maturation without changing grain composition.

PubMed

Staroske, Nicole; Conrad, Udo; Kumlehn, Jochen; Hensel, Götz; Radchuk, Ruslana; Erban, Alexander; Kopka, Joachim; Weschke, Winfriede; Weber, Hans

2016-04-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulates in seeds during the transition to the seed filling phase. ABA triggers seed maturation, storage activity, and stress signalling and tolerance. Immunomodulation was used to alter the ABA status in barley grains, with the resulting transgenic caryopses responding to the anti-ABA antibody gene expression with increased accumulation of ABA. Calculation of free versus antibody-bound ABA reveals large excess of free ABA, increasing signficantly in caryopses from 10 days after fertilization. Metabolite and transcript profiling in anti-ABA grains expose triggered and enhanced ABA-functions such as transcriptional up-regulation of sucrose-to-starch metabolism, storage protein synthesis and ABA-related signal transduction. Thus, enhanced ABA during transition phases induces precocious maturation but negatively interferes with growth and development. Anti-ABA grains display broad constitutive gene induction related to biotic and abiotic stresses. Most of these genes are ABA- and/or stress-inducible, including alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases, peroxidases, chaperones, glutathione-S-transferase, drought- and salt-inducible proteins. Conclusively, ABA immunomodulation results in precocious ABA accumulation that generates an integrated response of stress and maturation. Repression of ABA signalling, occurring in anti-ABA grains, potentially antagonizes effects caused by overshooting production. Finally, mature grain weight and composition are unchanged in anti-ABA plants, although germination is somewhat delayed. This indicates that anti-ABA caryopses induce specific mechanisms to desensitize ABA signalling efficiently, which finally yields mature grains with nearly unchanged dry weight and composition. Such compensation implicates the enormous physiological and metabolic flexibilities of barley grains to adjust effects of unnaturally high ABA amounts in order to ensure and maintain proper grain development. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Increasing abscisic acid levels by immunomodulation in barley grains induces precocious maturation without changing grain composition

PubMed Central

Staroske, Nicole; Conrad, Udo; Kumlehn, Jochen; Hensel, Götz; Radchuk, Ruslana; Erban, Alexander; Kopka, Joachim; Weschke, Winfriede; Weber, Hans

2016-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulates in seeds during the transition to the seed filling phase. ABA triggers seed maturation, storage activity, and stress signalling and tolerance. Immunomodulation was used to alter the ABA status in barley grains, with the resulting transgenic caryopses responding to the anti-ABA antibody gene expression with increased accumulation of ABA. Calculation of free versus antibody-bound ABA reveals large excess of free ABA, increasing signficantly in caryopses from 10 days after fertilization. Metabolite and transcript profiling in anti-ABA grains expose triggered and enhanced ABA-functions such as transcriptional up-regulation of sucrose-to-starch metabolism, storage protein synthesis and ABA-related signal transduction. Thus, enhanced ABA during transition phases induces precocious maturation but negatively interferes with growth and development. Anti-ABA grains display broad constitutive gene induction related to biotic and abiotic stresses. Most of these genes are ABA- and/or stress-inducible, including alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases, peroxidases, chaperones, glutathione-S-transferase, drought- and salt-inducible proteins. Conclusively, ABA immunomodulation results in precocious ABA accumulation that generates an integrated response of stress and maturation. Repression of ABA signalling, occurring in anti-ABA grains, potentially antagonizes effects caused by overshooting production. Finally, mature grain weight and composition are unchanged in anti-ABA plants, although germination is somewhat delayed. This indicates that anti-ABA caryopses induce specific mechanisms to desensitize ABA signalling efficiently, which finally yields mature grains with nearly unchanged dry weight and composition. Such compensation implicates the enormous physiological and metabolic flexibilities of barley grains to adjust effects of unnaturally high ABA amounts in order to ensure and maintain proper grain development. PMID:26951372

Abscisic acid triggers whole-plant and fruit-specific mechanisms to increase fruit calcium uptake and prevent blossom end rot development in tomato fruit.

PubMed

de Freitas, Sergio Tonetto; Shackel, Kenneth A; Mitcham, Elizabeth J

2011-05-01

Calcium (Ca) uptake into fruit and leaves is dependent on xylemic water movement, and hence presumably driven by transpiration and growth. High leaf transpiration is thought to restrict Ca movement to low-transpiring tomato fruit, which may increase fruit susceptibility to the Ca-deficiency disorder, blossom end rot (BER). The objective of this study was to analyse the effect of reduced leaf transpiration in abscisic acid (ABA)-treated plants on fruit and leaf Ca uptake and BER development. Tomato cultivars Ace 55 (Vf) and AB2 were grown in a greenhouse environment under Ca-deficit conditions and plants were treated weekly after pollination with water (control) or 500 mg l(-1) ABA. BER incidence was completely prevented in the ABA-treated plants and reached values of 30-45% in the water-treated controls. ABA-treated plants had higher stem water potential, lower leaf stomatal conductance, and lower whole-plant water loss than water-treated plants. ABA treatment increased total tissue and apoplastic water-soluble Ca concentrations in the fruit, and decreased Ca concentrations in leaves. In ABA-treated plants, fruit had a higher number of Safranin-O-stained xylem vessels at early stages of growth and development. ABA treatment reduced the phloem/xylem ratio of fruit sap uptake. The results indicate that ABA prevents BER development by increasing fruit Ca uptake, possibly by a combination of whole-plant and fruit-specific mechanisms.

Role of abscisic acid in strigolactone-induced salt stress tolerance in arbuscular mycorrhizal Sesbania cannabina seedlings.

PubMed

Ren, Cheng-Gang; Kong, Cun-Cui; Xie, Zhi-Hong

2018-05-03

Strigolactones (SLs) are considered to be a novel class of phytohormone involved in plant defense responses. Currently, their relationships with other plant hormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA), during responses to salinity stress are largely unknown. In this study, the relationship between SL and ABA during the induction of H 2 O 2 - mediated tolerance to salt stress were studied in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) Sesbania cannabina seedlings. The SL levels increased after ABA treatments and decreased when ABA biosynthesis was inhibited in AM plants. Additionally, the expression levels of SL-biosynthesis genes in AM plants increased following treatments with exogenous ABA and H 2 O 2 . Furthermore, ABA-induced SL production was blocked by a pre-treatment with dimethylthiourea, which scavenges H 2 O 2 . In contrast, ABA production was unaffected by dimethylthiourea. Abscisic acid induced only partial and transient increases in the salt tolerance of TIS108 (a SL synthesis inhibitor) treated AM plants, whereas SL induced considerable and prolonged increases in salt tolerance after a pre-treatment with tungstate. These results strongly suggest that ABA is regulating the induction of salt tolerance by SL in AM S. cannabina seedlings.

The Putative E3 Ubiquitin Ligase ECERIFERUM9 Regulates Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis and Response during Seed Germination and Postgermination Growth in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Zhao, Huayan; Zhang, Huoming; Cui, Peng; Ding, Feng; Wang, Guangchao; Li, Rongjun; Jenks, Matthew A; Lü, Shiyou; Xiong, Liming

2014-07-01

The ECERIFERUM9 (CER9) gene encodes a putative E3 ubiquitin ligase that functions in cuticle biosynthesis and the maintenance of plant water status. Here, we found that CER9 is also involved in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling in seeds and young seedlings of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The germinated embryos of the mutants exhibited enhanced sensitivity to ABA during the transition from reversible dormancy to determinate seedling growth. Expression of the CER9 gene is closely related to ABA levels and displays a similar pattern to that of ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5), which encodes a positive regulator of ABA responses in seeds. cer9 mutant seeds exhibited delayed germination that is independent of seed coat permeability. Quantitative proteomic analyses showed that cer9 seeds had a protein profile similar to that of the wild type treated with ABA. Transcriptomics analyses revealed that genes involved in ABA biosynthesis or signaling pathways were differentially regulated in cer9 seeds. Consistent with this, high levels of ABA were detected in dry seeds of cer9. Blocking ABA biosynthesis by fluridone treatment or by combining an ABA-deficient mutation with cer9 attenuated the phenotypes of cer9. Whereas introduction of the abi1-1, abi3-1, or abi4-103 mutation could completely eliminate the ABA hypersensitivity of cer9, introduction of abi5 resulted only in partial suppression. These results indicate that CER9 is a novel negative regulator of ABA biosynthesis and the ABA signaling pathway during seed germination. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Arabidopsis Glutamate Receptor Homolog3.5 Modulates Cytosolic Ca2+ Level to Counteract Effect of Abscisic Acid in Seed Germination1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Kong, Dongdong; Ju, Chuanli; Parihar, Aisha; Kim, So; Cho, Daeshik; Kwak, June M.

2015-01-01

Seed germination is a critical step in a plant’s life cycle that allows successful propagation and is therefore strictly controlled by endogenous and environmental signals. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying germination control remain elusive. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) glutamate receptor homolog3.5 (AtGLR3.5) is predominantly expressed in germinating seeds and increases cytosolic Ca2+ concentration that counteracts the effect of abscisic acid (ABA) to promote germination. Repression of AtGLR3.5 impairs cytosolic Ca2+ concentration elevation, significantly delays germination, and enhances ABA sensitivity in seeds, whereas overexpression of AtGLR3.5 results in earlier germination and reduced seed sensitivity to ABA. Furthermore, we show that Ca2+ suppresses the expression of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE4 (ABI4), a key transcription factor involved in ABA response in seeds, and that ABI4 plays a fundamental role in modulation of Ca2+-dependent germination. Taken together, our results provide molecular genetic evidence that AtGLR3.5-mediated Ca2+ influx stimulates seed germination by antagonizing the inhibitory effects of ABA through suppression of ABI4. These findings establish, to our knowledge, a new and pivotal role of the plant glutamate receptor homolog and Ca2+ signaling in germination control and uncover the orchestrated modulation of the AtGLR3.5-mediated Ca2+ signal and ABA signaling via ABI4 to fine-tune the crucial developmental process, germination, in Arabidopsis. PMID:25681329

A mutational analysis of the ABA1 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana highlights the involvement of ABA in vegetative development.

PubMed

Barrero, José María; Piqueras, Pedro; González-Guzmán, Miguel; Serrano, Ramón; Rodríguez, Pedro L; Ponce, María Rosa; Micol, José Luis

2005-08-01

Much of the literature on the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) describes it as a mediator in triggering plant responses to environmental stimuli, as well as a growth inhibitor. ABA-deficient mutants, however, display a stunted phenotype even under well-watered conditions and high relative humidity, which suggests that growth promotion may also be one of the roles of endogenous ABA. Zeaxanthin epoxidase, the product of the ABA1 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana, catalyses the epoxidation of zeaxanthin to antheraxanthin and violaxanthin, generating the epoxycarotenoid precursor of the ABA biosynthetic pathway. This paper gives a description of the molecular and phenotypic characterization of a large series of mutant alleles of the ABA1 gene, which cause different degrees of ABA deficiency, four of them previously isolated (aba1-1, aba1-3, aba1-4, and aba1-6) and the remaining five novel (sañ1-1, sañ1-2, sañ1-3, sañ1-4, and sre3). Molecular analysis of these alleles provides insights into the domains in which they compromise zeaxanthin epoxidase function. The size of the leaves, inflorescences, and flowers of these mutants is reduced, and their rosettes have lower fresh and dry weights than their wild types, as a result of a diminished cell size. Low concentrations of exogenous ABA increase the fresh weight of mutant and wild-type plants, as well as the dry weight of the mutants. The leaves of aba1 mutants are abnormally shaped and fail to develop clearly distinct spongy and palisade mesophyll layers. Taken together, these phenotypic traits indicate, as suggested by previous authors, that ABA acts as a growth promoter during vegetative development. The abnormal shape and internal structure of the leaves of aba1 mutants suggests, in addition, a role for ABA in organogenesis.

Pattern of Variations in Abscisic Acid Content in Suspensors, Embryos, and Integuments of Developing Phaseolus coccineus Seeds 1

PubMed Central

Perata, Pierdomenico; Picciarelli, Piero; Alpi, Amedeo

1990-01-01

Free abscisic acid (ABA) content in suspensors, embryos, and integuments was determined during seed development of Phaseolus coccineus. A highly specific and sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay based on a monocional antibody raised against free (S)-ABA was used for ABA quantification. Very small amounts of ABA were detected in the suspensor during initial stages of development; later two peaks of ABA occurred. Levels of ABA in the embryo and integument show a coincident triphasic distribution: two maxima in ABA content occurred when the embryo was 11 to 12 and 15 to 16 millimeters in length; later, when the embryo was 19 to 20 millimeters long, a further increase was observed. The role of ABA in runner bean seeds is discussed in relation to the development of the different seed tissues. PMID:16667915

Gene expression profiles of Arabidopsis Cvi seeds during dormancy cycling indicate a common underlying dormancy control mechanism.

PubMed

Cadman, Cassandra S C; Toorop, Peter E; Hilhorst, Henk W M; Finch-Savage, William E

2006-06-01

Physiologically dormant seeds, like those of Arabidopsis, will cycle through dormant states as seasons change until the environment is favourable for seedling establishment. This phenomenon is widespread in the plant kingdom, but has not been studied at the molecular level. Full-genome microarrays were used for a global transcript analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana (accession Cvi) seeds in a range of dormant and dry after-ripened states during cycling. Principal component analysis of the expression patterns observed showed that they differed in newly imbibed primary dormant seeds, as commonly used in experimental studies, compared with those in the maintained primary and secondary dormant states that exist during cycling. Dormant and after-ripened seeds appear to have equally active although distinct gene expression programmes, dormant seeds having greatly reduced gene expression associated with protein synthesis, potentially controlling the completion of germination. A core set of 442 genes were identified that had higher expression in all dormant states compared with after-ripened states. Abscisic acid (ABA) responsive elements were significantly over-represented in this set of genes the expression of which was enhanced when multiple copies of the elements were present. ABA regulation of dormancy was further supported by expression patterns of key genes in ABA synthesis/catabolism, and dormancy loss in the presence of fluridone. The data support an ABA-gibberelic acid hormone balance mechanism controlling cycling through dormant states that depends on synthetic and catabolic pathways of both hormones. Many of the most highly expressed genes in dormant states were stress-related even in the absence of abiotic stress, indicating that ABA, stress and dormancy responses overlap significantly at the transcriptome level.

Boron Toxicity Reduces Water Transport from Root to Shoot in Arabidopsis Plants. Evidence for a Reduced Transpiration Rate and Expression of Major PIP Aquaporin Genes.

PubMed

Macho-Rivero, Miguel A; Herrera-Rodríguez, M Begoña; Brejcha, Ramona; Schäffner, Anton R; Tanaka, Nobuhiro; Fujiwara, Toru; González-Fontes, Agustín; Camacho-Cristóbal, Juan J

2018-04-01

Toxic boron (B) concentrations cause impairments in several plant metabolic and physiological processes. Recently we reported that B toxicity led to a decrease in the transpiration rate of Arabidopsis plants in an ABA-dependent process within 24 h, which could indicate the occurrence of an adjustment of whole-plant water relations in response to this stress. Since plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) aquaporins are key components influencing the water balance of plants because of their involvement in root water uptake and tissue hydraulic conductance, the aim of the present work was to study the effects of B toxicity on these important parameters affecting plant water status over a longer period of time. For this purpose, transpiration rate, water transport to the shoot and transcript levels of genes encoding four major PIP aquaporins were measured in Arabidopsis plants treated or not with a toxic B concentration. Our results indicate that, during the first 24 h of B toxicity, increased shoot ABA content would play a key role in reducing stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and, consequently, the water transport to the shoot. These physiological responses to B toxicity were maintained for up to 48 h of B toxicity despite shoot ABA content returning to control levels. In addition, B toxicity also caused the down-regulation of several genes encoding root and shoot aquaporins, which could reduce the cell to cell movement of water in plant tissues and, consequently, the water flux to shoot. All these changes in the water balance of plants under B toxicity could be a mechanism to prevent excess B accumulation in plant tissues.

The grapevine guard cell-related VvMYB60 transcription factor is involved in the regulation of stomatal activity and is differentially expressed in response to ABA and osmotic stress

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Under drought, plants accumulate the signaling hormone abscisic acid (ABA), which induces the rapid closure of stomatal pores to prevent water loss. This event is trigged by a series of signals produced inside guard cells which finally reduce their turgor. Many of these events are tightly regulated at the transcriptional level, including the control exerted by MYB proteins. In a previous study, while identifying the grapevine R2R3 MYB family, two closely related genes, VvMYB30 and VvMYB60 were found with high similarity to AtMYB60, an Arabidopsis guard cell-related drought responsive gene. Results Promoter-GUS transcriptional fusion assays showed that expression of VvMYB60 was restricted to stomatal guard cells and was attenuated in response to ABA. Unlike VvMYB30, VvMYB60 was able to complement the loss-of-function atmyb60-1 mutant, indicating that VvMYB60 is the only true ortholog of AtMYB60 in the grape genome. In addition, VvMYB60 was differentially regulated during development of grape organs and in response to ABA and drought-related stress conditions. Conclusions These results show that VvMYB60 modulates physiological responses in guard cells, leading to the possibility of engineering stomatal conductance in grapevine, reducing water loss and helping this species to tolerate drought under extreme climatic conditions. PMID:22018045

Abscisic acid metabolic genes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): identification and insights into their functionality in seed dormancy and dehydration tolerance.

PubMed

Son, SeungHyun; Chitnis, Vijaya R; Liu, Aihua; Gao, Feng; Nguyen, Tran-Nguyen; Ayele, Belay T

2016-08-01

The three homeologues of wheat NCED2 were identified; the wheat NCED2A and CYP707A1B affect seed ABA level and dormancy but not leaf ABA level and transpirational water loss in Arabidopsis. Biosynthesis and catabolism of abscisic acid (ABA) in plants are primarily regulated by 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenases (NCEDs) and ABA 8'-hydroxylase (ABA8'OH), respectively. The present study identified the complete coding sequences of a second NCED gene, designated as TaNCED2, and its homeologues (TaNCED2A, TaNCED2B and TaNCED2D) in hexaploid wheat, and characterized its functionality in seed dormancy and leaf dehydration tolerance using the TaNCED2A homeologue. The study also investigated the role of the B genome copy of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase 707A1 (CYP707A1) gene of hexaploid wheat (TaCYP707A1B), which encodes ABA8'OH, in regulating the two traits as this has not been studied before. Ectopic expression of TaNCED2A and TaCYP707A1B in Arabidopsis resulted in altered seed ABA level and dormancy with no effect on leaf ABA content and transpirational water loss. To gain insights into the physiological roles of TaNCED2 and TaCYP707A1 in wheat, the study examined their spatiotemporal expression patterns and determined the genomic contributions of transcripts to their total expression.

Gaussian and linear deconvolution of LC-MS/MS chromatograms of the eight aminobutyric acid isomers

PubMed Central

Vemula, Harika; Kitase, Yukiko; Ayon, Navid J.; Bonewald, Lynda; Gutheil, William G.

2016-01-01

Isomeric molecules present a challenge for analytical resolution and quantification, even with MS-based detection. The eight-aminobutyric acid (ABA) isomers are of interest for their various biological activities, particularly γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the d- and l-isomers of β-aminoisobutyric acid (β-AIBA; BAIBA). This study aimed to investigate LC-MS/MS-based resolution of these ABA isomers as their Marfey's (Mar) reagent derivatives. HPLC was able to separate three Mar-ABA isomers l-β-ABA (l-BABA), and l- and d-α-ABA (AABA) completely, with three isomers (GABA, and d/l-BAIBA) in one chromatographic cluster, and two isomers (α-AIBA (AAIBA) and d-BABA) in a second cluster. Partially separated cluster components were deconvoluted using Gaussian peak fitting except for GABA and d-BAIBA. MS/MS detection of Marfey's derivatized ABA isomers provided six MS/MS fragments, with substantially different intensity profiles between structural isomers. This allowed linear deconvolution of ABA isomer peaks. Combining HPLC separation with linear and Gaussian deconvolution allowed resolution of all eight ABA isomers. Application to human serum found a substantial level of l-AABA (13 μM), an intermediate level of l-BAIBA (0.8 μM), and low but detectable levels (<0.2 μM) of GABA, l-BABA, AAIBA, d-BAIBA, and d-AABA. This approach should be useful for LC-MS/MS deconvolution of other challenging groups of isomeric molecules. PMID:27771391

A NAP-AAO3 Regulatory Module Promotes Chlorophyll Degradation via ABA Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis Leaves[W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Yang, Jiading; Worley, Eric

2014-01-01

Chlorophyll degradation is an important part of leaf senescence, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms are largely unknown. Excised leaves of an Arabidopsis thaliana NAC-LIKE, ACTIVATED BY AP3/PI (NAP) transcription factor mutant (nap) exhibited lower transcript levels of known chlorophyll degradation genes, STAY-GREEN1 (SGR1), NON-YELLOW COLORING1 (NYC1), PHEOPHYTINASE (PPH), and PHEIDE a OXYGENASE (PaO), and higher chlorophyll retention than the wild type during dark-induced senescence. Transcriptome coexpression analysis revealed that abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism/signaling genes were disproportionately represented among those positively correlated with NAP expression. ABA levels were abnormally low in nap leaves during extended darkness. The ABA biosynthetic genes 9-CIS-EPOXYCAROTENOID DIOXYGENASE2, ABA DEFICIENT3, and ABSCISIC ALDEHYDE OXIDASE3 (AAO3) exhibited abnormally low transcript levels in dark-treated nap leaves. NAP transactivated the promoter of AAO3 in mesophyll cell protoplasts, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that NAP can bind directly to a segment (−196 to −162 relative to the ATG start codon) of the AAO3 promoter. Exogenous application of ABA increased the transcript levels of SGR1, NYC1, PPH, and PaO and suppressed the stay-green phenotype of nap leaves during extended darkness. Overexpression of AAO3 in nap leaves also suppressed the stay-green phenotype under extended darkness. Collectively, the results show that NAP promotes chlorophyll degradation by enhancing transcription of AAO3, which leads to increased levels of the senescence-inducing hormone ABA. PMID:25516602

Metabolism of the Folate Precursor p-Aminobenzoate in Plants

PubMed Central

Eudes, Aymerick; Bozzo, Gale G.; Waller, Jeffrey C.; Naponelli, Valeria; Lim, Eng-Kiat; Bowles, Dianna J.; Gregory, Jesse F.; Hanson, Andrew D.

2008-01-01

Plants produce p-aminobenzoate (pABA) in chloroplasts and use it for folate synthesis in mitochondria. In plant tissues, however, pABA is known to occur predominantly as its glucose ester (pABA-Glc), and the role of this metabolite in folate synthesis has not been defined. In this study, the UDP-glucose:pABA acyl-glucosyltransferase (pAGT) activity in Arabidopsis extracts was found to reside principally (95%) in one isoform with an apparent Km for pABA of 0.12 mm. Screening of recombinant Arabidopsis UDP-glycosyltransferases identified only three that recognized pABA. One of these (UGT75B1) exhibited a far higher kcat/Km value than the others and a far lower apparent Km for pABA (0.12 mm), suggesting its identity with the principal enzyme in vivo. Supporting this possibility, ablation of UGT75B1 reduced extractable pAGT activity by 95%, in vivo [14C]pABA glucosylation by 77%, and the endogenous pABA-Glc/pABA ratio by 9-fold. The Keq for the pABA esterification reaction was found to be 3 × 10-3. Taken with literature data on the cytosolic location of pAGT activity and on cytosolic UDP-glucose/UDP ratios, this Keq value allowed estimation that only 4% of cytosolic pABA is esterified. That pABA-Glc predominates in planta therefore implies that it is sequestered away from the cytosol and, consistent with this possibility, vacuoles isolated from [14C]pABA-fed pea leaves were estimated to contain≥88% of the [14C]pABA-Glc formed. In total, these data and the fact that isolated mitochondria did not take up [3H]pABA-Glc, suggest that the glucose ester represents a storage form of pABA that does not contribute directly to folate synthesis. PMID:18385129

Expression of ABA synthesis and metabolism genes under different irrigation strategies and atmospheric VPDs is associated with stomatal conductance in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv Cabernet Sauvignon)

PubMed Central

Speirs, Jim; Binney, Allan; Collins, Marisa; Edwards, Everard; Loveys, Brian

2013-01-01

The influence of different levels of irrigation and of variation in atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD) on the synthesis, metabolism, and transport of abscisic acid (ABA) and the effects on stomatal conductance were examined in field-grown Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines. Xylem sap, leaf tissue, and root tissue were collected at regular intervals during two seasons in conjunction with measurements of leaf water potential (Ψleaf) and stomatal conductance (gs). The different irrigation levels significantly altered the Ψleaf and gs of the vines across both seasons. ABA abundance in the xylem sap was correlated with gs. The expression of genes associated with ABA synthesis, NCED1 and NCED2, was higher in the roots than in the leaves throughout and highest in the roots in mid January, a time when soil moisture declined and VPD was at its highest. Their expression in roots was also inversely related to the levels of irrigation and correlated with ABA abundance in the roots, xylem sap, and leaves. Three genes encoding ABA 8’-hydroxylases were isolated and their identities confirmed by expression in yeast cells. The expression of one of these, Hyd1, was elevated in leaves when VPD was below 2.0–2.5 kPa and minimal at higher VPD levels. The results provide evidence that ABA plays an important role in linking stomatal response to soil moisture status and that changes in ABA catabolism at or near its site of action allows optimization of gas exchange to current environmental conditions. PMID:23630325

Interplay between ABA and phospholipases A(2) and D in the response of citrus fruit to postharvest dehydration.

PubMed

Romero, Paco; Gandía, Mónica; Alférez, Fernando

2013-09-01

The interplay between abscisic acid (ABA) and phospholipases A2 and D (PLA2 and PLD) in the response of citrus fruit to water stress was investigated during postharvest by using an ABA-deficient mutant from 'Navelate' orange named 'Pinalate'. Fruit from both varieties harvested at two different maturation stages (mature-green and full-mature) were subjected to prolonged water loss inducing stem-end rind breakdown (SERB) in full-mature fruit. Treatment with PLA2 inhibitor aristolochic acid (AT) and PLD inhibitor lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) reduced the disorder in both varieties, suggesting that phospholipid metabolism is involved in citrus peel quality. Expression of CsPLDα and CsPLDβ, and CssPLA2α and CssPLA2β was studied by real-time RT-PCR during water stress and in response to ABA. CsPLDα expression increased in mature-green fruit from 'Navelate' but not in 'Pinalate' and ABA did not counteract this effect. ABA enhanced repression of CsPLDα in full-mature fruit. CsPLDβ gene expression decreased in mature-green 'Pinalate', remained unchanged in 'Navelate' and was induced in full-mature fruit from both varieties. CssPLA2α expression increased in mature-green fruit from both varieties whereas in full-mature fruit only increased in 'Navelate'. CssPLA2β expression increased in mature-green flavedo from both varieties, but in full-mature fruit remained steady in 'Navelate' and barely increased in 'Pinalate' fruit. ABA reduced expression in both after prolonged storage. Responsiveness to ABA increased with maturation. Our results show interplay between PLA2 and PLD and suggest that ABA action is upstream phospholipase activation. Response to ABA during water stress in citrus is regulated during fruit maturation and involves membrane phospholipid degradation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Seed dormancy and ABA signaling

PubMed Central

del Carmen Rodríguez-Gacio, María; Matilla-Vázquez, Miguel A

2009-01-01

The seed is an important organ in higher plants, it is an important organ for plant survival and species dispersion. The transition between seed dormancy and germination represents a critical stage in the plant life cycle and it is an important ecological and commercial trait. A dynamic balance of synthesis and catabolism of two antagonistic hormones, abscisic acid (ABA) and giberellins (GAs), controls the equilibrium between seed dormancy and germination. Embryonic ABA plays a central role in induction and maintenance of seed dormancy and also inhibits the transition from embryonic to germination growth. Therefore, the ABA metabolism must be highly regulated at both temporal and spatial levels during phase of dessication tolerance. On the other hand, the ABA levels do not depend exclusively on the seeds because sometimes it becomes a strong sink and imports it from the roots and rhizosphere through the xylem and/or phloem. These events are discussed in depth here. Likewise, the role of some recently characterized genes belonging to seeds of woody species and related to ABA signaling are also included. Finally, although four possible ABA receptors have been reported, not much is known about how they mediate ABA signaling transduction. However, new publications seem to show that almost all these receptors lack several properties to consider them as such. PMID:19875942

Abscisic Acid and abiotic stress signaling.

PubMed

Tuteja, Narendra

2007-05-01

Abiotic stress is severe environmental stress, which impairs crop production on irrigated land worldwide. Overall, the susceptibility or tolerance to the stress in plants is a coordinated action of multiple stress responsive genes, which also cross-talk with other components of stress signal transduction pathways. Plant responses to abiotic stress can be determined by the severity of the stress and by the metabolic status of the plant. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone critical for plant growth and development and plays an important role in integrating various stress signals and controlling downstream stress responses. Plants have to adjust ABA levels constantly in responce to changing physiological and environmental conditions. To date, the mechanisms for fine-tuning of ABA levels remain elusive. The mechanisms by which plants respond to stress include both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent processes. Various transcription factors such as DREB2A/2B, AREB1, RD22BP1 and MYC/MYB are known to regulate the ABA-responsive gene expression through interacting with their corrosponding cis-acting elements such as DRE/CRT, ABRE and MYCRS/MYBRS, respectively. Understanding these mechanisms is important to improve stress tolerance in crops plants. This article first describes the general pathway for plant stress response followed by roles of ABA and transcription factors in stress tolerance including the regulation of ABA biosynthesis.

Abscisic Acid and Abiotic Stress Signaling

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

Abiotic stress is severe environmental stress, which impairs crop production on irrigated land worldwide. Overall, the susceptibility or tolerance to the stress in plants is a coordinated action of multiple stress responsive genes, which also cross-talk with other components of stress signal transduction pathways. Plant responses to abiotic stress can be determined by the severity of the stress and by the metabolic status of the plant. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone critical for plant growth and development and plays an important role in integrating various stress signals and controlling downstream stress responses. Plants have to adjust ABA levels constantly in responce to changing physiological and environmental conditions. To date, the mechanisms for fine-tuning of ABA levels remain elusive. The mechanisms by which plants respond to stress include both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent processes. Various transcription factors such as DREB2A/2B, AREB1, RD22BP1 and MYC/MYB are known to regulate the ABA-responsive gene expression through interacting with their corrosponding cis-acting elements such as DRE/CRT, ABRE and MYCRS/MYBRS, respectively. Understanding these mechanisms is important to improve stress tolerance in crops plants. This article first describes the general pathway for plant stress response followed by roles of ABA and transcription factors in stress tolerance including the regulation of ABA biosynthesis. PMID:19516981

Mutations in the Arabidopsis Lst8 and Raptor genes encoding partners of the TOR complex, or inhibition of TOR activity decrease abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis.

PubMed

Kravchenko, Alena; Citerne, Sylvie; Jéhanno, Isabelle; Bersimbaev, Rakhmetkazhi I; Veit, Bruce; Meyer, Christian; Leprince, Anne-Sophie

2015-11-27

The Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase regulates essential processes in plant growth and development by modulation of metabolism and translation in response to environmental signals. In this study, we show that abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism is also regulated by the TOR kinase. Indeed ABA hormone level strongly decreases in Lst8-1 and Raptor3g mutant lines as well as in wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis plants treated with AZD-8055, a TOR inhibitor. However the growth and germination of these lines are more sensitive to exogenous ABA. The diminished ABA hormone accumulation is correlated with lower transcript levels of ZEP, NCED3 and AAO3 biosynthetic enzymes, and higher transcript amount of the CYP707A2 gene encoding a key-enzyme in abscisic acid catabolism. These results suggest that the TOR signaling pathway is implicated in the regulation of ABA accumulation in Arabidopsis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The rice ERF transcription factor OsERF922 negatively regulates resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae and salt tolerance

PubMed Central

Liu, Dongfeng; Chen, Xujun; Liu, Jiqin; Ye, Jianchun; Guo, Zejian

2012-01-01

Rice OsERF922, encoding an APETELA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) type transcription factor, is rapidly and strongly induced by abscisic acid (ABA) and salt treatments, as well as by both virulent and avirulent pathovars of Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal agent of rice blast disease. OsERF922 is localized to the nucleus, binds specifically to the GCC box sequence, and acts as a transcriptional activator in plant cells. Knockdown of OsERF922 by means of RNAi enhanced resistance against M. oryzae. The elevated disease resistance of the RNAi plants was associated with increased expression of PR, PAL, and the other genes encoding phytoalexin biosynthetic enzymes and without M. oryzae infection. In contrast, OsERF922-overexpressing plants showed reduced expression of these defence-related genes and enhanced susceptibility to M. oryzae. In addition, the OsERF922-overexpressing lines exhibited decreased tolerance to salt stress with an increased Na+/K+ ratio in the shoots. The ABA levels were found increased in the overexpressing lines and decreased in the RNAi plants. Expression of the ABA biosynthesis-related genes, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) 3 and 4, was upregulated in the OsERF922-overexpressing plants, and NCED4 was downregulated in the RNAi lines. These results suggest that OsERF922 is integrated into the cross-talk between biotic and abiotic stress-signalling networks perhaps through modulation of the ABA levels. PMID:22442415

A molecular basis behind heterophylly in an amphibious plant, Ranunculus trichophyllus.

PubMed

Kim, Juhyun; Joo, Youngsung; Kyung, Jinseul; Jeon, Myeongjune; Park, Jong Yoon; Lee, Ho Gyun; Chung, Doo Soo; Lee, Eunju; Lee, Ilha

2018-02-01

Ranunculus trichophyllus is an amphibious plant that produces thin and cylindrical leaves if grown under water but thick and broad leaves if grown on land. We found that such heterophylly is widely controlled by two plant hormones, abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene, which control terrestrial and aquatic leaf development respectively. Aquatic leaves produced higher levels of ethylene but lower levels of ABA than terrestrial leaves. In aquatic leaves, their distinct traits with narrow shape, lack of stomata, and reduced vessel development were caused by EIN3-mediated overactivation of abaxial genes, RtKANADIs, and accompanying with reductions of STOMAGEN and VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN7 (VDN7). In contrast, in terrestrial leaves, ABI3-mediated activation of the adaxial genes, RtHD-ZIPIIIs, and STOMAGEN and VDN7 established leaf polarity, and stomata and vessel developments. Heterophylly of R.trichophyllus could be also induced by external cues such as cold and hypoxia, which is accompanied with the changes in the expression of leaf polarity genes similar to aquatic response. A closely-related land plant R. sceleratus did not show such heterophyllic responses, suggesting that the changes in the ABA/ethylene signaling and leaf polarity are one of key evolutionary steps for aquatic adaptation.

Heat makes a difference in activity-based anorexia: a translational approach to treatment development in anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Cerrato, Maria; Carrera, Olaia; Vazquez, Reyes; Echevarría, Enrique; Gutierrez, Emilio

2012-01-01

To test the effect of raising ambient temperature (AT) on activity-based anorexia (ABA) and to extend to female rats previous findings reported in male animals. Two studies are reported in which female rats were submitted to food restriction and free access to an activity wheel either separately or in combination under changing (21-32 °C) or constant AT (21 °C). Warming ABA animals reversed running activity, preserved food-intake, and enabled female rats to recover from acute weight loss. Moreover, sedentary food-restricted warmed rats maintained a body weight equivalent to the levels of animals housed at standard AT in spite of 20% reduced food-intake. The replication on female rats corroborates the effect previously reported for males, which is indicative of the robust effect of AT in recovering rats from ABA. The findings reported here represent strong preclinical evidence in favor of heat supply as a useful adjunctive component for the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN). Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Failure to upregulate Agrp and Orexin in response to activity based anorexia in weight loss vulnerable rats characterized by passive stress coping and prenatal stress experience

PubMed Central

Boersma, Gretha J.; Liang, Nu-Chu; Lee, Richard S.; Albertz, Jennifer D.; Kastelein, Anneke; Moody, Laura A.; Aryal, Shivani; Moran, Timothy H.; Tamashiro, Kellie L.

2016-01-01

We hypothesize that Anorexia Nervosa (AN) poses a physiological stress. Therefore, the way an individual copes with stress may affect AN vulnerability. Since prenatal stress (PNS) exposure alters stress responsivity in offspring this may increase their risk of developing AN. We tested this hypothesis using the activity based anorexia (ABA) rat model in control and PNS rats that were characterized by either proactive or passive stress-coping behavior. We found that PNS passively coping rats ate less and lost more weight during the ABA paradigm. Exposure to ABA resulted in higher baseline corticosterone and lower insulin levels in all groups. However, leptin levels were only decreased in rats with a proactive stress-coping style. Similarly, ghrelin levels were increased only in proactively coping ABA rats. Neuropeptide Y (Npy) expression was increased and proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) expression was decreased in all rats exposed to ABA. In contrast, agouti-related peptide (Agrp) and orexin (Hctr) expression were increased in all but the PNS passively coping ABA rats. Furthermore, DNA methylation of the orexin gene was increased after ABA in proactive coping rats and not in passive coping rats. Overall our study suggests that passive PNS rats have innate impairments in leptin and ghrelin in responses to starvation combined with prenatal stress associated impairments in Agrp and orexin expression in response to starvation. These impairments may underlie decreased food intake and associated heightened body weight loss during ABA in the passively coping PNS rats. PMID:26907996

Failure to upregulate Agrp and Orexin in response to activity based anorexia in weight loss vulnerable rats characterized by passive stress coping and prenatal stress experience.

PubMed

Boersma, Gretha J; Liang, Nu-Chu; Lee, Richard S; Albertz, Jennifer D; Kastelein, Anneke; Moody, Laura A; Aryal, Shivani; Moran, Timothy H; Tamashiro, Kellie L

2016-05-01

We hypothesize that anorexia nervosa (AN) poses a physiological stress. Therefore, the way an individual copes with stress may affect AN vulnerability. Since prenatal stress (PNS) exposure alters stress responsivity in offspring this may increase their risk of developing AN. We tested this hypothesis using the activity based anorexia (ABA) rat model in control and PNS rats that were characterized by either proactive or passive stress-coping behavior. We found that PNS passively coping rats ate less and lost more weight during the ABA paradigm. Exposure to ABA resulted in higher baseline corticosterone and lower insulin levels in all groups. However, leptin levels were only decreased in rats with a proactive stress-coping style. Similarly, ghrelin levels were increased only in proactively coping ABA rats. Neuropeptide Y (Npy) expression was increased and proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) expression was decreased in all rats exposed to ABA. In contrast, agouti-related peptide (Agrp) and orexin (Hctr) expression were increased in all but the PNS passively coping ABA rats. Furthermore, DNA methylation of the orexin gene was increased after ABA in proactive coping rats and not in passive coping rats. Overall our study suggests that passive PNS rats have innate impairments in leptin and ghrelin in responses to starvation combined with prenatal stress associated impairments in Agrp and orexin expression in response to starvation. These impairments may underlie decreased food intake and associated heightened body weight loss during ABA in the passively coping PNS rats. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

NR2A- and NR2B-NMDA receptors and drebrin within postsynaptic spines of the hippocampus correlate with hunger-evoked exercise.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-Wen; Actor-Engel, Hannah; Sherpa, Ang Doma; Klingensmith, Lauren; Chowdhury, Tara G; Aoki, Chiye

2017-07-01

Hunger evokes foraging. This innate response can be quantified as voluntary wheel running following food restriction (FR). Paradoxically, imposing severe FR evokes voluntary FR, as some animals choose to run rather than eat, even during limited periods of food availability. This phenomenon, called activity-based anorexia (ABA), has been used to identify brain changes associated with FR and excessive exercise (EX), two core symptoms of anorexia nervosa (AN), and to explore neurobiological bases of AN vulnerability. Previously, we showed a strong positive correlation between suppression of FR-evoked hyperactivity, i.e., ABA resilience, and levels of extra-synaptic GABA receptors in stratum radiatum (SR) of hippocampal CA1. Here, we tested for the converse: whether animals with enhanced expression of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) exhibit greater levels of FR-evoked hyperactivity, i.e., ABA vulnerability. Four groups of animals were assessed for NMDAR levels at CA1 spines: (1) ABA, in which 4 days of FR was combined with wheel access to allow voluntary EX; (2) FR only; (3) EX only; and (4) control (CON) that experienced neither EX nor FR. Electron microscopy revealed that synaptic NR2A-NMDARs and NR2B-NMDARs levels are significantly elevated, relative to CONs'. Individuals' ABA severity, based on weight loss, correlated with synaptic NR2B-NMDAR levels. ABA resilience, quantified as suppression of hyperactivity, correlated strongly with reserve pools of NR2A-NMDARs in spine cytoplasm. NR2A- and NR2B-NMDAR measurements correlated with spinous prevalence of an F-actin binding protein, drebrin, suggesting that drebrin enables insertion of NR2B-NMDAR to and retention of NR2A-NMDARs away from synaptic membranes, together influencing ABA vulnerability.

An Apple Protein Kinase MdSnRK1.1 Interacts with MdCAIP1 to Regulate ABA Sensitivity.

PubMed

Liu, Xiao-Juan; Liu, Xin; An, Xiu-Hong; Han, Peng-Liang; You, Chun-Xiang; Hao, Yu-Jin

2017-10-01

ABA is a crucial phytohormone for development and stress responses in plants. Snf1-related protein kinase 1.1 (SnRK1.1) is involved in the ABA response. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the SnRK1.1 response to ABA is largely unknown. Here, it was found that overexpression of the apple MdSnRK1.1 gene enhanced ABA sensitivity in both transgenic apple calli and Arabidopsis seedlings. Subsequently, a yeast two-hybrid screen demonstrated that MdCAIP1 (C2-domain ABA Insensitive Protein1) interacted with MdSnRK1.1. Their interaction was further confirmed by pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Expression of the MdCAIP1 gene was positively induced by ABA. Its overexpression enhanced ABA sensitivity in transgenic apple calli. Furthermore, it was found that MdSnRK1.1 phosphorylated the MdCAIP1 protein in vivo and promoted its degradation in vitro and in vivo. As a result, MdSnRK1.1 inhibited MdCAIP1-mediated ABA sensitivity, and MdCAIP1 partially reduced MdSnRK1.1-mediated ABA sensitivity. Our findings indicate that MdSnRK1.1 plays an important role in the ABA response, partially by controlling the stability of the MdCAIP1 protein. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The maize WRKY transcription factor ZmWRKY17 negatively regulates salt stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants.

PubMed

Cai, Ronghao; Dai, Wei; Zhang, Congsheng; Wang, Yan; Wu, Min; Zhao, Yang; Ma, Qing; Xiang, Yan; Cheng, Beijiu

2017-12-01

We cloned and characterized the ZmWRKY17 gene from maize. Overexpression of ZmWRKY17 in Arabidopsis led to increased sensitivity to salt stress and decreased ABA sensitivity through regulating the expression of some ABA- and stress-responsive genes. The WRKY transcription factors have been reported to function as positive or negative regulators in many different biological processes including plant development, defense regulation and stress response. This study isolated a maize WRKY gene, ZmWRKY17, and characterized its role in tolerance to salt stress by generating transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Expression of the ZmWRKY17 was up-regulated by drought, salt and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. ZmWRKY17 was localized in the nucleus with no transcriptional activation in yeast. Yeast one-hybrid assay showed that ZmWRKY17 can specifically bind to W-box, and it can activate W-box-dependent transcription in planta. Heterologous overexpression of ZmWRKY17 in Arabidopsis remarkably reduced plant tolerance to salt stress, as determined through physiological analyses of the cotyledons greening rate, root growth, relative electrical leakage and malondialdehyde content. Additionally, ZmWRKY17 transgenic plants showed decreased sensitivity to ABA during seed germination and early seedling growth. Transgenic plants accumulated higher content of ABA than wild-type (WT) plants under NaCl condition. Transcriptome and quantitative real-time PCR analyses revealed that some stress-related genes in transgenic seedlings showed lower expression level than that in the WT when treated with NaCl. Taken together, these results suggest that ZmWRKY17 may act as a negative regulator involved in the salt stress responses through ABA signalling.

Overexpression of OsRAN2 in rice and Arabidopsis renders transgenic plants hypersensitive to salinity and osmotic stress

PubMed Central

Zang, Aiping; Xu, Xiaojie; Neill, Steven; Cai, Weiming

2010-01-01

Nucleo-cytoplasmic partitioning of regulatory proteins is increasingly being recognized as a major control mechanism for the regulation of signalling in plants. Ras-related nuclear protein (Ran) GTPase is required for regulating transport of proteins and RNA across the nuclear envelope and also has roles in mitotic spindle assembly and nuclear envelope (NE) assembly. However, thus far little is known of any Ran functions in the signalling pathways in plants in response to changing environmental stimuli. The OsRAN2 gene, which has high homology (77% at the amino acid level) with its human counterpart, was isolated here. Subcellular localization results showed that OsRan2 is mainly localized in the nucleus, with some in the cytoplasm. Transcription of OsRAN2 was reduced by salt, osmotic, and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatments, as determined by real-time PCR. Overexpression of OsRAN2 in rice resulted in enhanced sensitivity to salinity, osmotic stress, and ABA. Seedlings of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing OsRAN2 were overly sensitive to salinity stress and exogenous ABA treatment. Furthermore, three ABA- or stress-responsive genes, AtNCED3, AtPLC1, and AtMYB2, encoding a key enzyme in ABA synthesis, a phospholipase C homologue, and a putative transcriptional factor, respectively, were shown to have differentially induced expression under salinity and ABA treatments in transgenic and wild-type Arabidopsis plants. OsRAN2 overexpression in tobacco epidermal leaf cells disturbed the nuclear import of a maize (Zea mays L.) leaf colour transcription factor (Lc). In addition, gene-silenced rice plants generated via RNA interference (RNAi) displayed pleiotropic developmental abnormalities and were male sterile. PMID:20018899

Exogenous strigolactone interacts with abscisic acid-mediated accumulation of anthocyanins in grapevine berries.

PubMed

Ferrero, Manuela; Pagliarani, Chiara; Novák, Ondrej; Ferrandino, Alessandra; Cardinale, Francesca; Visentin, Ivan; Schubert, Andrea

2018-04-23

Besides signalling to soil organisms, strigolactones (SLs) control above- and below-ground morphology, in particular shoot branching. Furthermore, SLs interact with stress responses, possibly thanks to a crosstalk with the abscisic acid (ABA) signal. In grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), ABA drives the accumulation of anthocyanins over the ripening season. In this study, we investigated the effects of treatment with a synthetic strigolactone analogue, GR24, on anthocyanin accumulation in grape berries, in the presence or absence of exogenous ABA treatment. Experiments were performed both on severed, incubated berries, and on berries attached to the vine. Furthermore, we analysed the corresponding transcript concentrations of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, and in ABA biosynthesis, metabolism, and membrane transport. During the experiment time courses, berries showed the expected increase in soluble sugars and anthocyanins. GR24 treatment had no or little effect on anthocyanin accumulation, or on gene expression levels. Exogenous ABA treatment activated soluble sugar and anthocyanin accumulation, and enhanced expression of anthocyanin and ABA biosynthetic genes, and that of genes involved in ABA hydroxylation and membrane transport. Co-treatment of GR24 with ABA delayed anthocyanin accumulation, decreased expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, and negatively affected ABA concentration. GR24 also enhanced the ABA-induced activation of ABA hydroxylase genes, while it down-regulated the ABA-induced activation of ABA transport genes. Our results show that GR24 affects the ABA-induced activation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in this non-climacteric fruit. We discuss possible mechanisms underlying this effect, and the potential role of SLs in ripening of non-ABA-treated berries.

Abscisic Acid Antagonizes Ethylene Production through the ABI4-Mediated Transcriptional Repression of ACS4 and ACS8 in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Dong, Zhijun; Yu, Yanwen; Li, Shenghui; Wang, Juan; Tang, Saijun; Huang, Rongfeng

2016-01-04

Increasing evidence has revealed that abscisic acid (ABA) negatively modulates ethylene biosynthesis, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. To identify the factors involved, we conducted a screen for ABA-insensitive mutants with altered ethylene production in Arabidopsis. A dominant allele of ABI4, abi4-152, which produces a putative protein with a 16-amino-acid truncation at the C-terminus of ABI4, reduces ethylene production. By contrast, two recessive knockout alleles of ABI4, abi4-102 and abi4-103, result in increased ethylene evolution, indicating that ABI4 negatively regulates ethylene production. Further analyses showed that expression of the ethylene biosynthesis genes ACS4, ACS8, and ACO2 was significantly decreased in abi4-152 but increased in the knockout mutants, with partial dependence on ABA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR assays showed that ABI4 directly binds the promoters of these ethylene biosynthesis genes and that ABA enhances this interaction. A fusion protein containing the truncated ABI4-152 peptide accumulated to higher levels than its full-length counterpart in transgenic plants, suggesting that ABI4 is destabilized by its C terminus. Therefore, our results demonstrate that ABA negatively regulates ethylene production through ABI4-mediated transcriptional repression of the ethylene biosynthesis genes ACS4 and ACS8 in Arabidopsis. Copyright © 2016 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of callose deposition in rice regulated by exogenous abscisic acid and its involvement in rice resistance to Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

PubMed

Liu, Jinglan; Du, Haitao; Ding, Xu; Zhou, Yaodong; Xie, Pengfei; Wu, Jincai

2017-12-01

Callose is a plant cell wall polysaccharide controlled by β-1,3-glucanase and synthase. Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important plant hormone. Exogenous ABA promotes rice resistance to pests. Whether exogenous ABA could reduce the decline in rice yield after brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål; BPH) feeding is an important question, however, the mechanisms behind rice resistance induced by ABA remain obscure. Electronic penetration graph (EPG) recording indicated a significant increase in rice resistance to BPH, and the number of BPH eggs decreased significantly upon application of exogenous ABA. As the concentration of ABA increased, the reduction in rice yield decreased significantly after BPH feeding. Further studies showed that β-1,3-glucanase activity was significantly lower, but synthase activity was higher after ABA treatment than in controls. Our results demonstrated that exogenous ABA suppressed β-1,3-glucanase and induced synthase activity, and promoted callose deposition. This is an important defense mechanism that prevents BPH from ingesting phloem sap. These studies provide support for an insect-resistance mechanism after ABA treatment and provide a reference for the integrated management of other piercing-sucking pests. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Stomatal VPD Response: There Is More to the Story Than ABA.

PubMed

Merilo, Ebe; Yarmolinsky, Dmitry; Jalakas, Pirko; Parik, Helen; Tulva, Ingmar; Rasulov, Bakhtier; Kilk, Kalle; Kollist, Hannes

2018-01-01

Guard cells shrink and close stomatal pores when air humidity decreases (i.e. when the difference between the vapor pressures of leaf and atmosphere [VPD] increases). The role of abscisic acid (ABA) in VPD-induced stomatal closure has been studied using ABA-related mutants that respond to VPD in some studies and not in others. The importance of ABA biosynthesis in guard cells versus vasculature for whole-plant stomatal regulation is unclear as well. Here, we show that Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) lines carrying mutations in different steps of ABA biosynthesis as well as pea ( Pisum sativum ) wilty and tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) flacca ABA-deficient mutants had higher stomatal conductance compared with wild-type plants. To characterize the role of ABA production in different cells, we generated transgenic plants where ABA biosynthesis was rescued in guard cells or phloem companion cells of an ABA-deficient mutant. In both cases, the whole-plant stomatal conductance, stunted growth phenotype, and leaf ABA level were restored to wild-type values, pointing to the redundancy of ABA sources and to the effectiveness of leaf ABA transport. All ABA-deficient lines closed their stomata rapidly and extensively in response to high VPD, whereas plants with mutated protein kinase OST1 showed stunted VPD-induced responses. Another strongly ABA-insensitive mutant, defective in the six ABA PYR/RCAR receptors, responded to changes in VPD in both directions strongly and symmetrically, indicating that its VPD-induced closure could be passive hydraulic. We discuss that both the VPD-induced passive hydraulic stomatal closure and the stomatal VPD regulation of ABA-deficient mutants may be conditional on the initial pretreatment stomatal conductance. © 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

The site of water stress governs the pattern of ABA synthesis and transport in peanut

PubMed Central

Hu, Bo; Cao, Jiajia; Ge, Kui; Li, Ling

2016-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the most important phytohormones involved in stress responses in plants. However, knowledge of the effect on ABA distribution and transport of water stress at different sites on the plant is limited. In this study, water stress imposed on peanut leaves or roots by treatment with PEG 6000 is termed “leaf stress” or “root stress”, respectively. Immunoenzyme localization technolony was first used to detect ABA distribution in peanut. Under root stress, ABA biosynthesis and distribution level were all more pronounced in root than in leaf. However, ABA transport and the ability to induce stomatal closure were still better in leaf than in root during root stress; However, ABA biosynthesis initially increased in leaf, then rapidly accumulated in the vascular cambium of leaves and induced stomatal closure under leaf stress; ABA produced in root tissues was also transported to leaf tissues to maintain stomatal closure. The vascular system was involved in the coordination and integration of this complex regulatory mechanism for ABA signal accumulation. Water stress subject to root or leaf results in different of ABA biosynthesis and transport ability that trigger stoma close in peanut. PMID:27694957

Exogenous auxin represses soybean seed germination through decreasing the gibberellin/abscisic acid (GA/ABA) ratio.

PubMed

Shuai, Haiwei; Meng, Yongjie; Luo, Xiaofeng; Chen, Feng; Zhou, Wenguan; Dai, Yujia; Qi, Ying; Du, Junbo; Yang, Feng; Liu, Jiang; Yang, Wenyu; Shu, Kai

2017-10-03

Auxin is an important phytohormone which mediates diverse development processes in plants. Published research has demonstrated that auxin induces seed dormancy. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the effect of auxin on seed germination need further investigation, especially the relationship between auxins and both abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins (GAs), the latter two phytohormones being the key regulators of seed germination. Here we report that exogenous auxin treatment represses soybean seed germination by enhancing ABA biosynthesis, while impairing GA biogenesis, and finally decreasing GA 1 /ABA and GA 4 /ABA ratios. Microscope observation showed that auxin treatment delayed rupture of the soybean seed coat and radicle protrusion. qPCR assay revealed that transcription of the genes involved in ABA biosynthetic pathway was up-regulated by application of auxin, while expression of genes involved in GA biosynthetic pathway was down-regulated. Accordingly, further phytohormone quantification shows that auxin significantly increased ABA content, whereas the active GA 1 and GA 4 levels were decreased, resulting insignificant decreases in the ratiosGA 1 /ABA and GA 4 /ABA.Consistent with this, ABA biosynthesis inhibitor fluridone reversed the delayed-germination phenotype associated with auxin treatment, while paclobutrazol, a GA biosynthesis inhibitor, inhibited soybean seed germination. Altogether, exogenous auxin represses soybean seed germination by mediating ABA and GA biosynthesis.

Abscisic Acid Accumulation in Spinach Leaf Slices in the Presence of Penetrating and Nonpenetrating Solutes 1

PubMed Central

Creelman, Robert A.; Zeevaart, Jan A. D.

1985-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulated in detached, wilted leaves of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv Savoy Hybrid 612) and reached a maximum level within 3 to 4 hours. The increase in ABA over that found in detached turgid leaves was approximately 10-fold. The effects of water stress could be mimicked by the use of thin slices of spinach leaves incubated in the presence of 0.6 molar mannitol, a compound which causes plasmolysis (loss of turgor). About equal amounts of ABA were found both in the leaf slices and in detached leaves, whereas 2 to 4 times more ABA accumulated in the medium than in the slices. When spinach leaf slices were incubated with ethylene glycol, a compound which rapidly penetrates the cell membrane causing a decrease in the osmotic potential of the tissue and only transient loss of turgor, no ABA accumulated. Ethylene glycol was not inhibitory with respect to ABA accumulation. Spinach leaf slices incubated in both ethylene glycol and mannitol had ABA levels similar to those found when slices were incubated with mannitol alone. Increases similar to those found with mannitol also occurred when Aquacide III, a highly purified form of polyethylene glycol, was used. Aquacide III causes cytorrhysis, a situation similar to that found in wilted leaves. Thus, it appears that loss of turgor is essential for ABA accumulation. When spinach leaf slices were incubated with solutes which are supposed to disturb membrane integrity (KHSO3, 2-propanol, or KCl) no increase in ABA was observed. These data indicate that, with respect to the accumulation of ABA, mannitol caused a physical stress (loss of turgor) rather than a chemical stress (membrane damage). PMID:16664022

Abscisic Acid accumulation in spinach leaf slices in the presence of penetrating and nonpenetrating solutes.

PubMed

Creelman, R A; Zeevaart, J A

1985-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulated in detached, wilted leaves of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv Savoy Hybrid 612) and reached a maximum level within 3 to 4 hours. The increase in ABA over that found in detached turgid leaves was approximately 10-fold. The effects of water stress could be mimicked by the use of thin slices of spinach leaves incubated in the presence of 0.6 molar mannitol, a compound which causes plasmolysis (loss of turgor). About equal amounts of ABA were found both in the leaf slices and in detached leaves, whereas 2 to 4 times more ABA accumulated in the medium than in the slices. When spinach leaf slices were incubated with ethylene glycol, a compound which rapidly penetrates the cell membrane causing a decrease in the osmotic potential of the tissue and only transient loss of turgor, no ABA accumulated. Ethylene glycol was not inhibitory with respect to ABA accumulation. Spinach leaf slices incubated in both ethylene glycol and mannitol had ABA levels similar to those found when slices were incubated with mannitol alone. Increases similar to those found with mannitol also occurred when Aquacide III, a highly purified form of polyethylene glycol, was used. Aquacide III causes cytorrhysis, a situation similar to that found in wilted leaves. Thus, it appears that loss of turgor is essential for ABA accumulation.When spinach leaf slices were incubated with solutes which are supposed to disturb membrane integrity (KHSO(3), 2-propanol, or KCl) no increase in ABA was observed. These data indicate that, with respect to the accumulation of ABA, mannitol caused a physical stress (loss of turgor) rather than a chemical stress (membrane damage).

Fern Stomatal Responses to ABA and CO2 Depend on Species and Growth Conditions.

PubMed

Hõrak, Hanna; Kollist, Hannes; Merilo, Ebe

2017-06-01

Changing atmospheric CO 2 levels, climate, and air humidity affect plant gas exchange that is controlled by stomata, small pores on plant leaves and stems formed by guard cells. Evolution has shaped the morphology and regulatory mechanisms governing stomatal movements to correspond to the needs of various land plant groups over the past 400 million years. Stomata close in response to the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), elevated CO 2 concentration, and reduced air humidity. Whether the active regulatory mechanisms that control stomatal closure in response to these stimuli are present already in mosses, the oldest plant group with stomata, or were acquired more recently in angiosperms remains controversial. It has been suggested that the stomata of the basal vascular plants, such as ferns and lycophytes, close solely hydropassively. On the other hand, active stomatal closure in response to ABA and CO 2 was found in several moss, lycophyte, and fern species. Here, we show that the stomata of two temperate fern species respond to ABA and CO 2 and that an active mechanism of stomatal regulation in response to reduced air humidity is present in some ferns. Importantly, fern stomatal responses depend on growth conditions. The data indicate that the stomatal behavior of ferns is more complex than anticipated before, and active stomatal regulation is present in some ferns and has possibly been lost in others. Further analysis that takes into account fern species, life history, evolutionary age, and growth conditions is required to gain insight into the evolution of land plant stomatal responses. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Fern Stomatal Responses to ABA and CO2 Depend on Species and Growth Conditions1[OPEN

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Changing atmospheric CO2 levels, climate, and air humidity affect plant gas exchange that is controlled by stomata, small pores on plant leaves and stems formed by guard cells. Evolution has shaped the morphology and regulatory mechanisms governing stomatal movements to correspond to the needs of various land plant groups over the past 400 million years. Stomata close in response to the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), elevated CO2 concentration, and reduced air humidity. Whether the active regulatory mechanisms that control stomatal closure in response to these stimuli are present already in mosses, the oldest plant group with stomata, or were acquired more recently in angiosperms remains controversial. It has been suggested that the stomata of the basal vascular plants, such as ferns and lycophytes, close solely hydropassively. On the other hand, active stomatal closure in response to ABA and CO2 was found in several moss, lycophyte, and fern species. Here, we show that the stomata of two temperate fern species respond to ABA and CO2 and that an active mechanism of stomatal regulation in response to reduced air humidity is present in some ferns. Importantly, fern stomatal responses depend on growth conditions. The data indicate that the stomatal behavior of ferns is more complex than anticipated before, and active stomatal regulation is present in some ferns and has possibly been lost in others. Further analysis that takes into account fern species, life history, evolutionary age, and growth conditions is required to gain insight into the evolution of land plant stomatal responses. PMID:28351911

The Arabidopsis transcription factor ABIG1 relays ABA signaled growth inhibition and drought induced senescence.

PubMed

Liu, Tie; Longhurst, Adam D; Talavera-Rauh, Franklin; Hokin, Samuel A; Barton, M Kathryn

2016-10-04

Drought inhibits plant growth and can also induce premature senescence. Here we identify a transcription factor, ABA INSENSITIVE GROWTH 1 (ABIG1) required for abscisic acid (ABA) mediated growth inhibition, but not for stomatal closure. ABIG1 mRNA levels are increased both in response to drought and in response to ABA treatment. When treated with ABA, abig1 mutants remain greener and produce more leaves than comparable wild-type plants. When challenged with drought, abig1 mutants have fewer yellow, senesced leaves than wild-type. Induction of ABIG1 transcription mimics ABA treatment and regulates a set of genes implicated in stress responses. We propose a model in which drought acts through ABA to increase ABIG1 transcription which in turn restricts new shoot growth and promotes leaf senescence. The results have implications for plant breeding: the existence of a mutant that is both ABA resistant and drought resistant points to new strategies for isolating drought resistant genetic varieties.

Arabidopsis plants deficient in plastidial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase show alterations in abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction: interaction between ABA and primary metabolism

PubMed Central

Muñoz-Bertomeu, Jesús; Bermúdez, María Angeles; Segura, Juan; Ros, Roc

2011-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) controls plant development and regulates plant responses to environmental stresses. A role for ABA in sugar regulation of plant development has also been well documented although the molecular mechanisms connecting the hormone with sugar signal transduction pathways are not well understood. In this work it is shown that Arabidopsis thaliana mutants deficient in plastidial glycolytic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapcp1gapcp2) are ABA insensitive in growth, stomatal closure, and germination assays. The ABA levels of gapcp1gapcp2 were normal, suggesting that the ABA signal transduction pathway is impaired in the mutants. ABA modified gapcp1gapcp2 gene expression, but the mutant response to the hormone differed from that observed in wild-type plants. The gene expression of the transcription factor ABI4, involved in both sugar and ABA signalling, was altered in gapcp1gapcp2, suggesting that their ABA insensitivity is mediated, at least partially, through this transcriptional regulator. Serine supplementation was able partly to restore the ABA sensitivity of gapcp1gapcp2, indicating that amino acid homeostasis and/or serine metabolism may also be important determinants in the connections of ABA with primary metabolism. Overall, these studies provide new insights into the links between plant primary metabolism and ABA signalling, and demonstrate the importance of plastidial glycolytic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in these interactions. PMID:21068209

CKB1 is involved in abscisic acid and gibberellic acid signaling to regulate stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Yuan, Congying; Ai, Jianping; Chang, Hongping; Xiao, Wenjun; Liu, Lu; Zhang, Cheng; He, Zhuang; Huang, Ji; Li, Jinyan; Guo, Xinhong

2017-05-01

Casein kinase II (CK2), an evolutionarily well-conserved Ser/Thr kinase, plays critical roles in all higher organisms including plants. CKB1 is a regulatory subunit beta of CK2. In this study, homozygous T-DNA mutants (ckb1-1 and ckb1-2) and over-expression plants (35S:CKB1-1, 35S:CKB1-2) of Arabidopsis thaliana were studied to understand the role of CKB1 in abiotic stress and gibberellic acid (GA) signaling. Histochemical staining showed that although CKB1 was expressed in all organs, it had a relatively higher expression in conducting tissues. The ckb1 mutants showed reduced sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA) during seed germination and seedling growth. The increased stomatal aperture, leaf water loss and proline accumulation were observed in ckb1 mutants. In contrast, the ckb1 mutant had increased sensitivity to polyaluminum chloride during seed germination and hypocotyl elongation. We obtained opposite results in over-expression plants. The expression levels of a number of genes in the ABA and GA regulatory network had changed. This study demonstrates that CKB1 is an ABA signaling-related gene, which subsequently influences GA metabolism, and may play a positive role in ABA signaling.

Interaction Between ABA Signaling and Copper Homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Carrió-Seguí, Àngela; Romero, Paco; Sanz, Amparo; Peñarrubia, Lola

2016-07-01

ABA is involved in plant responses to non-optimal environmental conditions, including nutrient availability. Since copper (Cu) is a very important micronutrient, unraveling how ABA affects Cu uptake and distribution is relevant to ensure adequate Cu nutrition in plants subjected to stress conditions. Inversely, knowledge about how the plant nutritional status can interfere with ABA biosynthesis and signaling mechanisms is necessary to optimize stress tolerance in horticultural crops. Here the reciprocal influence between ABA and Cu content was addressed by using knockout mutants and overexpressing transgenic plants of high affinity plasma membrane Cu transporters (pmCOPT) with altered Cu uptake. Exogenous ABA inhibited pmCOPT expression and drastically modified COPT2-driven localization in roots. ABA regulated SPL7, the main transcription factor responsive for Cu deficiency responses, and subsequently affected expression of its targets. ABA biosynthesis (aba2) and signaling (hab1-1 abi1-2) mutants differentially responded to ABA according to Cu levels. Alteration of Cu homeostasis in the pmCOPT mutants affected ABA biosynthesis, transport and signaling as genes such as NCED3, WRKY40, HY5 and ABI5 were differentially modulated by Cu status, and also in the pmCOPT and ABA mutants. Altered Cu uptake resulted in modified plant sensitivity to salt-mediated increases in endogenous ABA. The overall results provide evidence for reciprocal cross-talk between Cu status and ABA metabolism and signaling. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Water stress, CO2 and photoperiod influence hormone levels in wheat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nan, Rubin; Carman, John G.; Salisbury, Frank B.; Campbell, W. F. (Principal Investigator)

2002-01-01

'Super Dwarf' wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants have been grown from seed to maturity in the Mir space station where they were periodically exposed, because of microgravity and other constraints, to water deficit, waterlogging, high CO2 levels, and low light intensities. The plants produced many tillers, but none of them produced viable seed. Studies have been initiated to determine why the plants responded in these ways. In the present study, effects of the listed stresses on abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and isopentenyl adenosine ([9R]iP) levels in roots and leaves of plants grown under otherwise near optimal conditions on earth were measured. Hormones were extracted, purified by HPLC, and quantified by noncompetitive indirect ELISA. In response to water deficit, ABA levels increased in roots and leaves, IAA levels decreased in roots and leaves, and [9R]iP levels increased in leaves but decreased in roots. In response to waterlogging, ABA, IAA and [9R]iP levels briefly increased in roots and leaves and then decreased. When portions of the root system were exposed to waterlogging and/or water deficit, ABA levels in leaves increased while [9R]iP and IAA levels decreased. These responses were correlated with the percentage of the root system stressed. At a low photosynthetic photon flux (100 micromoles m-2 s-1), plants grown in continuous light had higher leaf ABA levels than plants grown using an 18 or 21 h photoperiod.

Identification and functional characterization of the pepper CaDRT1 gene involved in the ABA-mediated drought stress response.

PubMed

Baek, Woonhee; Lim, Sohee; Lee, Sung Chul

2016-05-01

Plants are constantly challenged by various environmental stresses, including high salinity and drought, and they have evolved defense mechanisms to counteract the deleterious effects of these stresses. The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates plant growth and developmental processes and mediates abiotic stress responses. Here, we identified the Capsicum annuum DRought Tolerance 1 (CaDRT1) gene from pepper leaves treated with ABA. CaDRT1 was strongly expressed in pepper leaves in response to environmental stresses and after ABA treatment, suggesting that the CaDRT1 protein functions in the abiotic stress response. Knockdown expression of CaDRT1 via virus-induced gene silencing resulted in a high level of drought susceptibility, and this was characterized by increased transpirational water loss via decreased stomatal closure. CaDRT1-overexpressing (OX) Arabidopsis plants exhibited an ABA-hypersensitive phenotype during the germinative, seedling, and adult stages. Additionally, these CaDRT1-OX plants exhibited a drought-tolerant phenotype characterized by low levels of transpirational water loss, high leaf temperatures, increased stomatal closure, and enhanced expression levels of drought-responsive genes. Taken together, our results suggest that CaDRT1 is a positive regulator of the ABA-mediated drought stress response.

Abscisic acid is involved in the iron-induced synthesis of maize ferritin.

PubMed Central

Lobréaux, S; Hardy, T; Briat, J F

1993-01-01

The ubiquitous iron storage protein ferritin has a highly conserved structure in plants and animals, but a distinct cytological location and a different level of control in response to iron excess. Plant ferritins are plastid-localized and transcriptionally regulated in response to iron, while animal ferritins are found in the cytoplasm and have their expression mainly controlled at the translational level. In order to understand the basis of these differences, we developed hydroponic cultures of maize plantlets which allowed an increase in the intracellular iron concentration, leading to a transient accumulation of ferritin mRNA and protein (Lobréaux,S., Massenet,O. and Briat,J.F., 1992, Plant Mol. Biol., 19, 563-575). Here, it is shown that iron induces ferritin and RAB (Responsive to Abscisic Acid) mRNA accumulation relatively with abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation. Ferritin mRNA also accumulates in response to exogenous ABA. Synergistic experiments demonstrate that the ABA and iron responses are linked, although full expression of the ferritin genes cannot be entirely explained by an increase in ABA concentration. Inducibility of ferritin mRNA accumulation by iron is dramatically decreased in the maize ABA-deficient mutant vp2 and can be rescued by addition of exogenous ABA, confirming the involvement of ABA in the iron response in plants. Therefore, it is concluded that a major part of the iron-induced biosynthesis of ferritin is achieved through a pathway involving an increase in the level of the plant hormone ABA. The general conclusion of this work is that the synthesis of the same protein in response to the same environmental signal can be controlled by separate and distinct mechanisms in plants and animals. Images PMID:8440255

Abscisic acid content and the expression of genes related to its metabolism during maturation of triticale grains of cultivars differing in pre-harvest sprouting susceptibility.

PubMed

Fidler, Justyna; Zdunek-Zastocka, Edyta; Prabucka, Beata; Bielawski, Wiesław

2016-12-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone that plays a predominant role in the onset and maintenance of primary dormancy. Peak ABA accumulation in embryos of triticale grains was observed before any significant loss of water and was higher in Fredro, a cultivar less susceptible to pre-harvest sprouting (PHS), than in Leontino, a cultivar more sensitive to PHS. At full maturity, embryonic ABA content in Fredro was twice as high as in Leontino. Two full-length cDNAs of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (TsNCED1, TsNCED2), an enzyme involved in ABA biosynthesis, and two full-length cDNAs of ABA 8'-hydroxylase (TsABA8'OH1 and TsABA8'OH2), an enzyme involved in ABA catabolism, were identified in triticale grains and characterized. The maximum transcript level of both TsNCED1 and TsNCED2 preceded the peak of ABA accumulation, suggesting that both TsNCEDs contribute to reach this peak, although the expression of TsNCED1 was significantly higher in Fredro than in Leontino. High expression of TsABA8'OH2 and TsABA8'OH1 was observed long before and at the end of the ABA accumulation peak, respectively, but no differences were observed between cultivars. The obtained results suggest that mainly TsNCED1 might be related to the higher ABA content and higher resistance of Fredro to PHS. However, Fredro embryos not only have higher ABA content, but also exhibit greater sensitivity to ABA, which may also have a significant effect on grain dormancy and lower susceptibility to PHS for grains of this cultivar. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Grape hexokinases are involved in the expression regulation of sucrose synthase- and cell wall invertase-encoding genes by glucose and ABA.

PubMed

Wang, Xiu-Qin; Zheng, Li-Li; Lin, Hao; Yu, Fei; Sun, Li-Hui; Li, Li-Mei

2017-05-01

Hexokinase (HXK, EC 2.7.1.1) is a multifunctional protein that both is involved in catalyzing the first step of glycolysis and plays an important role in sugar signaling. However, the supporting genetic evidence on hexokinases (CsHXKs) from grape (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon) berries has been lacking. Here, to investigate the role of CsHXK isoforms as glucose (Glc) and abscisic acid (ABA) sensors, we cloned two hexokinase isozymes, CsHXK1 and CsHXK2 with highly conserved genomic structure of nine exons and eight introns. We also found adenosine phosphate binding, substrate recognition and connection sites in their putative proteins. During grape berry development, the expression profiles of two CsHXK isoforms, sucrose synthases (SuSys) and cell wall invertase (CWINV) genes increased concomitantly with high levels of endogenous Glc and ABA. Furthermore, we showed that in wild type grape berry calli (WT), glucose repressed the expression levels of sucrose synthase (SuSy) and cell wall invertase (CWINV) genes, while ABA increased their expression levels. ABA could not only effectively improve the expression levels of SuSy and CWINV, but also block the repression induced by glucose on the expression of both genes. However, after silencing CsHXK1 or CsHXK2 in grape calli, SuSy and CWINV expression were enhanced, and the expressions of the two genes are insensitive in response to Glc treatment. Interestingly, exogenous ABA alone could not or less increase SuSy and CWINV expression in silencing CsHXK1 or CsHXK2 grape calli compared to WT. Meantime, ABA could not block the repression induced by glucose on the expression of SuSy and CWINV in CsHXK1 or CsHXK2 mutants. Therefore, Glc signal transduction depends on the regulation of CsHXK1 or CsHXK2. ABA signal was also disturbed by CsHXK1 or CsHXK2 silencing. The present results provide new insights into the regulatory role of Glc and ABA on the enzymes related to sugar metabolism in grape berry.

Enhanced determination of abscisic acid (ABA) and abscisic acid glucose ester (ABA-GE) in Cistus albidus plants by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in tandem mode.

PubMed

López-Carbonell, Marta; Gabasa, Marta; Jáuregui, Olga

2009-04-01

An improved, quick and simple method for the extraction and quantification of the phytohormones (+)-abscisic acid (ABA) and its major glucose conjugate, abscisic acid glucose ester (ABA-GE) in plant samples is described. The method includes the addition of deuterium-labeled internal standards to the leaves at the beginning of the extraction for quantification, a simple extraction/centrifugation process and the injection into the liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS-MS) system in multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM). Quality parameters of the method (detection limits, repeatability, reproducibility and linearity) have been studied. The objective of this work is to show the applicability of this method for quantifying the endogenous content of both ABA and ABA-GE in Cistus albidus plants that have been grown during an annual cycle under Mediterranean field conditions. Leaf samples from winter plants have low levels of ABA which increase in spring and summer showing two peaks that corresponded to April and August. These increases are coincident with the high temperature and solar radiation and the low RWC and RH registered along the year. On the other hand, the endogenous levels of ABA-GE increase until maximum values in July just before the ABA content reaches its highest concentration, decreasing in August and during autumn and winter. Our results suggest that the method is useful for quantifying both compounds in this plant material and represents the advantage of a short-time sample preparation with a high accuracy and viability.

Analysis of plant hormone profiles in response to moderate dehydration stress.

PubMed

Urano, Kaoru; Maruyama, Kyonoshin; Jikumaru, Yusuke; Kamiya, Yuji; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko; Shinozaki, Kazuo

2017-04-01

Plant responses to dehydration stress are mediated by highly complex molecular systems involving hormone signaling and metabolism, particularly the major stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and ABA-dependent gene expression. To understand the roles of plant hormones and their interactions during dehydration, we analyzed the plant hormone profiles with respect to dehydration responses in Arabidopsis thaliana wild-type (WT) plants and ABA biosynthesis mutants (nced3-2). We developed a procedure for moderate dehydration stress, and then investigated temporal changes in the profiles of ABA, jasmonic acid isoleucine (JA-Ile), salicylic acid (SA), cytokinin (trans-zeatin, tZ), auxin (indole-acetic acid, IAA), and gibberellin (GA 4 ), along with temporal changes in the expression of key genes involved in hormone biosynthesis. ABA levels increased in a bi-phasic pattern (at the early and late phases) in response to moderate dehydration stress. JA-Ile levels increased slightly in WT plants and strongly increased in nced3-2 mutant plants at 72 h after the onset of dehydration. The expression profiles of dehydration-inducible genes displayed temporal responses in an ABA-dependent manner. The early phase of ABA accumulation correlated with the expression of touch-inducible genes and was independent of factors involved in the major ABA regulatory pathway, including the ABA-responsive element-binding (AREB/ABF) transcription factor. JA-Ile, SA, and tZ were negatively regulated during the late dehydration response phase. Transcriptome analysis revealed important roles for hormone-related genes in metabolism and signaling during dehydration-induced plant responses. © 2016 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Abscisic acid is not necessary for gravitropism in primary roots of Zea mays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, R.

1990-01-01

Primary roots of Zea mays L. cv. Tx 5855 treated with fluridone are strongly graviresponsive, but have undetectable levels of abscisic acid (ABA). Primary roots of the carotenoid-deficient w-3, vp-5, and vp-7 mutants of Z. mays are also graviresponsive despite having undetectable amounts of ABA. Graviresponsive roots of untreated and wild-type seedlings contain 286 to 317 ng ABA g-1 f. wt, respectively. These results indicate that ABA is not necessary for root gravicurvature.

Cloning and functional analysis of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) genes encoding a key enzyme during abscisic acid biosynthesis from peach and grape fruits.

PubMed

Zhang, Mei; Leng, Ping; Zhang, Guanglian; Li, Xiangxin

2009-08-15

Ripening and senescence are generally controlled by ethylene in climacteric fruits like peaches, and the ripening process of grape, a non-climacteric fruit, may have some relationship to abscisic acid (ABA) function. In order to better understand the role of ABA in ripening and senescence of these two types of fruits, we cloned the 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) gene that encodes a key enzyme in ABA biosynthesis from peaches and grapes using an RT-PCR approach. The NCED gene fragments were cloned from peaches (PpNCED1and PpNCED2, each 740bp) and grapes (VVNCED1, 741bp) using degenerate primers designed based on the conserved amino acids sequence of NCEDs in other plants. PpNCED1 showed 78.54% homology with PpNCED2, 74.90% homology with VVNCED1, and both showed high homology to NCEDs from other plants. The expression patterns of PpNCED1 and VVNCED1 were very similar. Both were highly expressed at the beginning of ripening when ABA content becomes high. The maximum ABA preceded ethylene production in peach fruit. ABA in the grape gradually increased from the beginning of ripening and reached the highest level at 20d before the harvest stage. However, ethylene remained at low levels during the entire process of fruit development, including ripening and senescence. ABA content, and ripening and softening of both types of fruits, were promoted or delayed by exogenous ABA or Fluridone (or NDGA) treatment. The roles of ABA and ethylene in the later ripening of fruit are complex. Based on results obtained in this study, we concluded that PpNCED1 and VVNCED1 initiate ABA biosynthesis at the beginning of fruit ripening, and that ABA accumulation might play a key role in the regulation of ripeness and senescence of both peach and grape fruits.

Abscisic acid, xanthoxin and violaxanthin in the caps of gravistimulated maize roots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feldman, L. J.; Arroyave, N. J.; Sun, P. S.

1985-01-01

The occurrence and distribution of abscisic acid (ABA), xanthoxin (Xa) and the carotenoid violaxanthin (Va) were investigated in root tips of maize (Zea mays L. cv. Merit). In roots grown in the dark, Va and ABA were present in relatively high amounts in the root cap and in low amounts in the adjacent terminal 1.5 mm of the root. Xanthoxin was present in equal concentrations in both regions. In roots exposed to light, the ABA distribution was reversed, with relatively low levels in the root cap and high levels in the adjacent 1.5-mm segment. Light also caused a decrease in Va in both regions of the root and an increase in Xa, especially in the cap. In the maize cultivar used for this work, light is necessary for gravitropic curving. This response occurs within the same time frame as the light-induced ABA redistribution as well as the changes in the levels of Va and Xa. These data are consistent with a role for ABA in root gravitropism and support the proposal that Xa may arise from the turnover of Va.

Growth and graviresponsiveness of primary roots of Zea mays seedlings deficient in abscisic acid and gibberellic acid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, R.; Dickey, K.

1985-01-01

The objective of this research was to determine if gibberellic acid (GA) and/or abscisic acid (ABA) are necessary for graviresponsiveness by primary roots of Zea mays. To accomplish this objective we measured the growth and graviresponsiveness of primary roots of seedlings in which the synthesis of ABA and GA was inhibited collectively and individually by genetic and chemical means. Roots of seedlings treated with Fluridone (an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis) and Ancymidol (an inhibitor of GA biosynthesis) were characterized by slower growth rates but not significantly different gravicultures as compared to untreated controls. Gravicurvatures of primary roots of d-5 mutants (having undetectable levels of GA) and vp-9 mutants (having undectable levels of ABA) were not significantly different from those of wild-type seedlings. Roots of seedlings in which the biosynthesis of ABA and GA was collectively inhibited were characterized by gravicurvatures not significantly different for those of controls. These results (1) indicate that drastic reductions in the amount of ABA and GA in Z. mays seedlings do not significantly alter root graviresponsiveness, (2) suggest that neither ABA nor GA is necessary for root gravicurvature, and (3) indicate that root gravicurvature is not necessarily proportional to root elongation.

Plastid Located WHIRLY1 Enhances the Responsiveness of Arabidopsis Seedlings Toward Abscisic Acid

PubMed Central

Isemer, Rena; Krause, Kirsten; Grabe, Nils; Kitahata, Nobutaka; Asami, Tadao; Krupinska, Karin

2012-01-01

WHIRLY1 is a protein that can be translocated from the plastids to the nucleus, making it an ideal candidate for communicating information between these two compartments. Mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana lacking WHIRLY1 (why1) were shown to have a reduced sensitivity toward salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) during germination. Germination assays in the presence of abamine, an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis, revealed that the effect of SA on germination was in fact caused by a concomitant stimulation of ABA biosynthesis. In order to distinguish whether the plastid or the nuclear isoform of WHIRLY1 is adjusting the responsiveness toward ABA, sequences encoding either the complete WHIRLY1 protein or a truncated form lacking the plastid transit peptide were overexpressed in the why1 mutant background. In plants overexpressing the full-length sequence, WHIRLY1 accumulated in both plastids and the nucleus, whereas in plants overexpressing the truncated sequence, WHIRLY1 accumulated exclusively in the nucleus. Seedlings containing recombinant WHIRLY1 in both compartments were hypersensitive toward ABA. In contrast, seedlings possessing only the nuclear form of WHIRLY1 were as insensitive toward ABA as the why1 mutants. ABA was furthermore shown to lower the rate of germination of wildtype seeds even in the presence of abamine which is known to inhibit the formation of xanthoxin, the plastid located precursor of ABA. From this we conclude that plastid located WHIRLY1 enhances the responsiveness of seeds toward ABA even when ABA is supplied exogenously. PMID:23269926

Ectopic expression of a fruit phytoene synthase from Citrus paradisi Macf. promotes abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco.

PubMed

Cidade, Luciana C; de Oliveira, Tahise M; Mendes, Amanda F S; Macedo, Amanda F; Floh, Eny I S; Gesteira, Abelmon S; Soares-Filho, Walter S; Costa, Marcio G C

2012-12-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important regulator of plant responses to environmental stresses and an absolute requirement for stress tolerance. Recently, a third phytoene synthase (PSY3) gene paralog was identified in monocots and demonstrated to play a specialized role in stress-induced ABA formation, thus suggesting that the first committed step in carotenogenesis is a key limiting step in ABA biosynthesis. To examine whether the ectopic expression of PSY, other than PSY3, would similarly affect ABA level and stress tolerance, we have produced transgenic tobacco containing a fruit-specific PSY (CpPSY) of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.). The transgenic plants contained a single- or double-locus insertion and expressed CpPSY at varying transcript levels. In comparison with the wild-type plants, the CpPSY expressing transgenic plants showed a significant increase on root length and shoot biomass under PEG-, NaCl- and mannitol-induced osmotic stress. The enhanced stress tolerance of transgenic plants was correlated with the increased endogenous ABA level and expression of stress-responsive genes, which in turn was correlated with the CpPSY copy number and expression level in different transgenic lines. Collectively, these results provide further evidence that PSY is a key enzyme regulating ABA biosynthesis and that the altered expression of other PSYs in transgenic plants may provide a similar function to that of the monocot's PSY3 in ABA biosynthesis and stress tolerance. The results also pave the way for further use of CpPSY, as well as other PSYs, as potential candidate genes for engineering tolerance to drought and salt stress in crop plants.

Abscisic acid is a negative regulator of root gravitropism in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Han, Woong; Rong, Honglin; Zhang, Hanma; Wang, Myeong-Hyeon

2009-01-23

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a role in root gravitropism and has led to an intense debate over whether ABA acts similar to auxin by translating the gravitational signal into directional root growth. While tremendous advances have been made in the past two decades in establishing the role of auxin in root gravitropism, little progress has been made in characterizing the role of ABA in this response. In fact, roots of plants that have undetectable levels of ABA and that display a normal gravitropic response have raised some serious doubts about whether ABA plays any role in root gravitropism. Here, we show strong evidence that ABA plays a role opposite to that of auxin and that it is a negative regulator of the gravitropic response of Arabidopsis roots.

The Plant Cuticle Is Required for Osmotic Stress Regulation of Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis and Osmotic Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis[W

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhen-Yu; Xiong, Liming; Li, Wenbo; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Zhu, Jianhua

2011-01-01

Osmotic stress activates the biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA). One major step in ABA biosynthesis is the carotenoid cleavage catalyzed by a 9-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED). To understand the mechanism for osmotic stress activation of ABA biosynthesis, we screened for Arabidopsis thaliana mutants that failed to induce the NCED3 gene expression in response to osmotic stress treatments. The ced1 (for 9-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase defective 1) mutant isolated in this study showed markedly reduced expression of NCED3 in response to osmotic stress (polyethylene glycol) treatments compared with the wild type. Other ABA biosynthesis genes are also greatly reduced in ced1 under osmotic stress. ced1 mutant plants are very sensitive to even mild osmotic stress. Map-based cloning revealed unexpectedly that CED1 encodes a putative α/β hydrolase domain-containing protein and is allelic to the BODYGUARD gene that was recently shown to be essential for cuticle biogenesis. Further studies discovered that other cutin biosynthesis mutants are also impaired in osmotic stress induction of ABA biosynthesis genes and are sensitive to osmotic stress. Our work demonstrates that the cuticle functions not merely as a physical barrier to minimize water loss but also mediates osmotic stress signaling and tolerance by regulating ABA biosynthesis and signaling. PMID:21610183

Gibberellins Producing Endophytic Fungus Porostereum spadiceum AGH786 Rescues Growth of Salt Affected Soybean

PubMed Central

Hamayun, Muhammad; Hussain, Anwar; Khan, Sumera A.; Kim, Ho-Youn; Khan, Abdul L.; Waqas, Muhammad; Irshad, Muhammad; Iqbal, Amjad; Rehman, Gauhar; Jan, Samin; Lee, In-Jung

2017-01-01

In the pursuit of sustainable agriculture through environment and human health friendly practices, we evaluated the potential of a novel gibberellins (GAs) producing basidiomycetous endophytic fungus Porostereum spadiceum AGH786, for alleviating salt stress and promoting health benefits of soybean. Soybean seedlings exposed to different levels of NaCl stress (70 and 140 mM) under greenhouse conditions, were inoculated with the AGH786 strain. Levels of phytohormones including GAs, JA and ABA, and isoflavones were compared in control and the inoculated seedlings to understand the mechanism through which the stress is alleviated. Gibberellins producing endophytic fungi have been vital for promoting plant growth under normal and stress conditions. We report P. spadiceum AGH786 as the ever first GAs producing basidiomycetous fungus capable of producing six types of GAs. In comparison to the so for most efficient GAs producing Gibberella fujikuroi, AGH786 produced significantly higher amount of the bioactive GA3. Salt-stressed phenotype of soybean seedlings was characterized by low content of GAs and high amount of ABA and JA with reduced shoot length, biomass, leaf area, chlorophyll contents, and rate of photosynthesis. Mitigation of salt stress by AGH786 was always accompanied by high GAs, and low ABA and JA, suggesting that this endophytic fungus reduces the effect of salinity by modulating endogenous phytohormones of the seedlings. Additionally, this strain also enhanced the endogenous level of two isoflavones including daidzen and genistein in soybean seedlings under normal as well as salt stress conditions as compared to their respective controls. P. spadiceum AGH786 boosted the NaCl stress tolerance and growth in soybean, by modulating seedlings endogenous phytohormones and isoflavones suggesting a valuable contribution of this potent fungal biofertilizer in sustainable agriculture in salt affected soils. PMID:28473818

Abscisic Acid (ABA) Regulation of Arabidopsis SR Protein Gene Expression

PubMed Central

Cruz, Tiago M. D.; Carvalho, Raquel F.; Richardson, Dale N.; Duque, Paula

2014-01-01

Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are major modulators of alternative splicing, a key generator of proteomic diversity and flexible means of regulating gene expression likely to be crucial in plant environmental responses. Indeed, mounting evidence implicates splicing factors in signal transduction of the abscisic acid (ABA) phytohormone, which plays pivotal roles in the response to various abiotic stresses. Using real-time RT-qPCR, we analyzed total steady-state transcript levels of the 18 SR and two SR-like genes from Arabidopsis thaliana in seedlings treated with ABA and in genetic backgrounds with altered expression of the ABA-biosynthesis ABA2 and the ABA-signaling ABI1 and ABI4 genes. We also searched for ABA-responsive cis elements in the upstream regions of the 20 genes. We found that members of the plant-specific SC35-Like (SCL) Arabidopsis SR protein subfamily are distinctively responsive to exogenous ABA, while the expression of seven SR and SR-related genes is affected by alterations in key components of the ABA pathway. Finally, despite pervasiveness of established ABA-responsive promoter elements in Arabidopsis SR and SR-like genes, their expression is likely governed by additional, yet unidentified cis-acting elements. Overall, this study pinpoints SR34, SR34b, SCL30a, SCL28, SCL33, RS40, SR45 and SR45a as promising candidates for involvement in ABA-mediated stress responses. PMID:25268622

Antagonism between salicylic and abscisic acid reflects early host-pathogen conflict and moulds plant defence responses.

PubMed

de Torres Zabala, Marta; Bennett, Mark H; Truman, William H; Grant, Murray R

2009-08-01

The importance of phytohormone balance is increasingly recognized as central to the outcome of plant-pathogen interactions. Recently it has been demonstrated that abscisic acid signalling pathways are utilized by the bacterial phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae to promote pathogenesis. In this study, we examined the dynamics, inter-relationship and impact of three key acidic phytohormones, salicylic acid, abscisic acid and jasmonic acid, and the bacterial virulence factor, coronatine, during progression of P. syringae infection of Arabidopsis thaliana. We show that levels of SA and ABA, but not JA, appear to play important early roles in determining the outcome of the infection process. SA is required in order to mount a full innate immune responses, while bacterial effectors act rapidly to activate ABA biosynthesis. ABA suppresses inducible innate immune responses by down-regulating SA biosynthesis and SA-mediated defences. Mutant analyses indicated that endogenous ABA levels represent an important reservoir that is necessary for effector suppression of plant-inducible innate defence responses and SA synthesis prior to subsequent pathogen-induced increases in ABA. Enhanced susceptibility due to loss of SA-mediated basal resistance is epistatically dominant over acquired resistance due to ABA deficiency, although ABA also contributes to symptom development. We conclude that pathogen-modulated ABA signalling rapidly antagonizes SA-mediated defences. We predict that hormonal perturbations, either induced or as a result of environmental stress, have a marked impact on pathological outcomes, and we provide a mechanistic basis for understanding priming events in plant defence.

APETALA 2-domain-containing transcription factors: focusing on abscisic acid and gibberellins antagonism.

PubMed

Shu, Kai; Zhou, Wenguan; Yang, Wenyu

2018-02-01

The phytohormones abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA) antagonistically mediate diverse plant developmental processes including seed dormancy and germination, root development, and flowering time control, and thus the optimal balance between ABA and GA is essential for plant growth and development. Although more than a half and one century have passed since the initial discoveries of ABA and GA, respectively, the precise mechanisms underlying ABA-GA antagonism still need further investigation. Emerging evidence indicates that two APETALA 2 (AP2)-domain-containing transcription factors (ATFs), ABI4 in Arabidopsis and OsAP2-39 in rice, play key roles in ABA and GA antagonism. These two transcription factors precisely regulate the transcription pattern of ABA and GA biosynthesis or inactivation genes, mediating ABA and GA levels. In this Viewpoint article, we try to shed light on the effects of ATFs on ABA-GA antagonism, and summarize the overlapping but distinct biological functions of these ATFs in the antagonism between ABA and GA. Finally, we strongly propose that further research is needed into the detailed roles of additional numerous ATFs in ABA and GA crosstalk, which will improve our understanding of the antagonism between these two phytohormones. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Memory impairment is associated with the loss of regular oestrous cycle and plasma oestradiol levels in an activity-based anorexia animal model.

PubMed

Paulukat, Lisa; Frintrop, Linda; Liesbrock, Johanna; Heussen, Nicole; Johann, Sonja; Exner, Cornelia; Kas, Martien J; Tolba, Rene; Neulen, Joseph; Konrad, Kerstin; Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate; Beyer, Cordian; Seitz, Jochen

2016-06-01

Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) suffer from neuropsychological deficits including memory impairments. Memory partially depends on 17β-oestradiol (E2), which is reduced in patients with AN. We assessed whether memory functions correlate with E2 plasma levels in the activity-based anorexia (ABA) rat model. Nine 4-week-old female Wistar rats were sacrificed directly after weight loss of 20-25% (acute starvation), whereas 17 animals had additional 2-week weight-holding (chronic starvation). E2 serum levels and novel object recognition tasks were tested before and after starvation and compared with 21 normally fed controls. Starvation disrupted menstrual cycle and impaired memory function, which became statistically significant in the chronic state (oestrous cycle (P < 0.001), E2 levels (P = 0.011) and object recognition memory (P = 0.042) compared to controls). E2 reduction also correlated with the loss of memory in the chronic condition (r = 0.633, P = 0.020). Our results demonstrate that starvation reduces the E2 levels which are associated with memory deficits in ABA rats. These effects might explain reduced memory capacity in patients with AN as a consequence of E2 deficiency and the potentially limited effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in the starved state. Future studies should examine whether E2 substitution could prevent cognitive deficits and aid in earlier readiness for therapy.

Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Wayne W., Ed.; Piazza, Cathleen C., Ed.; Roane, Henry S., Ed.

2011-01-01

Describing the state of the science of ABA, this comprehensive handbook provides detailed information about theory, research, and intervention. The contributors are leading ABA authorities who present current best practices in behavioral assessment and demonstrate evidence-based strategies for supporting positive behaviors and reducing problem…

Abscisic acid enhances cold tolerance in honeybee larvae

PubMed Central

Sturla, Laura; Guida, Lucrezia; Vigliarolo, Tiziana; Maggi, Matías; Eguaras, Martín; Zocchi, Elena; Lamattina, Lorenzo

2017-01-01

The natural composition of nutrients present in food is a key factor determining the immune function and stress responses in the honeybee (Apis mellifera). We previously demonstrated that a supplement of abscisic acid (ABA), a natural component of nectar, pollen, and honey, increases honeybee colony survival overwinter. Here we further explored the role of ABA in in vitro-reared larvae exposed to low temperatures. Four-day-old larvae (L4) exposed to 25°C for 3 days showed lower survival rates and delayed development compared to individuals growing at a standard temperature (34°C). Cold-stressed larvae maintained higher levels of ABA for longer than do larvae reared at 34°C, suggesting a biological significance for ABA. Larvae fed with an ABA-supplemented diet completely prevent the low survival rate due to cold stress and accelerate adult emergence. ABA modulates the expression of genes involved in metabolic adjustments and stress responses: Hexamerin 70b, Insulin Receptor Substrate, Vitellogenin, and Heat Shock Proteins 70. AmLANCL2, the honeybee ABA receptor, is also regulated by cold stress and ABA. These results support a role for ABA increasing the tolerance of honeybee larvae to low temperatures through priming effects. PMID:28381619

Abscisic acid enhances cold tolerance in honeybee larvae.

PubMed

Ramirez, Leonor; Negri, Pedro; Sturla, Laura; Guida, Lucrezia; Vigliarolo, Tiziana; Maggi, Matías; Eguaras, Martín; Zocchi, Elena; Lamattina, Lorenzo

2017-04-12

The natural composition of nutrients present in food is a key factor determining the immune function and stress responses in the honeybee ( Apis mellifera ). We previously demonstrated that a supplement of abscisic acid (ABA), a natural component of nectar, pollen, and honey, increases honeybee colony survival overwinter. Here we further explored the role of ABA in in vitro -reared larvae exposed to low temperatures. Four-day-old larvae (L4) exposed to 25°C for 3 days showed lower survival rates and delayed development compared to individuals growing at a standard temperature (34°C). Cold-stressed larvae maintained higher levels of ABA for longer than do larvae reared at 34°C, suggesting a biological significance for ABA. Larvae fed with an ABA-supplemented diet completely prevent the low survival rate due to cold stress and accelerate adult emergence. ABA modulates the expression of genes involved in metabolic adjustments and stress responses: Hexamerin 70b, Insulin Receptor Substrate, Vitellogenin , and Heat Shock Proteins 70. AmLANCL2, the honeybee ABA receptor, is also regulated by cold stress and ABA. These results support a role for ABA increasing the tolerance of honeybee larvae to low temperatures through priming effects. © 2017 The Author(s).

Rapid Phosphoproteomic Effects of Abscisic Acid (ABA) on Wild-Type and ABA Receptor-Deficient A. thaliana Mutants*

PubMed Central

Minkoff, Benjamin B.; Stecker, Kelly E.; Sussman, Michael R.

2015-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA)1 is a plant hormone that controls many aspects of plant growth, including seed germination, stomatal aperture size, and cellular drought response. ABA interacts with a unique family of 14 receptor proteins. This interaction leads to the activation of a family of protein kinases, SnRK2s, which in turn phosphorylate substrates involved in many cellular processes. The family of receptors appears functionally redundant. To observe a measurable phenotype, four of the fourteen receptors have to be mutated to create a multilocus loss-of-function quadruple receptor (QR) mutant, which is much less sensitive to ABA than wild-type (WT) plants. Given these phenotypes, we asked whether or not a difference in ABA response between the WT and QR backgrounds would manifest on a phosphorylation level as well. We tested WT and QR mutant ABA response using isotope-assisted quantitative phosphoproteomics to determine what ABA-induced phosphorylation changes occur in WT plants within 5 min of ABA treatment and how that phosphorylation pattern is altered in the QR mutant. We found multiple ABA-induced phosphorylation changes that occur within 5 min of treatment, including three SnRK2 autophosphorylation events and phosphorylation on SnRK2 substrates. The majority of robust ABA-dependent phosphorylation changes observed were partially diminished in the QR mutant, whereas many smaller ABA-dependent phosphorylation changes observed in the WT were not responsive to ABA in the mutant. A single phosphorylation event was increased in response to ABA treatment in both the WT and QR mutant. A portion of the discovery data was validated using selected reaction monitoring-based targeted measurements on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. These data suggest that different subsets of phosphorylation events depend upon different subsets of the ABA receptor family to occur. Altogether, these data expand our understanding of the model by which the family of ABA receptors directs rapid phosphoproteomic changes. PMID:25693798

Rethinking food anticipatory activity in the activity-based anorexia rat model.

PubMed

Wu, Hemmings; van Kuyck, Kris; Tambuyzer, Tim; Luyten, Laura; Aerts, Jean-Marie; Nuttin, Bart

2014-01-29

When a rat is on a limited fixed-time food schedule with full access to a running wheel (activity-based anorexia model, ABA), its activity level will increase hours prior to the feeding period. This activity, called food-anticipatory activity (FAA), is a hypothesized parallel to the hyperactivity symptom in human anorexia nervosa. To investigate in depth the characteristics of FAA, we retrospectively analyzed the level of FAA and activities during other periods in ABA rats. To our surprise, rats with the most body weight loss have the lowest level of FAA, which contradicts the previously established link between FAA and the severity of ABA symptoms. On the contrary, our study shows that postprandial activities are more directly related to weight loss. We conclude that FAA alone may not be sufficient to reflect model severity, and activities during other periods may be of potential value in studies using ABA model.

Age-related mechanism and its relationship with secondary metabolism and abscisic acid in Aristotelia chilensis plants subjected to drought stress.

PubMed

González-Villagra, Jorge; Rodrigues-Salvador, Acácio; Nunes-Nesi, Adriano; Cohen, Jerry D; Reyes-Díaz, Marjorie M

2018-03-01

Drought stress is the most important stress factor for plants, being the main cause of agricultural crop loss in the world. Plants have developed complex mechanisms for preventing water loss and oxidative stress such as synthesis of abscisic acid (ABA) and non-enzymatic antioxidant compounds such as anthocyanins, which might help plants to cope with abiotic stress as antioxidants and for scavenging reactive oxygen species. A. chilensis (Mol.) is a pioneer species, colonizing and growing on stressed and disturbed environments. In this research, an integrated analysis of secondary metabolism in Aristotelia chilensis was done to relate ABA effects on anthocyanins biosynthesis, by comparing between young and fully-expanded leaves under drought stress. Plants were subjected to drought stress for 20 days, and physiological, biochemical, and molecular analyses were performed. The relative growth rate and plant water status were reduced in stressed plants, with young leaves significantly more affected than fully-expanded leaves beginning from the 5th day of drought stress. A. chilensis plants increased their ABA and total anthocyanin content and showed upregulation of gene expression when they were subjected to severe drought (day 20), with these effects being higher in fully-expanded leaves. Multivariate analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between transcript levels for NCED1 (9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase) and UFGT (UDP glucose: flavonoid-3-O-glucosyltransferase) with ABA and total anthocyanin, respectively. Thus, this research provides a more comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms that allow plants to cope with drought stress. This is highlighted by the differences between young and fully-expanded leaves, showing different sensibility to stress due to their ability to synthesize anthocyanins. In addition, this ability to synthesize different and high amounts of anthocyanins could be related to higher NCED1 and MYB expression and ABA levels, enhancing drought stress tolerance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Photoprotectant improves photostability and bioactivity of abscisic acid under UV radiation.

PubMed

Gao, Fei; Hu, Tanglu; Tan, Weiming; Yu, Chunxin; Li, Zhaohu; Zhang, Lizhen; Duan, Liusheng

2016-05-01

Photosensitivity causes serious drawback for abscisic acid (ABA) application, but preferable methods to stabilize the compound were not found yet. To select an efficient photoprotectant for the improvement of photostability and bioactivity of ABA when exposed to UV light, we tested the effects of a photostabilizer bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate (HS-770) and two UV absorbers 2-hydroxy-4-n-octoxy-benzophenone (UV-531) and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulfonic acid (BP-4) with or without HS-770 on the photodegradation of ABA. Water soluble UV absorber BP-4 and oil soluble UV absorber UV-531 showed significant photo-stabilizing capability on ABA, possibly due to competitive energy absorption of UVB by the UV absorbers. The two absorbers showed no significant difference. Photostabilizer HS-770 accelerated the photodegradation of ABA and did not improve the photo-stabilizing capability of BP-4, likely due to no absorption in UVB region and salt formation with ABA and BP-4. Approximately 26% more ABA was kept when 280mg/l ABA aqueous solution was irradiated by UV light for 2h in the presence of 200mg/l BP-4. What's more, its left bioactivity on wheat seed (JIMAI 22) germination was greatly kept by BP-4, comparing to that of ABA alone. The 300 times diluent of 280mg/l ABA plus 200mg/l BP-4 after 2h irradiation showed more than 13% inhibition on shoot and root growth of wheat seed than that of ABA diluent alone. We concluded that water soluble UV absorber BP-4 was an efficient agent to keep ABA activity under UV radiation. The results could be used to produce photostable products of ABA compound or other water soluble agrichemicals which are sensitive to UV radiation. The frequencies and amounts of the agrichemicals application could be thereafter reduced. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abscisic acid in the thermoinhibition of lettuce seed germination and enhancement of its catabolism by gibberellin.

PubMed

Gonai, Takeru; Kawahara, Shusuke; Tougou, Makoto; Satoh, Shigeru; Hashiba, Teruyoshi; Hirai, Nobuhiro; Kawaide, Hiroshi; Kamiya, Yuji; Yoshioka, Toshihito

2004-01-01

Germination of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. 'Grand Rapids') seeds was inhibited at high temperatures (thermoinhibition). Thermoinhibition at 28 degrees C was prevented by the application of fluridone, an inhibitor of abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. At 33 degrees C, the sensitivity of the seeds to ABA increased, and fluridone on its own was no longer effective. However, a combined application of fluridone and gibberellic acid (GA3) was able to restore the germination. Exogenous GA3 lowered endogenous ABA content in the seeds, enhancing catabolism of ABA and export of the catabolites from the intact seeds. The fluridone application also decreased the ABA content. Consequently, the combined application of fluridone and GA3 decreased the ABA content to a sufficiently low level to allow germination at 33 degrees C. There was no significant temperature-dependent change in endogenous GA1 contents. It is concluded that ABA is an important factor in the regulation of thermoinhibition of lettuce seed germination, and that GA affects the temperature responsiveness of the seeds through ABA metabolism.

Abscisic acid promotes proteasome-mediated degradation of the transcription coactivator NPR1 in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Ding, Yezhang; Dommel, Matthew; Mou, Zhonglin

2016-04-01

Proteasome-mediated turnover of the transcription coactivator NPR1 is pivotal for efficient activation of the broad-spectrum plant immune responses known as localized acquired resistance (LAR) and systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in adjacent and systemic tissues, respectively, and requires the CUL3-based E3 ligase and its adaptor proteins, NPR3 and NPR4, which are receptors for the signaling molecule salicylic acid (SA). It has been shown that SA prevents NPR1 turnover under non-inducing and LAR/SAR-inducing conditions, but how cellular NPR1 homeostasis is maintained remains unclear. Here, we show that the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and SA antagonistically influence cellular NPR1 protein levels. ABA promotes NPR1 degradation via the CUL3(NPR) (3/) (NPR) (4) complex-mediated proteasome pathway, whereas SA may protect NPR1 from ABA-promoted degradation through phosphorylation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the timing and strength of SA and ABA signaling are critical in modulating NPR1 accumulation and target gene expression. Perturbing ABA or SA signaling in adjacent tissues alters the temporal dynamic pattern of NPR1 accumulation and target gene transcription. Finally, we show that sequential SA and ABA treatment leads to dynamic changes in NPR1 protein levels and target gene expression. Our results revealed a tight correlation between sequential SA and ABA signaling and dynamic changes in NPR1 protein levels and NPR1-dependent transcription in plant immune responses. © 2016 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Exogenous abscisic acid increases antioxidant enzymes and related gene expression in pepper (Capsicum annuum) leaves subjected to chilling stress.

PubMed

Guo, W L; Chen, R G; Gong, Z H; Yin, Y X; Ahmed, S S; He, Y M

2012-11-28

To elucidate how physiological and biochemical mechanisms of chilling stress are regulated by abscisic acid (ABA) pretreatment, pepper variety (cv. 'P70') seedlings were pretreated with 0.57 mM ABA for 72 h and then subjected to chilling stress at 10°/6°C (day/night). Chilling stress caused severe necrotic lesions on the leaves and increased malondialdehyde and H(2)O(2) levels. Activities of monodehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, ascorbate, and glutathione increased due to chilling stress during the 72 h, while superoxide dismutase and catalase activities decreased during 24 h, suggesting that chilling stress activates the AsA-GSH cycle under catalase deactivation in pepper leaves. ABA pretreatment induced significant increases in the above-mentioned enzyme activities and progressive decreases in ascorbate and glutathione levels. On the other hand, ABA-pretreated seedlings under chilling stress increased superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase activities and lowered concentrations of other antioxidants compared with untreated chilling-stressed plants. These seedlings showed concomitant decreases in foliage damage symptoms, and levels of malondialdehyde and H(2)O(2). Induction of Mn-SOD and POD was observed in chilling-stressed plants treated with ABA. The expression of DHAR1 and DHAR2 was altered by chilling stress, but it was higher in the presence than in the absence of ABA at 24 h. Overall, the results indicate that exogenous application of ABA increases tolerance of plants to chilling-induced oxidative damage, mainly by enhancing superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase activities and related gene expression.

Differences in phosphatidic acid signalling and metabolism between ABA and GA treatments of barley aleurone cells.

PubMed

Villasuso, Ana Laura; Di Palma, Maria A; Aveldaño, Marta; Pasquaré, Susana J; Racagni, Graciela; Giusto, Norma M; Machado, Estela E

2013-04-01

Phosphatidic acid (PA) is the common lipid product in abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA) response. In this work we investigated the lipid metabolism in response to both hormones. We could detect an in vivo phospholipase D activity (PLD, EC 3.1.4.4). This PLD produced [(32)P]PA (phosphatidic acid) rapidly (minutes) in the presence of ABA, confirming PA involvement in signal transduction, and transiently, indicating rapid PA removal after generation. The presence of PA removal by phosphatidate phosphatase 1 and 2 isoforms (E.C. 3.1.3.4) was verified in isolated aleurone membranes in vitro, the former but not the latter being specifically responsive to the presence of GA or ABA. The in vitro DGPP phosphatase activity was not modified by short time incubation with GA or ABA while the in vitro PA kinase - that allows the production of 18:2-DGPP from 18:2-PA - is stimulated by ABA. The long term effects (24 h) of ABA or GA on lipid and fatty acid composition of aleurone layer cells were then investigated. An increase in PC and, to a lesser extent, in PE levels is the consequence of both hormone treatments. ABA, in aleurone layer cells, specifically activates a PLD whose product, PA, could be the substrate of PAP1 and/or PAK activities. Neither PLD nor PAK activation can be monitored by GA treatment. The increase in PAP1 activity monitored after ABA or GA treatment might participate in the increase in PC level observed after 24 h hormone incubation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Abscisic Acid/Gibberellin Balance in the Control of Seed Dormancy and Germination in Cereals

PubMed Central

Tuan, Pham A.; Kumar, Rohit; Rehal, Pawanpuneet K.; Toora, Parneet K.; Ayele, Belay T.

2018-01-01

Seed dormancy is an adaptive trait that does not allow the germination of an intact viable seed under favorable environmental conditions. Non-dormant seeds or seeds with low level of dormancy can germinate readily under optimal environmental conditions, and such a trait leads to preharvest sprouting, germination of seeds on the mother plant prior to harvest, which significantly reduces the yield and quality of cereal crops. High level of dormancy, on the other hand, may lead to non-uniform germination and seedling establishment. Therefore, intermediate dormancy is considered to be a desirable trait as it prevents the problems of sprouting and allows uniformity of postharvest germination of seeds. Induction, maintenance, and release of seed dormancy are complex physiological processes that are influenced by a wide range of endogenous and environmental factors. Plant hormones, mainly abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA), are the major endogenous factors that act antagonistically in the control of seed dormancy and germination; ABA positively regulates the induction and maintenance of dormancy, while GA enhances germination. Significant progress has been made in recent years in the elucidation of molecular mechanisms regulating ABA/GA balance and thereby dormancy and germination in cereal seeds, and this review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the topic. PMID:29875780

A molecular basis behind heterophylly in an amphibious plant, Ranunculus trichophyllus

PubMed Central

Kim, Juhyun; Joo, Youngsung; Kyung, Jinseul; Jeon, Myeongjune; Park, Jong Yoon; Chung, Doo Soo; Lee, Eunju

2018-01-01

Ranunculus trichophyllus is an amphibious plant that produces thin and cylindrical leaves if grown under water but thick and broad leaves if grown on land. We found that such heterophylly is widely controlled by two plant hormones, abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene, which control terrestrial and aquatic leaf development respectively. Aquatic leaves produced higher levels of ethylene but lower levels of ABA than terrestrial leaves. In aquatic leaves, their distinct traits with narrow shape, lack of stomata, and reduced vessel development were caused by EIN3-mediated overactivation of abaxial genes, RtKANADIs, and accompanying with reductions of STOMAGEN and VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN7 (VDN7). In contrast, in terrestrial leaves, ABI3-mediated activation of the adaxial genes, RtHD-ZIPIIIs, and STOMAGEN and VDN7 established leaf polarity, and stomata and vessel developments. Heterophylly of R.trichophyllus could be also induced by external cues such as cold and hypoxia, which is accompanied with the changes in the expression of leaf polarity genes similar to aquatic response. A closely-related land plant R. sceleratus did not show such heterophyllic responses, suggesting that the changes in the ABA/ethylene signaling and leaf polarity are one of key evolutionary steps for aquatic adaptation. PMID:29447166

DNA Methylation Mediated Control of Gene Expression Is Critical for Development of Crown Gall Tumors

PubMed Central

Kneitz, Susanne; Weber, Dana; Fuchs, Joerg; Hedrich, Rainer; Deeken, Rosalia

2013-01-01

Crown gall tumors develop after integration of the T-DNA of virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains into the plant genome. Expression of the T-DNA–encoded oncogenes triggers proliferation and differentiation of transformed plant cells. Crown gall development is known to be accompanied by global changes in transcription, metabolite levels, and physiological processes. High levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in crown galls regulate expression of drought stress responsive genes and mediate drought stress acclimation, which is essential for wild-type-like tumor growth. An impact of epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation on crown gall development has been suggested; however, it has not yet been investigated comprehensively. In this study, the methylation pattern of Arabidopsis thaliana crown galls was analyzed on a genome-wide scale as well as at the single gene level. Bisulfite sequencing analysis revealed that the oncogenes Ipt, IaaH, and IaaM were unmethylated in crown galls. Nevertheless, the oncogenes were susceptible to siRNA–mediated methylation, which inhibited their expression and subsequently crown gall growth. Genome arrays, hybridized with methylated DNA obtained by immunoprecipitation, revealed a globally hypermethylated crown gall genome, while promoters were rather hypomethylated. Mutants with reduced non-CG methylation developed larger tumors than the wild-type controls, indicating that hypermethylation inhibits plant tumor growth. The differential methylation pattern of crown galls and the stem tissue from which they originate correlated with transcriptional changes. Genes known to be transcriptionally inhibited by ABA and methylated in crown galls became promoter methylated upon treatment of A. thaliana with ABA. This suggests that the high ABA levels in crown galls may mediate DNA methylation and regulate expression of genes involved in drought stress protection. In summary, our studies provide evidence that epigenetic processes regulate gene expression, physiological processes, and the development of crown gall tumors. PMID:23408907

DNA methylation mediated control of gene expression is critical for development of crown gall tumors.

PubMed

Gohlke, Jochen; Scholz, Claus-Juergen; Kneitz, Susanne; Weber, Dana; Fuchs, Joerg; Hedrich, Rainer; Deeken, Rosalia

2013-01-01

Crown gall tumors develop after integration of the T-DNA of virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains into the plant genome. Expression of the T-DNA-encoded oncogenes triggers proliferation and differentiation of transformed plant cells. Crown gall development is known to be accompanied by global changes in transcription, metabolite levels, and physiological processes. High levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in crown galls regulate expression of drought stress responsive genes and mediate drought stress acclimation, which is essential for wild-type-like tumor growth. An impact of epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation on crown gall development has been suggested; however, it has not yet been investigated comprehensively. In this study, the methylation pattern of Arabidopsis thaliana crown galls was analyzed on a genome-wide scale as well as at the single gene level. Bisulfite sequencing analysis revealed that the oncogenes Ipt, IaaH, and IaaM were unmethylated in crown galls. Nevertheless, the oncogenes were susceptible to siRNA-mediated methylation, which inhibited their expression and subsequently crown gall growth. Genome arrays, hybridized with methylated DNA obtained by immunoprecipitation, revealed a globally hypermethylated crown gall genome, while promoters were rather hypomethylated. Mutants with reduced non-CG methylation developed larger tumors than the wild-type controls, indicating that hypermethylation inhibits plant tumor growth. The differential methylation pattern of crown galls and the stem tissue from which they originate correlated with transcriptional changes. Genes known to be transcriptionally inhibited by ABA and methylated in crown galls became promoter methylated upon treatment of A. thaliana with ABA. This suggests that the high ABA levels in crown galls may mediate DNA methylation and regulate expression of genes involved in drought stress protection. In summary, our studies provide evidence that epigenetic processes regulate gene expression, physiological processes, and the development of crown gall tumors.

Comparative quantitative proteomics analysis of the ABA response of roots of drought-sensitive and drought-tolerant wheat varieties identifies proteomic signatures of drought adaptability.

PubMed

Alvarez, Sophie; Roy Choudhury, Swarup; Pandey, Sona

2014-03-07

Wheat is one of the most highly cultivated cereals in the world. Like other cultivated crops, wheat production is significantly affected by abiotic stresses such as drought. Multiple wheat varieties suitable for different geographical regions of the world have been developed that are adapted to different environmental conditions; however, the molecular basis of such adaptations remains unknown in most cases. We have compared the quantitative proteomics profile of the roots of two different wheat varieties, Nesser (drought-tolerant) and Opata (drought-sensitive), in the absence and presence of abscisic acid (ABA, as a proxy for drought). A labeling LC-based quantitative proteomics approach using iTRAQ was applied to elucidate the changes in protein abundance levels. Quantitative differences in protein levels were analyzed for the evaluation of inherent differences between the two varieties as well as the overall and variety-specific effect of ABA on the root proteome. This study reveals the most elaborate ABA-responsive root proteome identified to date in wheat. A large number of proteins exhibited inherently different expression levels between Nesser and Opata. Additionally, significantly higher numbers of proteins were ABA-responsive in Nesser roots compared with Opata roots. Furthermore, several proteins showed variety-specific regulation by ABA, suggesting their role in drought adaptation.

The Pepper RING-Type E3 Ligase CaAIRF1 Regulates ABA and Drought Signaling via CaADIP1 Protein Phosphatase Degradation.

PubMed

Lim, Chae Woo; Baek, Woonhee; Lee, Sung Chul

2017-04-01

Ubiquitin-mediated protein modification occurs at multiple steps of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Here, we sought proteins responsible for degradation of the pepper ( Capsicum annuum ) type 2C protein phosphatase CaADIP1 via the 26S proteasome system. We showed that the RING-type E3 ligase CaAIRF1 ( Capsicum annuum ADIP1 Interacting RING Finger Protein 1) interacts with and ubiquitinates CaADIP1. CaADIP1 degradation was slower in crude proteins from CaAIRF1 -silenced peppers than in those from control plants. CaAIRF1 -silenced pepper plants displayed reduced ABA sensitivity and decreased drought tolerance characterized by delayed stomatal closure and suppressed induction of ABA- and drought-responsive marker genes. In contrast, CaAIRF1 -overexpressing Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) plants exhibited ABA-hypersensitive and drought-tolerant phenotypes. Moreover, in these plants, CaADIP1-induced ABA hyposensitivity was strongly suppressed by CaAIRF1 overexpression. Our findings highlight a potential new route for fine-tune regulation of ABA signaling in pepper via CaAIRF1 and CaADIP1. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Mechanism of internal browning of pineapple: The role of gibberellins catabolism gene (AcGA2ox) and GAs

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qin; Rao, Xiuwen; Zhang, Lubin; He, Congcong; Yang, Fang; Zhu, Shijiang

2016-01-01

Internal browning (IB), a physiological disorder (PD) that causes severe losses in harvested pineapple, can be induced by exogenous gibberellins (GAs). Over the years, studies have focused on roles of Gibberellin 2-oxidase (GA2oxs), the major GAs catabolic enzyme in plants, in the regulation of changes in morphology or biomass. However, whether GA2oxs could regulate PD has not been reported. Here, a full-length AcGA2ox cDNA was isolated from pineapple, with the putative protein sharing 23.59% to 72.92% identity with GA2oxs from five other plants. Pineapples stored at 5 °C stayed intact, while those stored at 20 °C showed severe IB. Storage at 5 °C enhanced AcGA2ox expression and decreased levels of a GAs (GA4) ‘compared with storage at 20 °C. However, at 20 °C, exogenous application of abscisic acid (ABA) significantly suppressed IB. ABA simultaneously upregulated AcGA2ox and reduced GA4. Ectopic expression of AcGA2ox in Arabidopsis resulted in reduced GA4, lower seed germination, and shorter hypocotyls and roots, all of which were restored by exogenous GA4/7. Moreover, in pineapple, GA4/7 upregulated polyphenol oxidase, while storage at 5 °C and ABA downregulated it. These results strongly suggest the involvement of AcGA2ox in regulation of GAs levels and a role of AcGA2ox in regulating IB. PMID:27982026

Accumulation of eicosapolyenoic acids enhances sensitivity to abscisic acid and mitigates the effects of drought in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Qi, Baoxiu

2014-01-01

IgASE1, a C18 Δ9-specific polyunsaturated fatty acid elongase from the marine microalga Isochrysis galbana, is able to convert linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid to eicosadienoic acid and eicosatrienoic acid in Arabidopsis. Eicosadienoic acid and eicosatrienoic acid are precursors of arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid, which are synthesized via the Δ8 desaturation biosynthetic pathways. This study shows that the IgASE1-expressing transgenic Arabidopsis exhibited altered morphology (decreased leaf area and biomass) and enhanced drought resistance compared to wild-type plants. The transgenic Arabidopsis were hypersensitive to abscisic acid (ABA) during seed germination, post-germination growth, and seedling development. They had elevated leaf ABA levels under well-watered and dehydrated conditions and their stomata were more sensitive to ABA. Exogenous application of eicosadienoic acid and eicosatrienoic acid can mimic ABA and drought responses in the wild type plants, similar to that found in the transgenic ones. The transcript levels of genes involved in the biosynthesis of ABA (NCED3, ABA1, AAO3) as well as other stress-related genes were upregulated in this transgenic line upon osmotic stress (300mM mannitol). Taken together, these results indicate that these two eicosapolyenoic acids or their derived metabolites can mitigate the effects of drought in transgenic Arabidopsis, at least in part, through the action of ABA. PMID:24609499

Accumulation of eicosapolyenoic acids enhances sensitivity to abscisic acid and mitigates the effects of drought in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Yuan, Xiaowei; Li, Yaxiao; Liu, Shiyang; Xia, Fei; Li, Xinzheng; Qi, Baoxiu

2014-04-01

IgASE1, a C₁₈ Δ(9)-specific polyunsaturated fatty acid elongase from the marine microalga Isochrysis galbana, is able to convert linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid to eicosadienoic acid and eicosatrienoic acid in Arabidopsis. Eicosadienoic acid and eicosatrienoic acid are precursors of arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid, which are synthesized via the Δ(8) desaturation biosynthetic pathways. This study shows that the IgASE1-expressing transgenic Arabidopsis exhibited altered morphology (decreased leaf area and biomass) and enhanced drought resistance compared to wild-type plants. The transgenic Arabidopsis were hypersensitive to abscisic acid (ABA) during seed germination, post-germination growth, and seedling development. They had elevated leaf ABA levels under well-watered and dehydrated conditions and their stomata were more sensitive to ABA. Exogenous application of eicosadienoic acid and eicosatrienoic acid can mimic ABA and drought responses in the wild type plants, similar to that found in the transgenic ones. The transcript levels of genes involved in the biosynthesis of ABA (NCED3, ABA1, AAO3) as well as other stress-related genes were upregulated in this transgenic line upon osmotic stress (300 mM mannitol). Taken together, these results indicate that these two eicosapolyenoic acids or their derived metabolites can mitigate the effects of drought in transgenic Arabidopsis, at least in part, through the action of ABA.

Cloning and expression analysis of cDNAs for ABA 8'-hydroxylase during sweet cherry fruit maturation and under stress conditions.

PubMed

Ren, Jie; Sun, Liang; Wu, Jiefang; Zhao, Shengli; Wang, Canlei; Wang, Yanping; Ji, Kai; Leng, Ping

2010-11-15

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a key role in various aspects of plant growth and development, including adaptation to environmental stress and fruit maturation in sweet cherry fruit. In higher plants, the level of ABA is determined by synthesis and catabolism. In order to gain insight into ABA synthesis and catabolism in sweet cherry fruit during maturation and under stress conditions, four cDNAs of PacCYP707A1 -PacCYP707A4 for 8'-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in the oxidative catabolism of ABA, and one cDNA of PacNCED1 for 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, a key enzyme in the ABA biosynthetic pathway, were isolated from sweet cherry fruit (Prunus avium L.). The timing and pattern of PacNCED1 expression was coincident with that of ABA accumulation, which was correlated to maturation of sweet cherry fruit. All four PacCYP707As were expressed at varying intensities throughout fruit development and appeared to play overlapping roles in ABA catabolism throughout sweet cherry fruit development. The application of ABA enhanced the expression of PacCYP707A1 -PacCYP707A3 as well as PacNCED1, but downregulated the PacCYP707A4 transcript level. Expressions of PacCYP707A1, PacCYP707A3 and PacNCED1 were strongly increased by water stress. No significant differences in PacCYP707A2 and PacCYP707A4 expression were observed between dehydrated and control fruits. The results suggest that endogenous ABA content is modulated by a dynamic balance between biosynthesis and catabolism, which are regulated by PacNCED1 and PacCYP707As transcripts, respectively, during fruit maturation and under stress conditions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Involvement of polyamine oxidase in abscisic acid-induced cytosolic antioxidant defense in leaves of maize.

PubMed

Xue, Beibei; Zhang, Aying; Jiang, Mingyi

2009-03-01

Using pharmacological and biochemical approaches, the role of maize polyamine oxidase (MPAO) in abscisic acid (ABA)-induced antioxidant defense in leaves of maize (Zea mays L.) plants was investigated. Exogenous ABA treatment enhanced the expression of the MPAO gene and the activities of apoplastic MPAO. Pretreatment with two different inhibitors for apoplastic MPAO partly reduced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation induced by ABA and blocked the ABA-induced expression of the antioxidant genes superoxide dismutase 4 and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase and the activities of the cytosolic antioxidant enzymes. Treatment with spermidine, the optimum substrate of MPAO, also induced the expression and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, and the upregulation of the antioxidant enzymes was prevented by two inhibitors of MPAO and two scavengers of H2O2. These results suggest that MPAO contributes to ABA-induced cytosolic antioxidant defense through H2O2, a Spd catabolic product.

Rice Stomatal Closure Requires Guard Cell Plasma Membrane ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter RCN1/OsABCG5.

PubMed

Matsuda, Shuichi; Takano, Sho; Sato, Moeko; Furukawa, Kaoru; Nagasawa, Hidetaka; Yoshikawa, Shoko; Kasuga, Jun; Tokuji, Yoshihiko; Yazaki, Kazufumi; Nakazono, Mikio; Takamure, Itsuro; Kato, Kiyoaki

2016-03-07

Water stress is one of the major environmental stresses that affect agricultural production worldwide. Water loss from plants occurs primarily through stomatal pores. Here, we report that an Oryza sativa half-size ATP-binding cassette (ABC) subfamily G protein, RCN1/OsABCG5, is involved in stomatal closure mediated by phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in guard cells. We found that the GFP-RCN1/OsABCG5-fusion protein was localized at the plasma membrane in guard cells. The percentage of guard cell pairs containing both ABA and GFP-RCN1/OsABCG5 increased after exogenous ABA treatment, whereas they were co-localized in guard cell pairs regardless of whether exogenous ABA was applied. ABA application resulted in a smaller increase in the percentage of guard cell pairs containing ABA in rcn1 mutant (A684P) and RCN1-RNAi than in wild-type plants. Furthermore, polyethylene glycol (drought stress)-inducible ABA accumulation in guard cells did not occur in rcn1 mutants. Stomata closure mediated by exogenous ABA application was strongly reduced in rcn1 mutants. Finally, rcn1 mutant plants had more rapid water loss from detached leaves than the wild-type plants. These results indicate that in response to drought stress, RCN1/OsABCG5 is involved in accumulation of ABA in guard cells, which is indispensable for stomatal closure. Copyright © 2016 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rodent model of activity-based anorexia.

PubMed

Carrera, Olaia; Fraga, Ángela; Pellón, Ricardo; Gutiérrez, Emilio

2014-04-10

Activity-based anorexia (ABA) consists of a procedure that involves the simultaneous exposure of animals to a restricted feeding schedule, while free access is allowed to an activity wheel. Under these conditions, animals show a progressive increase in wheel running, a reduced efficiency in food intake to compensate for their increased activity, and a severe progression of weight loss. Due to the parallelism with the clinical manifestations of anorexia nervosa including increased activity, reduced food intake and severe weight loss, the ABA procedure has been proposed as the best analog of human anorexia nervosa (AN). Thus, ABA research could both allow a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying AN and generate useful leads for treatment development in AN. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Role of thioproline on seed germination: interaction ROS-ABA and effects on antioxidative metabolism.

PubMed

Barba-Espin, Gregorio; Nicolas, Eduardo; Almansa, Maria Soledad; Cantero-Navarro, Elena; Albacete, Alfonso; Hernández, José Antonio; Díaz-Vivancos, Pedro

2012-10-01

In this work we investigate the effect of the imbibition of pea seeds with different thioproline (TP) concentrations on the germination percentage and the early growth of the seedlings. The interaction between TP and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) treatments is also analysed in order to test if any synergy in germination and growth occurs. Although the imbibition of pea seeds in the presence of TP did not significantly improve the germination percentage, TP and/or H₂O₂ pre-treatments increased seedlings growth. This increase in seedling growth was reduced by abscisic acid (ABA) addition. Imbibition of pea seeds in the presence of ABA also reduced the endogenous H₂O₂ contents of pea seedlings in control and TP-treated seeds. The incubation of pea seeds with TP and/or H₂O₂ in presence or absence of ABA decreased the activity of H₂O₂-scavenging enzymes. The increase of the endogenous H₂O₂ contents observed in TP and/or H₂O₂ treatments in absence of ABA could be correlated with the decrease in these activities. Finally, the hormone profile of pea seedlings was investigated. The results show that the increase in seedling growth is correlated with a decrease in ABA in samples pre-treated with H₂O₂ and TP + H₂O₂. Nevertheless, no significant differences in endogenous ABA concentration were observed with the TP pre-treatment. This paper suggests a relationship between endogenous H₂O₂ contents and plant growth, so reinforcing the intricate crosstalk between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and plant hormones in seed germination signalling and early seedling development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The Arabidopsis AtUNC-93 Acts as a Positive Regulator of Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Plant Growth via Modulation of ABA Signaling and K+ Homeostasis.

PubMed

Xiang, Jianhua; Zhou, Xiaoyun; Zhang, Xianwen; Liu, Ailing; Xiang, Yanci; Yan, Mingli; Peng, Yan; Chen, Xinbo

2018-01-01

Potassium (K + ) is one of the essential macronutrients required for plant growth and development, and the maintenance of cellular K + homeostasis is important for plants to adapt to abiotic stresses and growth. However, the mechanism involved has not been understood clearly. In this study, we demonstrated that AtUNC-93 plays a crucial role in this process under the control of abscisic acid (ABA). AtUNC-93 was localized to the plasma membrane and mainly expressed in the vascular tissues in Arabidopsis thaliana . The atunc-93 mutants showed typical K + -deficient symptoms under low-K + conditions. The K + contents of atunc-93 mutants were significantly reduced in shoots but not in roots under either low-K + or normal conditions compared with wild type plants, whereas the AtUNC-93 -overexpressing lines still maintained relatively higher K + contents in shoots under low-K + conditions, suggesting that AtUNC-93 positively regulates K + translocation from roots to shoots. The atunc-93 plants exhibited dwarf phenotypes due to reduced cell expansion, while AtUNC-93 -overexpressing plants had larger bodies because of increased cell expansion. After abiotic stress and ABA treatments, the atunc-93 mutants was more sensitive to salt, drought, osmotic, heat stress and ABA than wild type plants, while the AtUNC-93 -overexpressing lines showed enhanced tolerance to these stresses and insensitive phenotype to ABA. Furthermore, alterations in the AtUNC-93 expression changed expression of many ABA-responsive and stress-related genes. Our findings reveal that AtUNC-93 functions as a positive regulator of abiotic stress tolerance and plant growth by maintaining K + homeostasis through ABA signaling pathway in Arabidopsis.

Wheat bHLH-type transcription factor gene TabHLH1 is crucial in mediating osmotic stresses tolerance through modulating largely the ABA-associated pathway.

PubMed

Yang, Tongren; Yao, Sufei; Hao, Lin; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Lu, Wenjing; Xiao, Kai

2016-11-01

Wheat bHLH family gene TabHLH1 is responsive to drought and salt stresses, and it acts as one crucial regulator in mediating tolerance to aforementioned stresses largely through an ABA-associated pathway. Osmotic stresses are adverse factors for plant growth and crop productivity. In this study, we characterized TabHLH1, a gene encoding wheat bHLH-type transcription factor (TF) protein, in mediating plant adaptation to osmotic stresses. TabHLH1 protein contains a conserved basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain shared by its plant counterparts. Upon PEG-simulated drought stress, salt stress, and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA), the TabHLH1 transcripts in roots and leaves were induced. Under PEG-simulated drought stress and salt stress treatments, the tobacco seedlings with TabHLH1 overexpression exhibited improved growth and osmotic stress-associated traits, showing increased biomass and reduced leaf water loss rate (WLR) relative to wild type (WT). The transgenic lines also possessed promoted stomata closure under drought stress, salt stress, and exogenous ABA and increased proline and soluble sugar contents and reduced hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) amount under osmotic stress conditions, indicating that TabHLH1-mediated osmolyte accumulation and cellular ROS homeostasis contributed to the drought stress and salt stress tolerance. NtPYL12 and NtSAPK2;1, the genes encoding ABA receptor and SnRK2 family kinase, respectively, showed up-regulated expression in lines overexpressing TabHLH1 under osmotic stress and exogenous ABA conditions; overexpression of them conferred plants modified stomata movement, leaf WLR, and growth feature under drought and high salinity, suggesting that these ABA-signaling genes are mediated by wheat TabHLH1 gene and involved in regulating plant responses to simulated drought and salt stresses. Our investigation indicates that the TabHLH1 gene plays critical roles in plant tolerance to osmotic stresses largely through an ABA-dependent pathway.

Transcription Profiles Reveal Sugar and Hormone Signaling Pathways Mediating Flower Induction in Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.).

PubMed

Xing, Li-Bo; Zhang, Dong; Li, You-Mei; Shen, Ya-Wen; Zhao, Cai-Ping; Ma, Juan-Juan; An, Na; Han, Ming-Yu

2015-10-01

Flower induction in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is regulated by complex gene networks that involve multiple signal pathways to ensure flower bud formation in the next year, but the molecular determinants of apple flower induction are still unknown. In this research, transcriptomic profiles from differentiating buds allowed us to identify genes potentially involved in signaling pathways that mediate the regulatory mechanisms of flower induction. A hypothetical model for this regulatory mechanism was obtained by analysis of the available transcriptomic data, suggesting that sugar-, hormone- and flowering-related genes, as well as those involved in cell-cycle induction, participated in the apple flower induction process. Sugar levels and metabolism-related gene expression profiles revealed that sucrose is the initiation signal in flower induction. Complex hormone regulatory networks involved in cytokinin (CK), abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid pathways also induce apple flower formation. CK plays a key role in the regulation of cell formation and differentiation, and in affecting flowering-related gene expression levels during these processes. Meanwhile, ABA levels and ABA-related gene expression levels gradually increased, as did those of sugar metabolism-related genes, in developing buds, indicating that ABA signals regulate apple flower induction by participating in the sugar-mediated flowering pathway. Furthermore, changes in sugar and starch deposition levels in buds can be affected by ABA content and the expression of the genes involved in the ABA signaling pathway. Thus, multiple pathways, which are mainly mediated by crosstalk between sugar and hormone signals, regulate the molecular network involved in bud growth and flower induction in apple trees. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists.

Integrated Analysis of the Effects of Cold and Dehydration on Rice Metabolites, Phytohormones, and Gene Transcripts1[W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Maruyama, Kyonoshin; Urano, Kaoru; Yoshiwara, Kyouko; Morishita, Yoshihiko; Sakurai, Nozomu; Suzuki, Hideyuki; Kojima, Mikiko; Sakakibara, Hitoshi; Shibata, Daisuke; Saito, Kazuki; Shinozaki, Kazuo; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko

2014-01-01

Correlations between gene expression and metabolite/phytohormone levels under abiotic stress conditions have been reported for Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). However, little is known about these correlations in rice (Oryza sativa ‘Nipponbare’), despite its importance as a model monocot. We performed an integrated analysis to clarify the relationships among cold- and dehydration-responsive metabolites, phytohormones, and gene transcription in rice. An integrated analysis of metabolites and gene expression indicated that several genes encoding enzymes involved in starch degradation, sucrose metabolism, and the glyoxylate cycle are up-regulated in rice plants exposed to cold or dehydration and that these changes are correlated with the accumulation of glucose (Glc), fructose, and sucrose. In particular, high expression levels of genes encoding isocitrate lyase and malate synthase in the glyoxylate cycle correlate with increased Glc levels in rice, but not in Arabidopsis, under dehydration conditions, indicating that the regulation of the glyoxylate cycle may be involved in Glc accumulation under dehydration conditions in rice but not Arabidopsis. An integrated analysis of phytohormones and gene transcripts revealed an inverse relationship between abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and cytokinin (CK) signaling under cold and dehydration stresses; these stresses increase ABA signaling and decrease CK signaling. High levels of Oryza sativa 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase transcripts correlate with ABA accumulation, and low levels of Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 735A transcripts correlate with decreased levels of a CK precursor in rice. This reduced expression of CYP735As occurs in rice but not Arabidopsis. Therefore, transcriptional regulation of CYP735As might be involved in regulating CK levels under cold and dehydration conditions in rice but not Arabidopsis. PMID:24515831

Common and unique elements of the ABA-regulated transcriptome of Arabidopsis guard cells

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In the presence of drought and other desiccating stresses, plants synthesize and redistribute the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). ABA promotes plant water conservation by acting on specialized cells in the leaf epidermis, guard cells, which border and regulate the apertures of stomatal pores through which transpirational water loss occurs. Following ABA exposure, solute uptake into guard cells is rapidly inhibited and solute loss is promoted, resulting in inhibition of stomatal opening and promotion of stomatal closure, with consequent plant water conservation. There is a wealth of information on the guard cell signaling mechanisms underlying these rapid ABA responses. To investigate ABA regulation of gene expression in guard cells in a systematic genome-wide manner, we analyzed data from global transcriptomes of guard cells generated with Affymetrix ATH1 microarrays, and compared these results to ABA regulation of gene expression in leaves and other tissues. Results The 1173 ABA-regulated genes of guard cells identified by our study share significant overlap with ABA-regulated genes of other tissues, and are associated with well-defined ABA-related promoter motifs such as ABREs and DREs. However, we also computationally identified a unique cis-acting motif, GTCGG, associated with ABA-induction of gene expression specifically in guard cells. In addition, approximately 300 genes showing ABA-regulation unique to this cell type were newly uncovered by our study. Within the ABA-regulated gene set of guard cells, we found that many of the genes known to encode ion transporters associated with stomatal opening are down-regulated by ABA, providing one mechanism for long-term maintenance of stomatal closure during drought. We also found examples of both negative and positive feedback in the transcriptional regulation by ABA of known ABA-signaling genes, particularly with regard to the PYR/PYL/RCAR class of soluble ABA receptors and their downstream targets, the type 2C protein phosphatases. Our data also provide evidence for cross-talk at the transcriptional level between ABA and another hormonal inhibitor of stomatal opening, methyl jasmonate. Conclusions Our results engender new insights into the basic cell biology of guard cells, reveal common and unique elements of ABA-regulation of gene expression in guard cells, and set the stage for targeted biotechnological manipulations to improve plant water use efficiency. PMID:21554708

Personality Traits Associated with Occupational "Burnout" in ABA Therapists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurt, Amy A.; Grist, Cathy Lann; Malesky, Lann A., Jr.; McCord, David M.

2013-01-01

Background: Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) therapists typically work one-to-one with children with autism for extended periods of time, which often leads to high levels of job-related stress, lower levels of job satisfaction, increased frequency of occupational "burnout" and higher than average job turnover (Journal of Autism…

PnLRR-RLK27, a novel leucine-rich repeats receptor-like protein kinase from the Antarctic moss Pohlia nutans, positively regulates salinity and oxidation-stress tolerance

PubMed Central

Wang, Jing; Liu, Shenghao; Li, Chengcheng; Wang, Tailin; Chen, Kaoshan

2017-01-01

Leucine-rich repeats receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) play important roles in plant growth and development as well as stress responses. Here, 56 LRR-RLK genes were identified in the Antarctic moss Pohlia nutans transcriptome, which were further classified into 11 subgroups based on their extracellular domain. Of them, PnLRR-RLK27 belongs to the LRR II subgroup and its expression was significantly induced by abiotic stresses. Subcellular localization analysis showed that PnLRR-RLK27 was a plasma membrane protein. The overexpression of PnLRR-RLK27 in Physcomitrella significantly enhanced the salinity and ABA tolerance in their gametophyte growth. Similarly, PnLRR-RLK27 heterologous expression in Arabidopsis increased the salinity and ABA tolerance in their seed germination and early root growth as well as the tolerance to oxidative stress. PnLRR-RLK27 overproduction in these transgenic plants increased the expression of salt stress/ABA-related genes. Furthermore, PnLRR-RLK27 increased the activities of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers and reduced the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and ROS. Taken together, these results suggested that PnLRR-RLK27 as a signaling regulator confer abiotic stress response associated with the regulation of the stress- and ABA-mediated signaling network. PMID:28241081

Abscisic acid deficiency increases defence responses against Myzus persicae in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Hillwig, Melissa S; Chiozza, Mariana; Casteel, Clare L; Lau, Siau Ting; Hohenstein, Jessica; Hernández, Enrique; Jander, Georg; MacIntosh, Gustavo C

2016-02-01

Comparison of Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) gene expression induced by Myzus persicae (green peach aphid) feeding, aphid saliva infiltration and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment showed a significant positive correlation. In particular, ABA-regulated genes are over-represented among genes that are induced by M. persicae saliva infiltration into Arabidopsis leaves. This suggests that the induction of ABA-related gene expression could be an important component of the Arabidopsis-aphid interaction. Consistent with this hypothesis, M. persicae populations induced ABA production in wild-type plants. Furthermore, aphid populations were smaller on Arabidopsis aba1-1 mutants, which cannot synthesize ABA, and showed a significant preference for wild-type plants compared with the mutant. Total free amino acids, which play an important role in aphid nutrition, were not altered in the aba1-1 mutant line, but the levels of isoleucine (Ile) and tryptophan (Trp) were differentially affected by aphids in wild-type and mutant plants. Recently, indole glucosinolates have been shown to promote aphid resistance in Arabidopsis. In this study, 4-methoxyindol-3-ylmethylglucosinolate was more abundant in the aba1-1 mutant than in wild-type Arabidopsis, suggesting that the induction of ABA signals that decrease the accumulation of defence compounds may be beneficial for aphids. © 2015 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

The Occurrence of Abscisic Acid and Abscisyl-β-d-Glucopyranoside in Developing and Mature Citrus Fruit as Determined by Enzyme Immunoassay 1

PubMed Central

Harris, Michael J.; Dugger, William M.

1986-01-01

The contents of (+)-cis-abscisic acid (ABA) and alkaline-hydrolyzable ABA-conjugate(s) were analyzed by means of enzyme immunoassay in partially purified extracts of developing and mature sweet orange fruit (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck cv Washington navel). A relatively small increase in ABA was observed in the fruit exocarp during the natural color transition from green to orange. At the same time, the ABA-conjugate level increased approximately 12-fold in this tissue. The contents of ABA and ABA-conjugate equaled 15.0 ± 0.7 and 107.8 ± 2.1 nanomoles per gram fresh weight, respectively, in the exocarp at harvest. Other tissues also contained considerable quantities of these compounds. Whereas the highest ABA content was observed in the exocarp, the highest ABA-conjugate content was observed in the central vascular axis of the fruit and equaled 187.0 ± 10.3 nanomoles per gram fresh weight. The only immunoreactive conjugate found in significant quantity in mature fruit was identified as abscisyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (ABA-GE) based on (a) immunological cross-reactivity, (b) thin layer chromatography co-chromatography with authentic standards in two solvent systems, (c) susceptibility to both chemical and enzymic degradation, and (d) mass spectroscopy. PMID:16665032

Involvement of Abscisic Acid in PSII Photodamage and D1 Protein Turnover for Light-Induced Premature Senescence of Rice Flag Leaves

PubMed Central

Wang, Fubiao; Liu, Jianchao; Chen, Minxue; Zhou, Lujian; Li, Zhaowei; Zhao, Qian; Pan, Gang; Zaidi, Syed-Hassan-Raza; Cheng, Fangmin

2016-01-01

D1 protein in the PSII reaction center is the major target of photodamage, and it exhibits the highest turnover rate among all the thylakoid proteins. In this paper, rice psf (premature senescence of flag leaves) mutant and its wild type were used to investigate the genotype-dependent alteration in PSII photo-damage and D1 protein turnover during leaf senescence and its relation to ABA accumulation in senescent leaves. The symptom and extent of leaf senescence of the psf mutant appeared to be sunlight-dependent under natural field condition. The psf also displayed significantly higher levels of ABA accumulation in senescent leaves than the wild type. However, the premature senescence lesion of psf leaves could be alleviated by shaded treatment, concomitantly with the strikingly suppressed ABA level in the shaded areas of flag leaves. The change in ABA concentration contributed to the regulation of shade-delayed leaf senescence. The participation of ABA in the timing of senescence initiation and in the subsequent rate of leaf senescence was closely associated with PSII photodamage and D1 protein turnover during leaf senescence, in which the transcriptional expression of several key genes (psbA, psbB, psbC and OsFtsH2) involved in D1 protein biosynthesis and PSII repair cycle was seriously suppressed by the significantly increased ABA level. This response resulted in the low rate of D1 protein synthesis and impaired repair recovery in the presence of ABA. The psf showed evidently decreased D1 protein amount in the senescent leaves. Both the inhibition of de novo synthesized D1 protein and the slow rate of proteolytic removal for the photodamaged D1 protein was among the most crucial steps for the linkage between light-dependent leaf senescence and the varying ABA concentration in psf mutant leaves. OsFtsH2 transcriptional expression possibly played an important role in the regulation of D1 protein turnover and PSII repair cycle in relation to ABA mediated leaf senescence. PMID:27532299

Activity-Based Anorexia Reduces Body Weight without Inducing a Separate Food Intake Microstructure or Activity Phenotype in Female Rats—Mediation via an Activation of Distinct Brain Nuclei

PubMed Central

Scharner, Sophie; Prinz, Philip; Goebel-Stengel, Miriam; Kobelt, Peter; Hofmann, Tobias; Rose, Matthias; Stengel, Andreas

2016-01-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is accompanied by severe somatic and psychosocial complications. However, the underlying pathogenesis is poorly understood, treatment is challenging and often hampered by high relapse. Therefore, more basic research is needed to better understand the disease. Since hyperactivity often plays a role in AN, we characterized an animal model to mimic AN using restricted feeding and hyperactivity. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: no activity/ad libitum feeding (ad libitum, AL, n = 9), activity/ad libitum feeding (activity, AC, n = 9), no activity/restricted feeding (RF, n = 12) and activity/restricted feeding (activity-based anorexia, ABA, n = 11). During the first week all rats were fed ad libitum, ABA and AC had access to a running wheel for 24 h/day. From week two ABA and RF only had access to food from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. Body weight was assessed daily, activity and food intake monitored electronically, brain activation assessed using Fos immunohistochemistry at the end of the experiment. While during the first week no body weight differences were observed (p > 0.05), after food restriction RF rats showed a body weight decrease: −13% vs. day eight (p < 0.001) and vs. AC (−22%, p < 0.001) and AL (−26%, p < 0.001) that gained body weight (+10% and +13%, respectively; p < 0.001). ABA showed an additional body weight loss (−9%) compared to RF (p < 0.001) reaching a body weight loss of −22% during the 2-week restricted feeding period (p < 0.001). Food intake was greatly reduced in RF (−38%) and ABA (−41%) compared to AL (p < 0.001). Interestingly, no difference in 1.5-h food intake microstructure was observed between RF and ABA (p > 0.05). Similarly, the daily physical activity was not different between AC and ABA (p > 0.05). The investigation of Fos expression in the brain showed neuronal activation in several brain nuclei such as the supraoptic nucleus, arcuate nucleus, locus coeruleus and nucleus of the solitary tract of ABA compared to AL rats. In conclusion, ABA combining physical activity and restricted feeding likely represents a suited animal model for AN to study pathophysiological alterations and pharmacological treatment options. Nonetheless, cautious interpretation of the data is necessary since rats do not voluntarily reduce their body weight as observed in human AN. PMID:27826222

Abscisic acid ameliorates experimental IBD by downregulating cellular adhesion molecule expression and suppressing immune cell infiltration.

PubMed

Guri, Amir J; Hontecillas, Raquel; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2010-12-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) has shown effectiveness in ameliorating inflammation in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease models. The objective of this study was to determine whether ABA prevents or ameliorates experimental inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). C57BL/6J mice were fed diets with or without ABA (100mg/kg) for 35 days prior to challenge with 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). The severity of clinical disease was assessed daily. Colonic mucosal lesions were evaluated by histopathology, and cellular adhesion molecular and inflammatory markers were assayed by real-time quantitative PCR. Flow cytometry was used to quantify leukocyte populations in the blood, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). The effect of ABA on cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) expression in splenocytes was also investigated. ABA significantly ameliorated disease activity, colitis and reduced colonic leukocyte infiltration and inflammation. These improvements were associated with downregulation in vascular cell adhesion marker-1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, and mucosal addressin adhesion marker-1 (MAdCAM-1) expression. ABA also increased CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-lymphocytes in blood and MLN and regulatory T cells in blood. In vitro, ABA increased CTLA-4 expression through a PPAR γ-dependent mechanism. We conclude that ABA ameliorates gut inflammation by modulating T cell distribution and adhesion molecule expression. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Abscisic acid ameliorates experimental IBD by downregulating cellular adhesion molecule expression and suppressing immune cell infiltration

PubMed Central

Guri, Amir J; Hontecillas, Raquel; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2010-01-01

Background & Aims Abscisic acid (ABA) has shown effectiveness in ameliorating inflammation in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease models. The objective of this study was to determine whether ABA prevents or ameliorates experimental inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods C57BL/6J mice were fed diets with or without ABA (100 mg/kg) for 35 days prior to challenge with 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). The severity of clinical disease was assessed daily. Colonic mucosal lesions were evaluated by histopathology, and cellular adhesion molecular and inflammatory markers were assayed by real-time quantitative PCR. Flow cytometry was used to quantify leukocyte populations in the blood, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). The effect of ABA on cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) expression in splenocytes was also investigated. Results ABA significantly ameliorated disease activity, colitis and reduced colonic leukocyte infiltration and inflammation. These improvements were associated with down-regulation in vascular cell adhesion marker-1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, and mucosal addressin adhesion marker-1 (MAdCAM-1) expression. ABA also increased CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes in blood and MLN and regulatory T-cells in blood. In vitro, ABA increased CTLA-4 expression through a PPAR γ-dependent mechanism. Conclusions We conclude that ABA ameliorates gut inflammation by modulating T cell distribution and adhesion molecule expression. PMID:20236740

The Dynamics of Embolism Refilling in Abscisic Acid (ABA)-Deficient Tomato Plants

PubMed Central

Secchi, Francesca; Perrone, Irene; Chitarra, Walter; Zwieniecka, Anna K.; Lovisolo, Claudio; Zwieniecki, Maciej A.

2013-01-01

Plants are in danger of embolism formation in xylem vessels when the balance between water transport capacity and transpirational demand is compromised. To maintain this delicate balance, plants must regulate the rate of transpiration and, if necessary, restore water transport in embolized vessels. Abscisic acid (ABA) is the dominant long-distance signal responsible for plant response to stress, and it is possible that it plays a role in the embolism/refilling cycle. To test this idea, a temporal analysis of embolism and refilling dynamics, transpiration rate and starch content was performed on ABA-deficient mutant tomato plants. ABA-deficient mutants were more vulnerable to embolism formation than wild-type plants, and application of exogenous ABA had no effect on vulnerability. However, mutant plants treated with exogenous ABA had lower stomatal conductance and reduced starch content in the xylem parenchyma cells. The lower starch content could have an indirect effect on the plant’s refilling activity. The results confirm that plants with high starch content (moderately stressed mutant plants) were more likely to recover from loss of water transport capacity than plants with low starch content (mutant plants with application of exogenous ABA) or plants experiencing severe water stress. This study demonstrates that ABA most likely does not play any direct role in embolism refilling, but through the modulation of carbohydrate content, it could influence the plant’s capacity for refilling. PMID:23263667

The Pepper WPP Domain Protein, CaWDP1, Acts as a Novel Negative Regulator of Drought Stress via ABA Signaling.

PubMed

Park, Chanmi; Lim, Chae Woo; Baek, Woonhee; Kim, Jung-Hyun; Lim, Sohee; Kim, Sang Hyon; Kim, Kyung-Nam; Lee, Sung Chul

2017-04-01

Plants are constantly challenged by various environmental stresses, including high salinity and drought, and they have evolved defense mechanisms to counteract the deleterious effects of these stresses. The plant hormone ABA regulates plant growth and developmental processes and mediates abiotic stress responses. Here, we report the identification and characterization of a novel CaWDP1 (Capsicum annuum) protein. The expression of CaWDP1 in pepper leaves was induced by ABA, drought and NaCl treatments, suggesting its role in the abiotic stress response. CaWDP1 proteins show conserved sequence homology with other known WDP1 proteins, and they are localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm. We generated CaWDP1-silenced peppers via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). We evaluated the responses of these CaWDP1-silenced pepper plants and CaWDP1-overexpressing (OX) transgenic Arabidopsis plants to ABA and drought. CaWDP1-silenced pepper plants displayed enhanced tolerance to drought stress, and this was characterized by low levels of leaf water loss in the drought-treated leaves. In contrast to CaWDP1-silenced plants, CaWDP1-OX plants exhibited an ABA-hyposensitive and drought-susceptible phenotype, which was accompanied by high levels of leaf water loss, low leaf temperatures, increased stomatal pore size and low expression levels of stress-responsive genes. Our results indicate that CaWDP1, a novel pepper negative regulator of ABA, regulates the ABA-mediated defense response to drought stress. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Positive feedback regulation of a Lycium chinense-derived VDE gene by drought-induced endogenous ABA, and over-expression of this VDE gene improve drought-induced photo-damage in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Guan, Chunfeng; Ji, Jing; Zhang, Xuqiang; Li, Xiaozhou; Jin, Chao; Guan, Wenzhu; Wang, Gang

2015-03-01

Violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) plays an important role in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from photo-damage by dissipating excessively absorbed light energy as heat, via the conversion of violaxanthin (V) to intermediate product antheraxanthin (A) and final product zeaxanthin (Z) under light stress. We have cloned a VDE gene (LcVDE) from Lycium chinense, a deciduous woody perennial halophyte, which can grow in a large variety of soil types. The amino acid sequence of LcVDE has high homology with VDEs in other plants. Under drought stress, relative expression of LcVDE and the de-epoxidation ratio (Z+0.5A)/(V+A+Z) increased rapidly, and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) also rose. Interestingly, these elevations induced by drought stress were reduced by the topical administration of abamine SG, a potent ABA inhibitor via inhibition of NCED in the ABA synthesis pathway. Until now, little has been done to explore the relationship between endogenous ABA and the expression of VDE genes. Since V serves as a common precursor for ABA, these data support the possible involvement of endogenous ABA in the positive feedback regulation of LcVDE gene expression in L. chinense under drought stress. Moreover, the LcVDE may be involved in modulating the level of photosynthesis damage caused by drought stress. Furthermore, the ratio of (Z+0.5A)/(V+A+Z) and NPQ increased more in transgenic Arabidopsis over-expressing LcVDE gene than the wild types under drought stress. The maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry of PSII (Fv/Fm) in transgenic Arabidopsis decreased more slowly during the stressed period than that in wild types under the same conditions. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis over-expressing LcVDE showed increased tolerance to drought stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Abscisic Acid Metabolism in Salt-Stressed Cells of Dunaliella salina

PubMed Central

Cowan, A. Keith; Rose, Peter D.

1991-01-01

The interrelationship between abscisic acid (ABA) production and β-carotene accumulation was investigated in salt-stressed cells of the halotolerant green alga Dunaliella salina var bardawil. Cells were supplied with either R-[2-14C]mevalonolactone or [14C] sodium bicarbonate for 20 hours and then exposed to increased salinity (1.5 to 3.0 molar NaCl) for various lengths of time. Incorporation of label into abscisic acid and phaseic acid and the distribution of [14C]ABA between the cells and incubation media were monitored. [14C]ABA and [14C]phaseic acid were identified as products of both R-[2-14C]mevalonolactone and [14C]sodium bicarbonate metabolism. ABA metabolism was enhanced by hypersalinity stress. Actinomycin D, chloramphenicol, and cycloheximide abolished the stress-induced production of ABA, suggesting a role for gene activation in the process. Kinetic analysis of both ABA and β-carotene production demonstrated two stages of accelerated β-carotene production. In addition, ABA levels increased rapidly, and this increase occurred coincident with the early period of accelerated β-carotene production. A possible role for ABA as a regulator of carotenogenesis in cells of D. salina is therefore discussed. PMID:16668469

Involvement of WRKY Transcription Factors in Abscisic-Acid-Induced Cold Tolerance of Banana Fruit.

PubMed

Luo, Dong-Lan; Ba, Liang-Jie; Shan, Wei; Kuang, Jian-Fei; Lu, Wang-Jin; Chen, Jian-Ye

2017-05-10

Phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and plant-specific WRKY transcription factors (TFs) have been implicated to play important roles in various stress responses. The involvement of WRKY TFs in ABA-mediated cold tolerance of economical fruits, such as banana fruit, however remains largely unknown. Here, we reported that ABA application could induce expressions of ABA biosynthesis-related genes MaNCED1 and MaNCED2, increase endogenous ABA contents, and thereby enhance cold tolerance in banana fruit. Four banana fruit WRKY TFs, designated as MaWRKY31, MaWRKY33, MaWRKY60, and MaWRKY71, were identified and characterized. All four of these MaWRKYs were nuclear-localized and displayed transactivation activities. Their expressions were induced by ABA treatment during cold storage. More importantly, the gel mobility shift assay and transient expression analysis revealed that MaWRKY31, MaWRKY33, MaWRKY60, and MaWRKY71 directly bound to the W-box elements in MaNCED1 and MaNCED2 promoters and activated their expressions. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that banana fruit WRKY TFs are involved in ABA-induced cold tolerance by, at least in part, increasing ABA levels via directly activating NECD expressions.

Abscisic acid analogs as chemical probes for dissection of abscisic acid responses in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Benson, Chantel L; Kepka, Michal; Wunschel, Christian; Rajagopalan, Nandhakishore; Nelson, Ken M; Christmann, Alexander; Abrams, Suzanne R; Grill, Erwin; Loewen, Michele C

2015-05-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone known to mediate numerous plant developmental processes and responses to environmental stress. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ABA acts, through a genetically redundant family of ABA receptors entitled Regulatory Component of ABA Receptor (RCAR)/Pyrabactin Resistant 1 (PYR1)/Pyrabactin Resistant-Like (PYL) receptors comprised of thirteen homologues acting in concert with a seven-member set of phosphatases. The individual contributions of A. thaliana RCARs and their binding partners with respect to specific physiological functions are as yet poorly understood. Towards developing efficacious plant growth regulators selective for specific ABA functions and tools for elucidating ABA perception, a panel of ABA analogs altered specifically on positions around the ABA ring was assembled. These analogs have been used to probe thirteen RCARs and four type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs) and were also screened against representative physiological assays in the model plant Arabidopsis. The 1'-O methyl ether of (S)-ABA was identified as selective in that, at physiologically relevant levels, it regulates stomatal aperture and improves drought tolerance, but does not inhibit germination or root growth. Analogs with the 7'- and 8'-methyl groups of the ABA ring replaced with bulkier groups generally retained the activity and stereoselectivity of (S)- and (R)-ABA, while alteration of the 9'-methyl group afforded an analog that substituted for ABA in inhibiting germination but neither root growth nor stomatal closure. Further in vitro testing indicated differences in binding of analogs to individual RCARs, as well as differences in the enzyme activity resulting from specific PP2Cs bound to RCAR-analog complexes. Ultimately, these findings highlight the potential of a broader chemical genetics approach for dissection of the complex network mediating ABA-perception, signaling and functionality within a given species and modifications in the future design of ABA agonists. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antidepressant effects of abscisic acid mediated by the downregulation of corticotrophin-releasing hormone gene expression in rats.

PubMed

Qi, Cong-Cong; Zhang, Zhi; Fang, Hui; Liu, Ji; Zhou, Nan; Ge, Jin-Fang; Chen, Fang-Han; Xiang, Cheng-Bin; Zhou, Jiang-Ning

2014-10-31

Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) is considered to be the central driving force of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which plays a key role in the stress response and depression. Clinical reports have suggested that excess retinoic acid (RA) is associated with depression. Abscisic acid (ABA) and RA are direct derivatives of carotenoids and share a similar molecular structure. Here, we proposed that ABA also plays a role in the regulation of CRH activity sharing with the RA signaling pathway. [3H]-ABA radioimmunoassay demonstrated that the hypothalamus of rats shows the highest concentration of ABA compared with the cortex and the hippocampus under basal conditions. Under acute stress, ABA concentrations increased in the serum, but decreased in the hypothalamus and were accompanied by increased corticosterone in the serum and c-fos expression in the hypothalamus. Moreover, chronic ABA administration increased sucrose intake and decreased the mRNA expression of CRH and retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) in the hypothalamus of rats. Furthermore, ABA improved the symptom of chronic unpredictable mild stress in model rats, as indicated by increased sucrose intake, increased swimming in the forced swim test, and reduced mRNA expression of CRH and RARα in the rat hypothalamus. In vitro, CRH expression decreased after ABA treatment across different neural cells. In BE(2)-C cells, ABA inhibited a series of retinoid receptor expression, including RARα, a receptor that could facilitate CRH expression directly. These results suggest that ABA may play a role in the pathogenesis of depression by downregulating CRH mRNA expression shared with the RA signaling pathway. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

WRKY transcription factors: key components in abscisic acid signalling.

PubMed

Rushton, Deena L; Tripathi, Prateek; Rabara, Roel C; Lin, Jun; Ringler, Patricia; Boken, Ashley K; Langum, Tanner J; Smidt, Lucas; Boomsma, Darius D; Emme, Nicholas J; Chen, Xianfeng; Finer, John J; Shen, Qingxi J; Rushton, Paul J

2012-01-01

WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are key regulators of many plant processes, including the responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, senescence, seed dormancy and seed germination. For over 15 years, limited evidence has been available suggesting that WRKY TFs may play roles in regulating plant responses to the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA), notably some WRKY TFs are ABA-inducible repressors of seed germination. However, the roles of WRKY TFs in other aspects of ABA signalling, and the mechanisms involved, have remained unclear. Recent significant progress in ABA research has now placed specific WRKY TFs firmly in ABA-responsive signalling pathways, where they act at multiple levels. In Arabidopsis, WRKY TFs appear to act downstream of at least two ABA receptors: the cytoplasmic PYR/PYL/RCAR-protein phosphatase 2C-ABA complex and the chloroplast envelope-located ABAR-ABA complex. In vivo and in vitro promoter-binding studies show that the target genes for WRKY TFs that are involved in ABA signalling include well-known ABA-responsive genes such as ABF2, ABF4, ABI4, ABI5, MYB2, DREB1a, DREB2a and RAB18. Additional well-characterized stress-inducible genes such as RD29A and COR47 are also found in signalling pathways downstream of WRKY TFs. These new insights also reveal that some WRKY TFs are positive regulators of ABA-mediated stomatal closure and hence drought responses. Conversely, many WRKY TFs are negative regulators of seed germination, and controlling seed germination appears a common function of a subset of WRKY TFs in flowering plants. Taken together, these new data demonstrate that WRKY TFs are key nodes in ABA-responsive signalling networks. © 2011 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal © 2011 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Overproduction of Abscisic Acid in Tomato Increases Transpiration Efficiency and Root Hydraulic Conductivity and Influences Leaf Expansion1[OA

PubMed Central

Thompson, Andrew J.; Andrews, John; Mulholland, Barry J.; McKee, John M.T.; Hilton, Howard W.; Horridge, Jon S.; Farquhar, Graham D.; Smeeton, Rachel C.; Smillie, Ian R.A.; Black, Colin R.; Taylor, Ian B.

2007-01-01

Overexpression of genes that respond to drought stress is a seemingly attractive approach for improving drought resistance in crops. However, the consequences for both water-use efficiency and productivity must be considered if agronomic utility is sought. Here, we characterize two tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) lines (sp12 and sp5) that overexpress a gene encoding 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, the enzyme that catalyzes a key rate-limiting step in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. Both lines contained more ABA than the wild type, with sp5 accumulating more than sp12. Both had higher transpiration efficiency because of their lower stomatal conductance, as demonstrated by increases in δ13C and δ18O, and also by gravimetric and gas-exchange methods. They also had greater root hydraulic conductivity. Under well-watered glasshouse conditions, mature sp5 plants were found to have a shoot biomass equal to the wild type despite their lower assimilation rate per unit leaf area. These plants also had longer petioles, larger leaf area, increased specific leaf area, and reduced leaf epinasty. When exposed to root-zone water deficits, line sp12 showed an increase in xylem ABA concentration and a reduction in stomatal conductance to the same final levels as the wild type, but from a different basal level. Indeed, the main difference between the high ABA plants and the wild type was their performance under well-watered conditions: the former conserved soil water by limiting maximum stomatal conductance per unit leaf area, but also, at least in the case of sp5, developed a canopy more suited to light interception, maximizing assimilation per plant, possibly due to improved turgor or suppression of epinasty. PMID:17277097

Overproduction of abscisic acid in tomato increases transpiration efficiency and root hydraulic conductivity and influences leaf expansion.

PubMed

Thompson, Andrew J; Andrews, John; Mulholland, Barry J; McKee, John M T; Hilton, Howard W; Horridge, Jon S; Farquhar, Graham D; Smeeton, Rachel C; Smillie, Ian R A; Black, Colin R; Taylor, Ian B

2007-04-01

Overexpression of genes that respond to drought stress is a seemingly attractive approach for improving drought resistance in crops. However, the consequences for both water-use efficiency and productivity must be considered if agronomic utility is sought. Here, we characterize two tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) lines (sp12 and sp5) that overexpress a gene encoding 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, the enzyme that catalyzes a key rate-limiting step in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. Both lines contained more ABA than the wild type, with sp5 accumulating more than sp12. Both had higher transpiration efficiency because of their lower stomatal conductance, as demonstrated by increases in delta(13)C and delta(18)O, and also by gravimetric and gas-exchange methods. They also had greater root hydraulic conductivity. Under well-watered glasshouse conditions, mature sp5 plants were found to have a shoot biomass equal to the wild type despite their lower assimilation rate per unit leaf area. These plants also had longer petioles, larger leaf area, increased specific leaf area, and reduced leaf epinasty. When exposed to root-zone water deficits, line sp12 showed an increase in xylem ABA concentration and a reduction in stomatal conductance to the same final levels as the wild type, but from a different basal level. Indeed, the main difference between the high ABA plants and the wild type was their performance under well-watered conditions: the former conserved soil water by limiting maximum stomatal conductance per unit leaf area, but also, at least in the case of sp5, developed a canopy more suited to light interception, maximizing assimilation per plant, possibly due to improved turgor or suppression of epinasty.

Abscisic Acid–Responsive Guard Cell Metabolomes of Arabidopsis Wild-Type and gpa1 G-Protein Mutants[C][W

PubMed Central

Jin, Xiaofen; Wang, Rui-Sheng; Zhu, Mengmeng; Jeon, Byeong Wook; Albert, Reka; Chen, Sixue; Assmann, Sarah M.

2013-01-01

Individual metabolites have been implicated in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling in guard cells, but a metabolite profile of this specialized cell type is lacking. We used liquid chromatography–multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry for targeted analysis of 85 signaling-related metabolites in Arabidopsis thaliana guard cell protoplasts over a time course of ABA treatment. The analysis utilized ∼350 million guard cell protoplasts from ∼30,000 plants of the Arabidopsis Columbia accession (Col) wild type and the heterotrimeric G-protein α subunit mutant, gpa1, which has ABA-hyposensitive stomata. These metabolomes revealed coordinated regulation of signaling metabolites in unrelated biochemical pathways. Metabolites clustered into different temporal modules in Col versus gpa1, with fewer metabolites showing ABA-altered profiles in gpa1. Ca2+-mobilizing agents sphingosine-1-phosphate and cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose exhibited weaker ABA-stimulated increases in gpa1. Hormone metabolites were responsive to ABA, with generally greater responsiveness in Col than in gpa1. Most hormones also showed different ABA responses in guard cell versus mesophyll cell metabolomes. These findings suggest that ABA functions upstream to regulate other hormones, and are also consistent with G proteins modulating multiple hormonal signaling pathways. In particular, indole-3-acetic acid levels declined after ABA treatment in Col but not gpa1 guard cells. Consistent with this observation, the auxin antagonist α-(phenyl ethyl-2-one)-indole-3-acetic acid enhanced ABA-regulated stomatal movement and restored partial ABA sensitivity to gpa1. PMID:24368793

The Soybean GmNARK Affects ABA and Salt Responses in Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Cheng, Chunhong; Li, Changman; Wang, Diandong; Zhai, Lifeng; Cai, Zhaoming

2018-01-01

GmNARK (Glycine max nodule autoregulation receptor kinase) is the homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana CLAVATA1 (CLV1) and one of the most important regulators in the process of AON (Autoregulation of Nodulation), a process that restricts excessive nodule numbers in soybean. However, except for the function in AON, little is known about this gene. Here, we report that GmNARK plays important roles in process of plant response to abiotic stresses. Bioinformatic analysis and subcellular localization experiment results showed that GmNARK was a putative receptor like kinase and located at membrane. The promoter of GmNARK contains manifold cis regulatory elements that are responsive to hormone and stresses. Gene transcript expression pattern analysis in soybean revealed GmNARK was induced by ABA and NaCl treatment in both shoot and root. Overexpression of GmNARK in Arabidopsis resulted in higher sensitivity to ABA and salt treatment during seed germination and greening stages. We also checked the expression levels of some ABA response genes in the transgenic lines; the results showed that the transcript level of all the ABA response genes were much higher than that of wild type under ABA treatment. Our results revealed a novel role of GmNARK in response to abiotic stresses during plant growth and development. PMID:29720993

Methylglyoxal inhibits seed germination and root elongation and up-regulates transcription of stress-responsive genes in ABA-dependent pathway in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Hoque, T S; Uraji, M; Tuya, A; Nakamura, Y; Murata, Y

2012-09-01

Methylglyoxal (MG) is a highly reactive metabolite derived from glycolysis. In this study, we examined the effect of MG on seed germination, root elongation, chlorosis and stress-responsive gene expression in Arabidopsis using an abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient mutant, aba2-2. In the wild type, 0.1 mm MG did not affect germination but delayed root elongation, whereas 1.0 mm MG inhibited germination and root elongation and induced chlorosis. MG increased transcription levels of RD29B and RAB18 in a dose-dependent manner but did not affect RD29A transcription level. In contrast, in the aba2-2 mutant, MG inhibition of seed germination at 1.0 mm and 10.0 mm and a delay of root elongation at 0.1 mm MG were mitigated, although there was no significant difference in chlorosis between the wild type and mutant. Moreover, the aba2-2 mutation impaired MG-induced RD29B and RAB18 gene expression. These observations suggest that MG not only directly inhibits germination and root elongation but also indirectly modulates these processes via endogenous ABA in Arabidopsis. © 2012 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Mesophyll cells are the main site of abscisic acid biosynthesis in water-stressed leaves.

PubMed

McAdam, Scott A M; Brodribb, Timothy John

2018-05-07

The hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a critical role in enhancing plant survival during water deficit. Recent molecular evidence suggests that ABA is synthesized in the phloem companion cells and guard cells. However, the nature of cell turgor and water status in these two cell types cannot easily account for the rapid, water status-triggered ABA biosynthesis observed in leaves. Here we utilize the unique foliar anatomies of an angiosperm (Hakea lissosperma) and of four conifer species (Saxegothaea conspicua, Podocarpus latifolius, Cephalotaxus harringtonii, and Amentotaxus formosana) in which the mesophyll can be isolated from the vascular tissue to identify the main site of ABA biosynthesis in water-stressed leaves. In all five species tested, considerable ABA biosynthesis occurred in mesophyll tissue that had been separated from vascular tissue. In addition, the removal of the epidermis from the mesophyll in two conifer species had no impact on the observed increase in ABA levels under water deficit. Our results suggest that mesophyll cells are the predominant location of water deficit-triggered ABA biosynthesis in the leaf. {copyright, serif} 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Overexpression of AtEDT1/HDG11 in Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) Enhances Drought and Osmotic Stress Tolerance

PubMed Central

Zhu, Zhangsheng; Sun, Binmei; Xu, Xiaoxia; Chen, Hao; Zou, Lifang; Chen, Guoju; Cao, Bihao; Chen, Changming; Lei, Jianjun

2016-01-01

Plants are constantly challenged by environmental stresses, including drought and high salinity. Improvement of drought and osmotic stress tolerance without yield decrease has been a great challenge in crop improvement. The Arabidopsis ENHANCED DROUGHT TOLERANCE1/HOMEODOMAIN GLABROUS11 (AtEDT1/HDG11), a protein of the class IV HD-Zip family, has been demonstrated to significantly improve drought tolerance in Arabidopsis, rice, and pepper. Here, we report that AtEDT1/HDG11 confers drought and osmotic stress tolerance in the Chinese kale. AtEDT1/HDG11-overexpression lines exhibit auxin-overproduction phenotypes, such as long hypocotyls, tall stems, more root hairs, and a larger root system architecture. Compared with the untransformed control, transgenic lines have significantly reduced stomatal density. In the leaves of transgenic Chinese kale plants, proline (Pro) content and reactive oxygen species-scavenging enzyme activity was significantly increased after drought and osmotic stress, particularly compared to wild kale. More importantly, AtEDT1/HDG11-overexpression leads to abscisic acid (ABA) hypersensitivity, resulting in ABA inhibitor germination and induced stomatal closure. Consistent with observed phenotypes, the expression levels of auxin, ABA, and stress-related genes were also altered under both normal and/or stress conditions. Further analysis showed that AtEDT1/HDG11, as a transcription factor, can target the auxin biosynthesis gene YUCC6 and ABA response genes ABI3 and ABI5. Collectively, our results provide a new insight into the role of AtEDT1/HDG11 in enhancing abiotic stress resistance through auxin- and ABA-mediated signaling response in Chinese kale. PMID:27625663

Overexpression of AtEDT1/HDG11 in Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) Enhances Drought and Osmotic Stress Tolerance.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhangsheng; Sun, Binmei; Xu, Xiaoxia; Chen, Hao; Zou, Lifang; Chen, Guoju; Cao, Bihao; Chen, Changming; Lei, Jianjun

2016-01-01

Plants are constantly challenged by environmental stresses, including drought and high salinity. Improvement of drought and osmotic stress tolerance without yield decrease has been a great challenge in crop improvement. The Arabidopsis ENHANCED DROUGHT TOLERANCE1/HOMEODOMAIN GLABROUS11 (AtEDT1/HDG11), a protein of the class IV HD-Zip family, has been demonstrated to significantly improve drought tolerance in Arabidopsis, rice, and pepper. Here, we report that AtEDT1/HDG11 confers drought and osmotic stress tolerance in the Chinese kale. AtEDT1/HDG11-overexpression lines exhibit auxin-overproduction phenotypes, such as long hypocotyls, tall stems, more root hairs, and a larger root system architecture. Compared with the untransformed control, transgenic lines have significantly reduced stomatal density. In the leaves of transgenic Chinese kale plants, proline (Pro) content and reactive oxygen species-scavenging enzyme activity was significantly increased after drought and osmotic stress, particularly compared to wild kale. More importantly, AtEDT1/HDG11-overexpression leads to abscisic acid (ABA) hypersensitivity, resulting in ABA inhibitor germination and induced stomatal closure. Consistent with observed phenotypes, the expression levels of auxin, ABA, and stress-related genes were also altered under both normal and/or stress conditions. Further analysis showed that AtEDT1/HDG11, as a transcription factor, can target the auxin biosynthesis gene YUCC6 and ABA response genes ABI3 and ABI5. Collectively, our results provide a new insight into the role of AtEDT1/HDG11 in enhancing abiotic stress resistance through auxin- and ABA-mediated signaling response in Chinese kale.

The number of preproghrelin mRNA expressing cells is increased in mice with activity-based anorexia.

PubMed

François, Marie; Barde, Swapnali; Achamrah, Najate; Breton, Jonathan; do Rego, Jean-Claude; Coëffier, Moïse; Hökfelt, Tomas; Déchelotte, Pierre; Fetissov, Sergueï O

2015-06-01

Plasma levels of ghrelin, an orexigenic peptide, are increased during conditions of chronic starvation, such as in patients with anorexia nervosa. However, it is not known whether such increase can be related to the number of preproghrelin mRNA-expressing cells in the stomach, and if chronic starvation may activate a tentative central ghrelin production. In this work, in situ hybridization technique was used to analyze the presence and number of preproghrelin mRNA-expressing cells in the stomach and the hypothalamus of mice with activity-based anorexia (ABA) induced by the combination of running wheel activity with progressive, during 10 days, feeding-time restriction (FTR) and compared with sedentary FTR, ABA pair-fed (PF) and ad libitum-fed control mice. All food-restricted mice lost more than 20% of body weight. Body weight loss was similar in ABA and PF mice, but it was more pronounced than in FTR mice. Food intake was also lower in ABA than in FTR mice. Preproghrelin mRNA-expressing cells in the stomach were increased proportionally to the body weight loss in all food-restricted groups with the highest number in ABA mice. No preproghrelin mRNA-producing cells were detectable in the hypothalamus of either control or food-restricted mice. Thus, the increased number of gastric preproghrelin mRNA-producing cells during chronic starvation proportionally to the body weight loss and reduced food intake may underlie increased plasma ghrelin. Hyperactivity-induced anorexia appears to further increase the number of preproghrelin mRNA-producing cells in the stomach. No evidence was found for ghrelin expression in the hypothalamus, not even in any of the present experimental models. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A cytochrome P450, OsDSS1, is involved in growth and drought stress responses in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Tamiru, Muluneh; Undan, Jerwin R; Takagi, Hiroki; Abe, Akira; Yoshida, Kakoto; Undan, Jesusa Q; Natsume, Satoshi; Uemura, Aiko; Saitoh, Hiromasa; Matsumura, Hideo; Urasaki, Naoya; Yokota, Takao; Terauchi, Ryohei

2015-05-01

Cytochrome P450s are among the largest protein coding gene families in plant genomes. However, majority of the genes remain uncharacterized. Here, we report the characterization of dss1, a rice mutant showing dwarfism and reduced grain size. The dss1 phenotype is caused by a non-synonymous point mutation we identified in DSS1, which is member of a P450 gene cluster located on rice chromosome 3 and corresponds to the previously reported CYP96B4/SD37 gene. Phenotypes of several dwarf mutants characterized in rice are associated with defects in the biosynthesis or perception of the phytohormones gibberellins (GAs) and brassinosteroids (BRs). However, both GA and BR failed to rescue the dss1 phenotype. Hormone profiling revealed the accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA) and ABA metabolites, as well as significant reductions in GA19 and GA53 levels, precursors of the bioactive GA1, in the mutant. The dss1 contents of cytokinin and auxins were not significantly different from wild-type plants. Consistent with the accumulation of ABA and metabolites, germination and early growth was delayed in dss1, which also exhibited an enhanced tolerance to drought. Additionally, expressions of members of the DSS1/CYP96B gene cluster were regulated by drought stress and exogenous ABA. RNA-seq-based transcriptome profiling revealed, among others, that cell wall-related genes and genes involved in lipid metabolism were up- and down-regulated in dss1, respectively. Taken together, these findings suggest that DSS1 mediates growth and stress responses in rice by fine-tuning GA-to-ABA balance, and might as well play a role in lipid metabolism.

Drought and exogenous abscisic acid alter hydrogen peroxide accumulation and differentially regulate the expression of two maize RD22-like genes.

PubMed

Phillips, Kyle; Ludidi, Ndiko

2017-08-18

Increased biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA) occurs in plants in response to water deficit, which is mediated by changes in the levels of reactive oxygen species such as H 2 O 2 . Water deficit and ABA induce expression of some RD22-like proteins. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of water deficit and exogenous ABA (50 µM ABA applied every 24 hours for a total of 72 hours) on H 2 O 2 content in Zea mays (maize) and to characterise genes encoding two putative maize RD22-like proteins (designated ZmRD22A and ZmRD22B). The expression profiles of the two putative maize RD22-like genes in response to water deficit and treatment with ABA were examined in leaves. In silico analyses showed that the maize RD22-like proteins share domain organisation with previously characterized RD22-like proteins. Both water deficit and exogenous ABA resulted in increased H 2 O 2 content in leaves but the increase was more pronounced in response to water deficit than to exogenous ABA. Lignin content was not affected by exogenous ABA, whereas it was decreased by water deficit. Expression of both RD22-like genes was up-regulated by drought but the ZmRD22A gene was not influenced by exogenous ABA, whereas ZmRD22B was highly responsive to exogenous ABA.

Negative feedback regulation of ABA biosynthesis in peanut (Arachis hypogaea): a transcription factor complex inhibits AhNCED1 expression during water stress

PubMed Central

Liu, Shuai; Li, Meijuan; Su, Liangchen; Ge, Kui; Li, Limei; Li, Xiaoyun; Liu, Xu; Li, Ling

2016-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA), a key plant stress-signaling hormone, is produced in response to drought and counteracts the effects of this stress. The accumulation of ABA is controlled by the enzyme 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED). In Arabidopsis, NCED3 is regulated by a positive feedback mechanism by ABA. In this study in peanut (Arachis hypogaea), we demonstrate that ABA biosynthesis is also controlled by negative feedback regulation, mediated by the inhibitory effect on AhNCED1 transcription of a protein complex between transcription factors AhNAC2 and AhAREB1. AhNCED1 was significantly down-regulated after PEG treatment for 10 h, at which time ABA content reached a peak. A ChIP-qPCR assay confirmed AhAREB1 and AhNAC2 binding to the AhNCED1 promoter in response to ABA. Moreover, the interaction between AhAREB1 and AhNAC2, and a transient expression assay showed that the protein complex could negatively regulate the expression of AhNCED1. The results also demonstrated that AhAREB1 was the key factor in AhNCED1 feedback regulation, while AhNAC2 played a subsidiary role. ABA reduced the rate of AhAREB1 degradation and enhanced both the synthesis and degradation rate of the AhNAC2 protein. In summary, the AhAREB1/AhNAC2 protein complex functions as a negative feedback regulator of drought-induced ABA biosynthesis in peanut. PMID:27892506

Overexpression of EsMcsu1 from the halophytic plant Eutrema salsugineum promotes abscisic acid biosynthesis and increases drought resistance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

PubMed

Zhou, C; Ma, Z Y; Zhu, L; Guo, J S; Zhu, J; Wang, J F

2015-12-17

The stress phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays pivotal roles in plants' adaptive responses to adverse environments. Molybdenum cofactor sulfurases influence aldehyde oxidase activity and ABA biosynthesis. In this study, we isolated a novel EsMcsu1 gene encoding a molybdenum cofactor sulfurase from Eutrema salsugineum. EsMcus1 transcriptional patterns varied between organs, and its expression was significantly upregulated by abiotic stress or ABA treatment. Alfalfa plants that overexpressed EsMcsu1 had a higher ABA content than wild-type (WT) plants under drought stress conditions. Furthermore, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ion leakage, and malondialdehyde were lower in the transgenic plants than in the WT plants after drought treatment, suggesting that the transgenic plants experienced less ROS-mediated damage. However, the expression of several stress-responsive genes, antioxidant enzyme activity, and osmolyte (proline and total soluble sugar) levels in the transgenic plants were higher than those in the WT plants after drought treatment. Therefore, EsMcsu1 overexpression improved drought tolerance in alfalfa plants by activating a series of ABA-mediated stress responses.

An RRM-containing mei2-like MCT1 plays a negative role in the seed germination and seedling growth of Arabidopsis thaliana in the presence of ABA.

PubMed

Gu, Lili; Jung, Hyun Ju; Kwak, Kyung Jin; Dinh, Sy Nguyen; Kim, Yeon-Ok; Kang, Hunseung

2016-12-01

Despite an increasing understanding of the essential role of the Mei2 gene encoding an RNA-binding protein (RBP) in premeiotic DNA synthesis and meiosis in yeasts and animals, the functional roles of the mei2-like genes in plant growth and development are largely unknown. Contrary to other mei2-like RBPs that contain three RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs), the mei2 C-terminal RRM only (MCT) is unique in that it harbors only the last C-terminal RRM. Although MCTs have been implicated to play important roles in plants, their functional roles in stress responses as well as plant growth and development are still unknown. Here, we investigated the expression and functional role of MCT1 (At1g37140) in plant response to abscisic acid (ABA). Confocal analysis of MCT1-GFP-expressing plants revealed that MCT1 is localized to the nucleus. The transcript level of MCT1 was markedly increased upon ABA treatment. Analysis of MCT1-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis plants and artificial miRNA-mediated mct1 knockdown mutants demonstrated that MCT1 inhibited seed germination and cotyledon greening of Arabidopsis plants under ABA. The transcript levels of ABA signaling-related genes, such as ABI3, ABI4, and ABI5, were markedly increased in the MCT1-overexpressing transgenic plant. Collectively, these results suggest that ABA-upregulated MCT1 plays a negative role in Arabidopsis seed germination and seedling growth under ABA by modulating the expression of ABA signaling-related genes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

ABA signaling is necessary but not sufficient for RD29B transcriptional memory during successive dehydration stresses in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Virlouvet, Laetitia; Ding, Yong; Fujii, Hiroaki; Avramova, Zoya; Fromm, Michael

2014-07-01

Plants subjected to a prior dehydration stress were seen to have altered transcriptional responses during a subsequent dehydration stress for up to 5 days after the initial stress. The abscisic acid (ABA) inducible RD29B gene of Arabidopsis thaliana was strongly induced after the first stress and displayed transcriptional memory with transcript levels nine-fold higher during the second dehydration stress. These increased transcript levels were due to an increased rate of transcription and are associated with an altered chromatin template during the recovery interval between the dehydration stresses. Here we use a combination of promoter deletion/substitutions, mutants in the trans-acting transcription factors and their upstream protein kinases, and treatments with exogenous ABA or dehydration stress to advance our understanding of the features required for transcriptional memory of RD29B. ABA Response Elements (ABREs) are sufficient to confer transcriptional memory on a minimal promoter, although there is a context effect from flanking sequences. Different mutations in Snf1 Related Protein Kinase 2 (SnRK2) genes positively and negatively affected the response, suggesting that this effect is important for transcriptional memory. Although exogenous ABA treatments could prime transcriptional memory, a second ABA treatment was not sufficient to activate transcriptional memory. Therefore, we concluded that transcriptional memory requires ABA and an ABA-independent factor that is induced or activated by a subsequent dehydration stress and directly or indirectly results in a more active RD29B chromatin template. These results advance our knowledge of the cis- and trans-acting factors that are required for transcriptional memory of RD29B. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

OsRACK1 Is Involved in Abscisic Acid- and H2O2-Mediated Signaling to Regulate Seed Germination in Rice (Oryza sativa, L.)

PubMed Central

Zhang, Dongping; Chen, Li; Li, Dahong; Lv, Bing; Chen, Yun; Chen, Jingui; XuejiaoYan; Liang, Jiansheng

2014-01-01

The receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) is one member of the most important WD repeat–containing family of proteins found in all eukaryotes and is involved in multiple signaling pathways. However, compared with the progress in the area of mammalian RACK1, our understanding of the functions and molecular mechanisms of RACK1 in the regulation of plant growth and development is still in its infancy. In the present study, we investigated the roles of rice RACK1A gene (OsRACK1A) in controlling seed germination and its molecular mechanisms by generating a series of transgenic rice lines, of which OsRACK1A was either over-expressed or under-expressed. Our results showed that OsRACK1A positively regulated seed germination and negatively regulated the responses of seed germination to both exogenous ABA and H2O2. Inhibition of ABA biosynthesis had no enhancing effect on germination, whereas inhibition of ABA catabolism significantly suppressed germination. ABA inhibition on seed germination was almost fully recovered by exogenous H2O2 treatment. Quantitative analyses showed that endogenous ABA levels were significantly higher and H2O2 levels significantly lower in OsRACK1A-down regulated transgenic lines as compared with those in wildtype or OsRACK1A-up regulated lines. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses showed that the transcript levels of OsRbohs and amylase genes, RAmy1A and RAmy3D, were significantly lower in OsRACK1A-down regulated transgenic lines. It is concluded that OsRACK1A positively regulates seed germination by controlling endogenous levels of ABA and H2O2 and their interaction. PMID:24865690

P-HYDROXYPHENYLPYRUVATE DIOXYGENASE from Medicago sativa is involved in vitamin E biosynthesis and abscisic acid-mediated seed germination

PubMed Central

Jiang, Jishan; Chen, Zhihong; Ban, Liping; Wu, Yudi; Huang, Jianping; Chu, Jinfang; Fang, Shuang; Wang, Zan; Gao, Hongwen; Wang, Xuemin

2017-01-01

P-HYDROXYPHENYLPYRUVATE DIOXYGENASE (HPPD) is the first committed enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of vitamin E, and is characterized by catalyzing the conversion of p-hydroxyphenyl pyruvate (HPP) to homogentisic acid (HGA). Here, an HPPD gene was cloned from Medicago sativa L. and designated MsHPPD, which was expressed at high levels in alfalfa leaves. PEG 6000 (polyethylene glycol), NaCl, abscisic acid and salicylic acid were shown to significantly induce MsHPPD expression, especially in the cotyledons and root tissues. Overexpression of MsHPPD was found to significantly increase the level of β-tocotrienol and the total vitamin E content in Arabidopsis seeds. Furthermore, these transgenic Arabidopsis seeds exhibited an accelerated germination time, compared with wild-type seeds under normal conditions, as well as under NaCl and ABA treatments. Meanwhile, the expression level of several genes associated with ABA biosynthesis (NCED3, NCED5 and NCED9) and the ABA signaling pathway (RAB18, ABI3 and ABI5) were significantly down-regulated in MsHPPD-overexpressing transgenic lines, as well as the total free ABA content. Taken together, these results demonstrate that MsHPPD functions not only in the vitamin E biosynthetic pathway, but also plays a critical role in seed germination via affecting ABA biosynthesis and signaling. PMID:28084442

Improving biomass and starch accumulation of bioenergy crop duckweed (Landoltia punctata) by abscisic acid application.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Chen, Xiaoyi; Wang, Xinhui; Fang, Yang; Huang, Mengjun; Guo, Ling; Zhang, Yin; Zhao, Hai

2018-06-22

Duckweed is a valuable feedstock for bioethanol production due to its high biomass and starch accumulation. In our preliminary experiment, we found that abscisic acid (ABA) could simultaneously increase starch and biomass accumulation of duckweed, but the mechanisms are still unclear. The results showed that the biomass production of duckweed reached up to 59.70 and 63.93 g m -2 in 6 days, respectively, with an increase of 7% (P < 0.05) compared to the control. The starch percentage increased from 2.29% up to 46.18% after 14 days of treatment, with a total of starch level 2.6-fold higher than that of the control. Moreover, the level of endogenous ABA, zeatin-riboside (ZR) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) increased, while gibberellins (GAs) decreased. Notably, ABA content in treated samples reached 336.5 mg/kg (fresh weight), which was 7.5-fold greater than that of the control. Importantly, the enzyme activities involved in starch biosynthesis increased while those catalyzing starch degradation decreased after ABA application. Taken together, these results indicated that ABA can promote biomass and starch accumulation by regulating endogenous hormone levels and the activity of starch metabolism related key enzymes. These results will provide an operable method for high starch accumulation in duckweed for biofuels production.

Abscisic Acid- and Stress-Induced Highly Proline-Rich Glycoproteins Regulate Root Growth in Rice1[W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Tseng, I-Chieh; Hong, Chwan-Yang; Yu, Su-May; Ho, Tuan-Hua David

2013-01-01

In the root of rice (Oryza sativa), abscisic acid (ABA) treatment, salinity, or water deficit stress induces the expression of a family of four genes, REPETITIVE PROLINE-RICH PROTEIN (RePRP). These genes encode two subclasses of novel proline-rich glycoproteins with highly repetitive PX1PX2 motifs, RePRP1 and RePRP2. RePRP orthologs exist only in monocotyledonous plants, and their functions are virtually unknown. Rice RePRPs are heavily glycosylated with arabinose and glucose on multiple hydroxyproline residues. They are significantly different from arabinogalactan proteins that have glycan chains composed of arabinose and galactose. Transient and stable expressions of RePRP-green fluorescent protein reveal that a fraction of this protein is localized to the plasma membrane. In rice roots, ABA treatment increases RePRP expression preferentially in the elongation zone. Overexpression of RePRP in transgenic rice reduces root cell elongation in the absence of ABA, similar to the effect of ABA on wild-type roots. Conversely, simultaneous knockdown of the expression of RePRP1 and RePRP2 reduces the root sensitivity to ABA, indicating that RePRP proteins play an essential role in ABA/stress regulation of root growth and development. Moreover, rice RePRPs specifically interact with a polysaccharide, arabinogalactan, in a dosage-dependent manner. It is suggested that RePRP1 and RePRP2 are functionally redundant suppressors of root cell expansion and probably act through interactions with cell wall components near the plasma membrane. PMID:23886623

Leveraging abscisic acid receptors for efficient water use in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhenyu; Liu, Jinghui; Tischer, Stefanie V.; Christmann, Alexander; Windisch, Wilhelm; Schnyder, Hans; Grill, Erwin

2016-01-01

Plant growth requires the influx of atmospheric CO2 through stomatal pores, and this carbon uptake for photosynthesis is inherently associated with a large efflux of water vapor. Under water deficit, plants reduce transpiration and are able to improve carbon for water exchange leading to higher water use efficiency (WUE). Whether increased WUE can be achieved without trade-offs in plant growth is debated. The signals mediating the WUE response under water deficit are not fully elucidated but involve the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). ABA is perceived by a family of related receptors known to mediate acclimation responses and to reduce transpiration. We now show that enhanced stimulation of ABA signaling via distinct ABA receptors can result in plants constitutively growing at high WUE in the model species Arabidopsis. WUE was assessed by three independent approaches involving gravimetric analyses, 13C discrimination studies of shoots and derived cellulose fractions, and by gas exchange measurements of whole plants and individual leaves. Plants expressing the ABA receptors RCAR6/PYL12 combined up to 40% increased WUE with high growth rates, i.e., are water productive. Water productivity was associated with maintenance of net carbon assimilation by compensatory increases of leaf CO2 gradients, thereby sustaining biomass acquisition. Leaf surface temperatures and growth potentials of plants growing under well-watered conditions were found to be reliable indicators for water productivity. The study shows that ABA receptors can be explored to generate more plant biomass per water transpired, which is a prime goal for a more sustainable water use in agriculture. PMID:27247417

The single-subunit RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase RSL1 targets PYL4 and PYR1 ABA receptors in plasma membrane to modulate abscisic acid signaling.

PubMed

Bueso, Eduardo; Rodriguez, Lesia; Lorenzo-Orts, Laura; Gonzalez-Guzman, Miguel; Sayas, Enric; Muñoz-Bertomeu, Jesús; Ibañez, Carla; Serrano, Ramón; Rodriguez, Pedro L

2014-12-01

Membrane-delimited events play a crucial role for ABA signaling and PYR/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors, clade A PP2Cs and SnRK2/CPK kinases modulate the activity of different plasma membrane components involved in ABA action. Therefore, the turnover of PYR/PYL/RCARs in the proximity of plasma membrane might be a step that affects receptor function and downstream signaling. In this study we describe a single-subunit RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase RSL1 that interacts with the PYL4 and PYR1 ABA receptors at the plasma membrane. Overexpression of RSL1 reduces ABA sensitivity and rsl1 RNAi lines that impair expression of several members of the RSL1/RFA gene family show enhanced sensitivity to ABA. RSL1 bears a C-terminal transmembrane domain that targets the E3 ligase to plasma membrane. Accordingly, bimolecular fluorescent complementation (BiFC) studies showed the RSL1-PYL4 and RSL1-PYR1 interaction is localized to plasma membrane. RSL1 promoted PYL4 and PYR1 degradation in vivo and mediated in vitro ubiquitylation of the receptors. Taken together, these results suggest ubiquitylation of ABA receptors at plasma membrane is a process that might affect their function via effect on their half-life, protein interactions or trafficking. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Rationally Designed Agonist Defines Subfamily IIIA Abscisic Acid Receptors As Critical Targets for Manipulating Transpiration.

PubMed

Vaidya, Aditya S; Peterson, Francis C; Yarmolinsky, Dmitry; Merilo, Ebe; Verstraeten, Inge; Park, Sang-Youl; Elzinga, Dezi; Kaundal, Amita; Helander, Jonathan; Lozano-Juste, Jorge; Otani, Masato; Wu, Kevin; Jensen, Davin R; Kollist, Hannes; Volkman, Brian F; Cutler, Sean R

2017-11-17

Increasing drought and diminishing freshwater supplies have stimulated interest in developing small molecules that can be used to control transpiration. Receptors for the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) have emerged as key targets for this application, because ABA controls the apertures of stomata, which in turn regulate transpiration. Here, we describe the rational design of cyanabactin, an ABA receptor agonist that preferentially activates Pyrabactin Resistance 1 (PYR1) with low nanomolar potency. A 1.63 Å X-ray crystallographic structure of cyanabactin in complex with PYR1 illustrates that cyanabactin's arylnitrile mimics ABA's cyclohexenone oxygen and engages the tryptophan lock, a key component required to stabilize activated receptors. Further, its sulfonamide and 4-methylbenzyl substructures mimic ABA's carboxylate and C6 methyl groups, respectively. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements show that cyanabactin's compact structure provides ready access to high ligand efficiency on a relatively simple scaffold. Cyanabactin treatments reduce Arabidopsis whole-plant stomatal conductance and activate multiple ABA responses, demonstrating that its in vitro potency translates to ABA-like activity in vivo. Genetic analyses show that the effects of cyanabactin, and the previously identified agonist quinabactin, can be abolished by the genetic removal of PYR1 and PYL1, which form subclade A within the dimeric subfamily III receptors. Thus, cyanabactin is a potent and selective agonist with a wide spectrum of ABA-like activities that defines subfamily IIIA receptors as key target sites for manipulating transpiration.

Short-term and continuing stresses differentially interplay with multiple hormones to regulate plant survival and growth.

PubMed

Yang, Cangjing; Liu, Jingjing; Dong, Xinran; Cai, Zhenying; Tian, Weidong; Wang, Xuelu

2014-05-01

The stress phytohormone, abscisic acid (ABA), plays important roles in facilitating plants to survive and grow well under a wide range of stress conditions. Previous gene expression studies mainly focused on plant responses to short-term ABA treatment, but the effect of sustained ABA treatment and their difference are poorly studied. Here, we treated plants with ABA for 1 h or 9 d, and our genome-wide analysis indicated the differentially regulated genes under the two conditions were tremendously different. We analyzed other hormones' signaling changes by using their whole sets of known responsive genes as reporters and integrating feedback regulation of their biosynthesis. We found that, under short-term ABA treatment, signaling outputs of growth-promoting hormones, brassinosteroids and gibberellins, and a biotic stress-responsive hormone, jasmonic acid, were significantly inhibited, while auxin and ethylene signaling outputs were promoted. However, sustained ABA treatment repressed cytokinin and gibberellin signaling, but stimulated auxin signaling. Using several sets of hormone-related mutants, we found candidates in corresponding hormonal signaling pathways, including receptors or transcription regulators, are essential in responding to ABA. Our findings indicate interactions of ABA-dependent stress signals with hormones at different levels are involved in plants to survive under transient stress and to adapt to continuing stressful environments.

Control of seed dormancy in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia: post-imbibition abscisic acid synthesis imposes dormancy maintenance.

PubMed

Grappin, P; Bouinot, D; Sotta, B; Miginiac, E; Jullien, M

2000-01-01

The physiological characteristics of seed dormancy in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. are described. The level of seed dormancy is defined by the delay in seed germination (i.e the time required prior to germination) under favourable environmental conditions. A wild-type line shows a clear primary dormancy, which is suppressed by afterripening, whereas an abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient mutant shows a non-dormant phenotype. We have investigated the role of ABA and gibberellic acid (GA(3)) in the control of dormancy maintenance or breakage during imbibition in suitable conditions. It was found that fluridone, a carotenoid biosynthesis inhibitor, is almost as efficient as GA(3) in breaking dormancy. Dry dormant seeds contained more ABA than dry afterripened seeds and, during early imbibition, there was an accumulation of ABA in dormant seeds, but not in afterripened seeds. In addition, fluridone and exogenous GA(3) inhibited the accumulation of ABA in imbibed dormant seeds. This reveals an important role for ABA synthesis in dormancy maintenance in imbibed seeds.

Involvement of ABA in induction of secondary dormancy in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seeds.

PubMed

Leymarie, Juliette; Robayo-Romero, Maria Emilia; Gendreau, Emmanuel; Benech-Arnold, Roberto L; Corbineau, Françoise

2008-12-01

At harvest, barley seeds are dormant because their germination is difficult above 20 degrees C. Incubation of primary dormant seeds at 30 degrees C, a temperature at which they do not germinate, results in a loss of their ability to germinate at 20 degrees C. This phenomenon which corresponds to an induction of a secondary dormancy is already observed after a pre-treatment at 30 degrees C as short as 4-6 h, and is optimal after 24-48 h. It is associated with maintenance of a high level of embryo ABA content during seed incubation at 30 degrees C, and after seed transfer at 20 degrees C, while ABA content decreases rapidly in embryos of primary dormant seeds placed directly at 20 degrees C. Induction of secondary dormancy also results in an increase in embryo responsiveness to ABA at 20 degrees C. Application of ABA during seed treatment at 30 degrees C has no significant additive effect on the further germination at 20 degrees C. In contrast, incubation of primary dormant seeds at 20 degrees C for 48 and 72 h in the presence of ABA inhibits further germination on water similarly to 24-48 h incubation at 30 degrees C. However fluridone, an inhibitor of ABA synthesis, applied during incubation of the grains at 30 degrees C has only a slight effect on ABA content and secondary dormancy. Expression of genes involved in ABA metabolism (HvABA8'OH-1, HvNCED1 and HvNCED2) was studied in relation to the expression of primary and secondary dormancies. The results presented suggest a specific role for HvNCED1 and HvNCED2 in regulation of ABA synthesis in secondary seed dormancy.

Reprint of "Repeated adolescent activity-based anorexia influences central estrogen signaling and adulthood anxiety-like behaviors in rats".

PubMed

Lee, Tien-Jui; Kinzig, Kimberly P

2017-09-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) typically presents in adolescence and is highly comorbid with anxiety and depression, which often persist after elimination of AN symptomology. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) paradigm allows for evaluation of behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences of AN-like behaviors, including voluntary anorexia, hyperactivity, and disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Because ABA in adolescent females results in increased anxiety-like behavior in adulthood and the estrogen signaling system has been shown to play a role in anxiety and food intake, we investigated the role of ovarian hormones in adolescent ABA-treated rats, and long-term effects of mid- and late adolescent ABA exposure on behavior and estrogen signaling. While previous research demonstrated that two bouts of ABA during adolescence resulted in decreased time in the open arm of the elevated plus maze (EPM) and increased activity of the HPA axis in response to a novel stressor, here we show that one bout of ABA in mid-or late-adolescence did not result in the same behavioral outcome. Two exposures to ABA during adolescence were necessary to produce long-term anxiety-like behavior on the EPM. Finally, removal of ovarian hormones by ovariectomy (OVX) prior to puberty did not attenuate long-term behavioral consequences of ABA in adolescence, and estrogen receptor β (ERβ) expression level in the amygdala of ABA rats was significantly lower than control subjects. Taken together, these studies identify enduring effects of ABA in adolescent females that may be mediated by ABA-induced changes to CNS ERβ signaling that increase anxiety-like behaviors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Up-Regulation of HSFA2c and HSPs by ABA Contributing to Improved Heat Tolerance in Tall Fescue and Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiuyun; Zhuang, Lili; Huang, Bingru

2017-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is known to play roles in regulating plant tolerance to various abiotic stresses, but whether ABA’s effects on heat tolerance are associated with its regulation of heat stress transcription factors (HSFs) and heat shock proteins (HSPs) is not well documented. The objective of this study was to determine whether improved heat tolerance of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) by ABA was through the regulation of HSFs and HSPs. ABA-responsive transcriptional factors, ABA-responsive element binding protein 3 (FaAREB3) and dehydration-responsive element binding protein 2A (FaDREB2A) of tall fescue, were able to bind to the cis-elements in the promoter of tall fescue heat stress transcription factor A2c (FaHSFA2c). Exogenous ABA (5 μM) application enhanced heat tolerance of tall fescue, as manifested by increased leaf photochemical efficiency and membrane stability under heat stress (37/32 °C, day/night). The expression levels of FaHSFA2c, several tall fescue HSPs (FaHSPs), and ABA-responsive transcriptional factors were up-regulated in plants treated with ABA. Deficiency of Arabidopsis heat stress transcription factor A2 (AtHSFA2) suppressed ABA-induction of AtHSPs expression and ABA-improved heat tolerance in Arabidopsis. These results suggested that HSFA2 plays an important role in ABA-mediated plant heat tolerance, and FaAREB3 and FaDREB2A may function as upstream trans-acting factors and regulate transcriptional activity of FaHSFA2c and the downstream FaHSPs, leading to improved heat tolerance. PMID:28914758

Evaluating the involvement and interaction of abscisic acid and miRNA156 in the induction of anthocyanin biosynthesis in drought-stressed plants.

PubMed

González-Villagra, Jorge; Kurepin, Leonid V; Reyes-Díaz, Marjorie M

2017-08-01

ABA is involved in anthocyanin synthesis through the regulation of microRNA156, augmenting the level of expression of anthocyanin synthesis-related genes and, therefore, increasing anthocyanin level. Drought stress is the main cause of agricultural crop loss in the world. However, plants have developed mechanisms that allow them to tolerate drought stress conditions. At cellular level, drought stress induces changes in metabolite accumulation, including increases in anthocyanin levels due to upregulation of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. Recent studies suggest that the higher anthocyanin content observed under drought stress conditions could be a consequence of a rise in the abscisic acid (ABA) concentration. This plant hormone crosses the plasma membrane by specific transporters, and it is recognized at the cytosolic level by receptors known as pyrabactin resistance (PYR)/regulatory component of ABA receptors (PYR/RCARs) that regulate downstream components. In this review, we discuss the hypothesis regarding the involvement of ABA in the regulation of microRNA156 (miRNA156), which is upregulated as part of dehydration stress responsiveness in different species. The miRNA156 upregulation produces a greater level of anthocyanin gene expression, forming the multienzyme complex that will synthesize an increased level of anthocyanins at the cytosolic face of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). After synthesis, anthocyanins are transported from the RER to the vacuole by two possible models of transport: (1) membrane vesicle-mediated transport, or (2) membrane transporter-mediated transport. Thus, the aim was to analyze the recent findings on synthesis, transport and the possible mechanism by which ABA could increase anthocyanin synthesis under drought stress conditions potentially throughout microRNA156 (miRNA156).

ABO3, a WRKY transcription factor, mediates plant responses to abscisic acid and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Ren, Xiaozhi; Chen, Zhizhong; Liu, Yue; Zhang, Hairong; Zhang, Min; Liu, Qian; Hong, Xuhui; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Gong, Zhizhong

2010-08-01

The biological functions of WRKY transcription factors in plants have been widely studied, but their roles in abiotic stress are still not well understood. We isolated an ABA overly sensitive mutant, abo3, which is disrupted by a T-DNA insertion in At1g66600 encoding a WRKY transcription factor AtWRKY63. The mutant was hypersensitive to ABA in both seedling establishment and seedling growth. However, stomatal closure was less sensitive to ABA, and the abo3 mutant was less drought tolerant than the wild type. Northern blot analysis indicated that the expression of the ABA-responsive transcription factor ABF2/AREB1 was markedly lower in the abo3 mutant than in the wild type. The abo3 mutation also reduced the expression of stress-inducible genes RD29A and COR47, especially early during ABA treatment. ABO3 is able to bind the W-box in the promoter of ABF2in vitro. These results uncover an important role for a WRKY transcription factor in plant responses to ABA and drought stress. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Karrikins delay soybean seed germination by mediating abscisic acid and gibberellin biogenesis under shaded conditions

PubMed Central

Meng, Yongjie; Chen, Feng; Shuai, Haiwei; Luo, Xiaofeng; Ding, Jun; Tang, Shengwen; Xu, Shuanshuan; Liu, Jianwei; Liu, Weiguo; Du, Junbo; Liu, Jiang; Yang, Feng; Sun, Xin; Yong, Taiwen; Wang, Xiaochun; Feng, Yuqi; Shu, Kai; Yang, Wenyu

2016-01-01

Karrikins (KAR) are a class of signal compounds, discovered in wildfire smoke, which affect seed germination. Currently, numerous studies have focused on the model plant Arabidopsis in the KAR research field, rather than on crops. Thus the regulatory mechanisms underlying KAR regulation of crop seed germination are largely unknown. Here, we report that KAR delayed soybean seed germination through enhancing abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, while impairing gibberellin (GA) biogenesis. Interestingly, KAR only retarded soybean seed germination under shaded conditions, rather than under dark and white light conditions, which differs from in Arabidopsis. Phytohormone quantification showed that KAR enhanced ABA biogenesis while impairing GA biosynthesis during the seed imbibition process, and subsequently, the ratio of active GA4 to ABA was significantly reduced. Further qRT-PCR analysis showed that the transcription pattern of genes involved in ABA and GA metabolic pathways are consistent with the hormonal measurements. Finally, fluridone, an ABA biogenesis inhibitor, remarkably rescued the delayed-germination phenotype of KAR-treatment; and paclobutrazol, a GA biosynthesis inhibitor, inhibited soybean seed germination. Taken together, these evidences suggest that KAR inhibit soybean seed germination by mediating the ratio between GA and ABA biogenesis. PMID:26902640

Karrikins delay soybean seed germination by mediating abscisic acid and gibberellin biogenesis under shaded conditions.

PubMed

Meng, Yongjie; Chen, Feng; Shuai, Haiwei; Luo, Xiaofeng; Ding, Jun; Tang, Shengwen; Xu, Shuanshuan; Liu, Jianwei; Liu, Weiguo; Du, Junbo; Liu, Jiang; Yang, Feng; Sun, Xin; Yong, Taiwen; Wang, Xiaochun; Feng, Yuqi; Shu, Kai; Yang, Wenyu

2016-02-23

Karrikins (KAR) are a class of signal compounds, discovered in wildfire smoke, which affect seed germination. Currently, numerous studies have focused on the model plant Arabidopsis in the KAR research field, rather than on crops. Thus the regulatory mechanisms underlying KAR regulation of crop seed germination are largely unknown. Here, we report that KAR delayed soybean seed germination through enhancing abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, while impairing gibberellin (GA) biogenesis. Interestingly, KAR only retarded soybean seed germination under shaded conditions, rather than under dark and white light conditions, which differs from in Arabidopsis. Phytohormone quantification showed that KAR enhanced ABA biogenesis while impairing GA biosynthesis during the seed imbibition process, and subsequently, the ratio of active GA4 to ABA was significantly reduced. Further qRT-PCR analysis showed that the transcription pattern of genes involved in ABA and GA metabolic pathways are consistent with the hormonal measurements. Finally, fluridone, an ABA biogenesis inhibitor, remarkably rescued the delayed-germination phenotype of KAR-treatment; and paclobutrazol, a GA biosynthesis inhibitor, inhibited soybean seed germination. Taken together, these evidences suggest that KAR inhibit soybean seed germination by mediating the ratio between GA and ABA biogenesis.

Role of spontaneous physical activity in prediction of susceptibility to activity based anorexia in male and female rats

PubMed Central

Perez-Leighton, Claudio; Grace, Martha; Billington, Charles J.; Kotz, Catherine M.

2015-01-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a chronic eating disorder affecting females and males, defined by body weight loss, higher physical activity levels and restricted food intake. Currently, the commonalities and differences between genders in etiology of AN are not well understood. Animal models of AN, such as activity-based anorexia (ABA), can be helpful in identifying factors determining individual susceptibility to AN. In ABA, rodents are given an access to a running wheel while food restricted, resulting in paradoxical increased physical activity levels and weight loss. Recent studies suggest that different behavioral traits, including voluntary exercise, can predict individual weight loss in ABA. A higher inherent drive for movement can promote development and severity of AN, but this hypothesis remains untested. In rodents and humans, drive for movement is defined as spontaneous physical activity (SPA), which is time spent in low-intensity, non-volitional movements. In this paper, we show that a profile of body weight history and behavioral traits, including SPA, can predict individual weight loss caused by ABA in male and female rats with high accuracy. Analysis of the influence of SPA on ABA susceptibility in males and females rats suggests that either high or low levels of SPA increase the probability of high weight loss in ABA, but with larger effects in males compared to females. These results suggest the same behavioral profile can identify individuals at-risk of AN for both male and female populations and that SPA has predictive value for susceptibility to AN. PMID:24912135

Role of spontaneous physical activity in prediction of susceptibility to activity based anorexia in male and female rats.

PubMed

Perez-Leighton, Claudio E; Grace, Martha; Billington, Charles J; Kotz, Catherine M

2014-08-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a chronic eating disorder affecting females and males, defined by body weight loss, higher physical activity levels and restricted food intake. Currently, the commonalities and differences between genders in etiology of AN are not well understood. Animal models of AN, such as activity-based anorexia (ABA), can be helpful in identifying factors determining individual susceptibility to AN. In ABA, rodents are given an access to a running wheel while food restricted, resulting in paradoxical increased physical activity levels and weight loss. Recent studies suggest that different behavioral traits, including voluntary exercise, can predict individual weight loss in ABA. A higher inherent drive for movement may promote development and severity of AN, but this hypothesis remains untested. In rodents and humans, drive for movement is defined as spontaneous physical activity (SPA), which is time spent in low-intensity, non-volitional movements. In this paper, we show that a profile of body weight history and behavioral traits, including SPA, can predict individual weight loss caused by ABA in male and female rats with high accuracy. Analysis of the influence of SPA on ABA susceptibility in males and females rats suggests that either high or low levels of SPA increase the probability of high weight loss in ABA, but with larger effects in males compared to females. These results suggest that the same behavioral profile can identify individuals at-risk of AN for both male and female populations and that SPA has predictive value for susceptibility to AN. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The regulatory network of ThbZIP1 in response to abscisic acid treatment

PubMed Central

Ji, Xiaoyu; Liu, Guifeng; Liu, Yujia; Nie, Xianguang; Zheng, Lei; Wang, Yucheng

2015-01-01

Previously, a bZIP transcription factor from Tamarix hispida, ThbZIP1, was characterized: plants overexpressing ThbZIP1 displayed improved salt stress tolerance but were sensitive to abscisic acid (ABA). In the current study, we further characterized the regulatory network of ThbZIP1 and the mechanism of ABA sensitivity mediated by ThbZIP1. An ABF transcription factor from T. hispida, ThABF1, directly regulates the expression of ThbZIP1. Microarray analysis identified 1662 and 1609 genes that were respectively significantly upregulated or downregulated by ThbZIP1 when exposed to ABA. Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that the processes including “response to stimulus,” “catalytic activity,” “binding function,” and “metabolic process” were highly altered in ThbZIP1 expressing plants exposed to ABA. The gene expression in ThbZIP1 transformed plants were compared between exposed to ABA and salt on the genome scale. Genes differentially regulated by both salt and ABA treatment only accounted for 9.75% of total differentially regulated genes. GO analysis showed that structural molecule activity, organelle part, membrane-enclosed lumen, reproduction, and reproductive process are enhanced by ABA but inhibited by salt stress. Conversely, immune system and multi-organism process were improved by salt but inhibited by ABA. Transcription regulator activity, enzyme regulator activity, and developmental process were significantly altered by ABA but were not affected by salt stress. Our study provides insights into how ThbZIP1 mediates ABA and salt stress response at the molecular level. PMID:25713576

Differences in Copper Absorption and Accumulation between Copper-Exclusion and Copper-Enrichment Plants: A Comparison of Structure and Physiological Responses.

PubMed

Fu, Lei; Chen, Chen; Wang, Bin; Zhou, Xishi; Li, Shuhuan; Guo, Pan; Shen, Zhenguo; Wang, Guiping; Chen, Yahua

2015-01-01

Differences in copper (Cu) absorption and transport, physiological responses and structural characteristics between two types of Cu-resistant plants, Oenothera glazioviana (Cu-exclusion type) and Elsholtzia haichowensis (Cu-enrichment type), were investigated in the present study. The results indicated the following: (1) After 50 μM Cu treatment, the Cu ratio in the xylem vessels of E. haichowensis increased by 60%. A Cu adsorption experiment indicated that O. glazioviana exhibited greater resistance to Cu, and Cu absorption and the shoot/root ratio of Cu were significantly lower in O. glazioviana than in E. haichowensis. (2) An analysis of the endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) variance and exogenous ABA treatment demonstrated that the ABA levels of both plants did not differ; exogenous ABA treatment clearly reduced Cu accumulation in both plants. (3) The leaf stomatal density of O. glazioviana was significantly less than that of E. haichowensis. Guard cells in E. haichowensis plants were covered with a thick cuticle layer, the epidermal hair was more numerous and longer, and the number of xylem conduits in the root was small. (4) The transpiration rate and the stomatal conductance of O. glazioviana were both significantly lower than those of E. haichowensis, regardless of whether the plants were treated with Cu. Taken together, these results indicate that the differences in the structural characteristics between these two plant species, particularly in the characteristics related to plant transpiration, are important factors that govern whether plants acquire or exclude Cu.

Transgenic Arabidopsis Plants Expressing the Type 1 Inositol 5-Phosphatase Exhibit Increased Drought Tolerance and Altered Abscisic Acid Signaling[W

PubMed Central

Perera, Imara Y.; Hung, Chiu-Yueh; Moore, Candace D.; Stevenson-Paulik, Jill; Boss, Wendy F.

2008-01-01

The phosphoinositide pathway and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) are implicated in plant responses to stress. To determine the downstream consequences of altered InsP3-mediated signaling, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing the mammalian type I inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (InsP 5-ptase), which specifically hydrolyzes soluble inositol phosphates and terminates the signal. Rapid transient Ca2+ responses to a cold or salt stimulus were reduced by ∼30% in these transgenic plants. Drought stress studies revealed, surprisingly, that the InsP 5-ptase plants lost less water and exhibited increased drought tolerance. The onset of the drought stress was delayed in the transgenic plants, and abscisic acid (ABA) levels increased less than in the wild-type plants. Stomatal bioassays showed that transgenic guard cells were less responsive to the inhibition of opening by ABA but showed an increased sensitivity to ABA-induced closure. Transcript profiling revealed that the drought-inducible ABA-independent transcription factor DREB2A and a subset of DREB2A-regulated genes were basally upregulated in the InsP 5-ptase plants, suggesting that InsP3 is a negative regulator of these DREB2A-regulated genes. These results indicate that the drought tolerance of the InsP 5-ptase plants is mediated in part via a DREB2A-dependent pathway and that constitutive dampening of the InsP3 signal reveals unanticipated interconnections between signaling pathways. PMID:18849493

Shoot phytochrome B modulates reactive oxygen species homeostasis in roots via abscisic acid signaling in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Ha, Jun-Ho; Kim, Ju-Heon; Kim, Sang-Gyu; Sim, Hee-Jung; Lee, Gisuk; Halitschke, Rayko; Baldwin, Ian T; Kim, Jeong-Il; Park, Chung-Mo

2018-06-01

Underground roots normally reside in darkness. However, they are often exposed to ambient light that penetrates through cracks in the soil layers which can occur due to wind, heavy rain or temperature extremes. In response to light exposure, roots produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) which promote root growth. It is known that ROS-induced growth promotion facilitates rapid escape of the roots from non-natural light. Meanwhile, long-term exposure of the roots to light elicits a ROS burst, which causes oxidative damage to cellular components, necessitating that cellular levels of ROS should be tightly regulated in the roots. Here we demonstrate that the red/far-red light photoreceptor phytochrome B (phyB) stimulates the biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA) in the shoots, and notably the shoot-derived ABA signals induce a peroxidase-mediated ROS detoxification reaction in the roots. Accordingly, while ROS accumulate in the roots of the phyb mutant that exhibits reduced primary root growth in the light, such an accumulation of ROS did not occur in the dark-grown phyb roots that exhibited normal growth. These observations indicate that mobile shoot-to-root ABA signaling links shoot phyB-mediated light perception with root ROS homeostasis to help roots adapt to unfavorable light exposure. We propose that ABA-mediated shoot-to-root phyB signaling contributes to the synchronization of shoot and root growth for optimal propagation and performance in plants. © 2018 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influence of Cadmium on Water Relations, Stomatal Resistance, and Abscisic Acid Content in Expanding Bean Leaves 1

PubMed Central

Poschenrieder, Charlotte; Gunsé, Benet; Barceló, Juan

1989-01-01

Ten day old bush bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Contender) were used to analyze the effects of 3 micromolar Cd on the time courses of expansion growth, dry weight, leaf water relations, stomatal resistance, and abscisic acid (ABA) levels in roots and leaves. Control and Cd-treated plants were grown for 144 hours in nutrient solution. Samples were taken at 24 hour intervals. At the 96 and 144 hour harvests, additional measurements were made on excised leaves which were allowed to dry for 2 hours. From the 48 hour harvest, Cd-treated plants showed lower leaf relative water contents and higher stomatal resistances than controls. At the same time, root and leaf expansion growth, but not dry weight, was significantly reduced. The turgor potentials of leaves from Cd-treated plants were nonsignificantly higher than those of control leaves. A significant increase (almost 400%) of the leaf ABA concentration was detected after 120 hours exposure to Cd. But Cd was found to inhibit ABA accumulation during drying of excised leaves. It is concluded that Cd-induced decrease of expansion growth is not due to turgor decrease. The possible mechanisms of Cd-induced stomatal closure are discussed. PMID:16666937

Roles of Gibberellins and Abscisic Acid in Regulating Germination of Suaeda salsa Dimorphic Seeds Under Salt Stress

PubMed Central

Li, Weiqiang; Yamaguchi, Shinjiro; Khan, M. Ajmal; An, Ping; Liu, Xiaojing; Tran, Lam-Son P.

2016-01-01

Seed heteromorphism observed in many halophytes is an adaptive phenomenon toward high salinity. However, the relationship between heteromorphic seed germination and germination-related hormones under salt stress remains elusive. To gain an insight into this relationship, the roles of gibberellins (GAs) and abscisic acid (ABA) in regulating germination of Suaeda salsa dimorphic brown and black seeds under salinity were elucidated by studying the kinetics of the two hormones during germination of the two seed types with or without salinity treatment. Morphological analysis suggested that brown and black are in different development stage. The content of ABA was higher in dry brown than in black seeds, which gradually decreased after imbibition in water and salt solutions. Salt stress induced ABA accumulation in both germinating seed types, with higher induction effect on black than brown seeds. Black seeds showed lower germination percentage than brown seeds under both water and salt stress, which might be attributed to their higher ABA sensitivity rather than the difference in ABA content between black and brown seeds. Bioactive GA4 and its biosynthetic precursors showed higher levels in brown than in black seeds, whereas deactivated GAs showed higher content in black than brown seeds in dry or in germinating water or salt solutions. High salinity inhibited seed germination through decreasing the levels of GA4 in both seeds, and the inhibited effect of salt stress on GA4 level of black seeds was more profound than that of brown seeds. Taken together higher GA4 content, and lower ABA sensitivity contributed to the higher germination percentage of brown seeds than black seeds in water and salinity; increased ABA content and sensitivity, and decreased GA4 content by salinity were more profound in black than brown seeds, which contributed to lower germination of black seeds than brown seeds in salinity. The differential regulation of ABA and GA homeostases by salt stress in dimorphic seeds might provide a strategy for S. salsa plants to survive adverse environmental conditions. PMID:26793214

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparison Between Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and Adult-Driven Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Intervention on Disruptive Behaviors in Public School Children with Autism.

PubMed

Mohammadzaheri, Fereshteh; Koegel, Lynn Kern; Rezaei, Mohammad; Bakhshi, Enayatolah

2015-09-01

Children with autism often demonstrate disruptive behaviors during demanding teaching tasks. Language intervention can be particularly difficult as it involves social and communicative areas, which are challenging for this population. The purpose of this study was to compare two intervention conditions, a naturalistic approach, Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) with an adult-directed ABA approach on disruptive behavior during language intervention in the public schools. A randomized clinical trial design was used with two groups of children, matched according to age, sex and mean length of utterance. The data showed that the children demonstrated significantly lower levels of disruptive behavior during the PRT condition. The results are discussed with respect to antecedent manipulations that may be helpful in reducing disruptive behavior.

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparison Between Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and Adult-Driven Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Intervention on Disruptive Behaviors in Public School Children with Autism

PubMed Central

Mohammadzaheri, Fereshteh; Koegel, Lynn Kern; Rezaei, Mohammad; Bakhshi, Enayatolah

2015-01-01

Children with autism often demonstrate disruptive behaviors during demanding teaching tasks. Language intervention can be particularly difficult as it involves social and communicative areas, which are challenging for this population. The purpose of this study was to compare two intervention conditions, a naturalistic approach, Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) with a structured ABA approach on disruptive behavior during language intervention in the public schools. A Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) design was used with two groups of children, matched according to age, sex and mean length of utterance. The data showed that the children demonstrated significantly lower levels of disruptive behavior during the PRT condition. The results are discussed with respect to antecedent manipulations that may be helpful in reducing disruptive behavior. PMID:25953148

AsHSP17, a creeping bentgrass small heat shock protein modulates plant photosynthesis and ABA-dependent and independent signalling to attenuate plant response to abiotic stress.

PubMed

Sun, Xinbo; Sun, Chunyu; Li, Zhigang; Hu, Qian; Han, Liebao; Luo, Hong

2016-06-01

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are molecular chaperones that accumulate in response to heat and other abiotic stressors. Small HSPs (sHSPs) belong to the most ubiquitous HSP subgroup with molecular weights ranging from 12 to 42 kDa. We have cloned a new sHSP gene, AsHSP17 from creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and studied its role in plant response to environmental stress. AsHSP17 encodes a protein of 17 kDa. Its expression was strongly induced by heat in both leaf and root tissues, and by salt and abscisic acid (ABA) in roots. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants constitutively expressing AsHSP17 exhibited enhanced sensitivity to heat and salt stress accompanied by reduced leaf chlorophyll content and decreased photosynthesis under both normal and stressed conditions compared to wild type. Overexpression of AsHSP17 also led to hypersensitivity to exogenous ABA and salinity during germination and post-germinative growth. Gene expression analysis indicated that AsHSP17 modulates expression of photosynthesis-related genes and regulates ABA biosynthesis, metabolism and ABA signalling as well as ABA-independent stress signalling. Our results suggest that AsHSP17 may function as a protein chaperone to negatively regulate plant responses to adverse environmental stresses through modulating photosynthesis and ABA-dependent and independent signalling pathways. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characterization of the ABA Receptor VlPYL1 That Regulates Anthocyanin Accumulation in Grape Berry Skin

PubMed Central

Gao, Zhen; Li, Qin; Li, Jing; Chen, Yujin; Luo, Meng; Li, Hui; Wang, Jiyuan; Wu, Yusen; Duan, Shuyan; Wang, Lei; Song, Shiren; Xu, Wenping; Zhang, Caixi; Wang, Shiping; Ma, Chao

2018-01-01

ABA plays a crucial role in controlling several ripening-associated processes in grape berries. The soluble proteins named as PYR (pyrabactin resistant)/PYL (PYR-like)/RCAR (regulatory component of ABA receptor) family have been characterized as ABA receptors. Here, the function of a grape PYL1 encoding gene involved in the response to ABA was verified through heterologous expression. The expression level of VlPYL1 was highest in grape leaf and fruit tissues of the cultivar Kyoho, and the expression of VlPYL1 was increased during fruit development and showed a reduction in ripe berries. Over-expression of VlPYL1 enhances ABA sensitivity in Arabidopsis. Using the transient overexpression technique, the VlPYL1 gene was over-expressed in grape berries. Up-regulation of the VlPYL1 gene not only promoted anthocyanin accumulation but also induced a set of ABA-responsive gene transcripts, including ABF2 and BG3. Although tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-induced gene silencing (VIGS) was not successfully applied in the “Kyoho” grape, the application of the transient overexpression technique in grape fruit could be used as a novel tool for studying grape fruit development. PMID:29868057

Proline accumulation and its implication in cold tolerance of regenerable maize callus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duncan, D.R.; Widholm, J.M.

1987-03-01

Embryogenic callus of maize (Zea mays L.) inbreds B37wx, H99, H99/sup 3/H95, Mo17, and Pa91 accumulated proline to levels 2.1 to 2.5 times that of control callus when subjected to mannitol-induced water stress, cool temperatures (19/sup 0/C) and abscisic acid (ABA). A combination of 0.53 molar mannitol plus 0.1 millimolar ABA induced a proline accumulation to about 4.5 times that of control callus, equivalent to approximately 0.18 millimoles proline per gram fresh weight of callus. Proline accumulation was directly related to the level of mannitol in the medium. Levels of ABA greater than 1.0 micromolar were required in the mediummore » to induce proline accumulation comparable to that induced by mannitol. Mannitol and ABA levels that induced maximum accumulation of proline also inhibited callus growth and increased tolerance to cold. Proline (12 millimolar) added to culture media also increased the tolerance of callus to 4/sup 0/C. The increased cold tolerance induced by the combination of mannitol and ABA has permitted the storage of the maize inbreds A632, A634Ht, B37wx, C103DTrf, Fr27rhm, H99, Pa91, Va35, and W117Ht at 4/sup 0/C for 90 days which is more than double the typical survival time of callus. These studies show that proline accumulation increase the cold tolerance of regenerable maize callus.« less

Pharmacokinetics of aniracetam and its metabolites in rats.

PubMed

Ogiso, T; Iwaki, M; Tanino, T; Ikeda, K; Paku, T; Horibe, Y; Suzuki, H

1998-05-01

The pharmacokinetics of aniracetam (AP), a new cognitive performance enhancer, and its main metabolites was investigated after intravenous (iv) and oral administrations to rat. The plasma levels of AP, 4-p-anisamidobutyric acid (ABA), and p-anisic acid (AA) were determined simultaneously by the HPLC method. The plasma concentrations of the parent drug and ABA quickly declined in a biexponential manner, with rapid terminal decay and a small mean residence time. However, AA yielded nonlinearly high levels at the initial times and the plasma concentrations of 2-pyrrolidinone (PD) were sustained over a relatively long time. When AA was administered intravenously, nonlinearity of the plasma concentrations was also found at higher doses. To describe the time course of the plasma levels of AP and its metabolites after iv administration, a pharmacokinetic model with seven compartments was applied, which included 10 first-order rate constants and one Michaelis-Menten constant. An approximate fit was obtained between the observed and calculated curves based on the model, except for the plasma concentrations of ABA. The plasma concentration-time profiles of AP and its metabolites following oral administration of AP (50 and 100 mg/kg) were similar to those after iv dosing, with the exception of PD, which showed much lower plasma levels than those after iv administration. Elimination of AP and ABA was rapid after oral dosing, and the bioavailability of AP was extremely small (11.4 and 8.6%). As a result, AP was largely metabolized to ABA, AA, and PD in rat.

[Morphological analysis of alveolar bone of anterior mandible in high-angle skeletal class II and class III malocclusions assessed with cone-beam computed tomography].

PubMed

Ma, J; Jiang, J H

2018-02-18

To evaluate the difference of features of alveolar bone support under lower anterior teeth between high-angle adults with skeletal class II malocclusions and high-angle adults presenting skeletal class III malocclusions by using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Patients who had taken the images of CBCT were selected from the Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology between October 2015 and August 2017. The CBCT archives from 62 high-angle adult cases without orthodontic treatment were divided into two groups based on their sagittal jaw relationships: skeletal class II and skeletal class III. vertical bone level (VBL), alveolar bone area (ABA), and the width of alveolar bone were measured respectively at the 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm below the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) level and at the apical level. After that, independent samples t-tests were conducted for statistical comparisons. The ABA of the mandibular alveolar bone in the area of lower anterior teeth was significantly thinner in the patients of skeletal class III than those of skeletal class II, especially in terms of the apical ABA, total ABA on the labial and lingual sides and the ABA at 6 mm below CEJ level on the lingual side (P<0.05). The thickness of the alveolar bone of mandibular anterior teeth was significantly thinner in the subjects of skeletal class III than those of skeletal class II, especially regarding the apical level on the labial and lingual side and at the level of 4 mm, 6 mm below CEJ level on the lingual side (P<0.05). The ABA and the thickness of the alveolar bone of mandibular anterior teeth were significantly thinner in the group of skeletal class III adult patients with high-angle when compared with the sample of high-angle skeletal class II adult cases. We recommend orthodontists to be more cautious in treatment of high-angle skeletal class III patients, especially pay attention to control the torque of lower anterior teeth during forward and backward movement, in case that the apical root might be absorbed or fenestration happen in the area of lower anterior teeth.

Arabidopsis YAK1 regulates abscisic acid response and drought resistance.

PubMed

Kim, Dongjin; Ntui, Valentine Otang; Xiong, Liming

2016-07-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone that controls several plant processes such as seed germination, seedling growth, and abiotic stress response. Here, we report that AtYak1 plays an important role in ABA signaling and postgermination growth in Arabidopsis. AtYak1 knockout mutant plants were hyposensitive to ABA inhibition of seed germination, cotyledon greening, seedling growth, and stomatal movement. atyak1-1 mutant plants display reduced drought stress resistance, as evidenced by water loss rate and survival rate. Molecular genetic analysis revealed that AtYak1 deficiency led to elevated expression of stomatal-related gene, MYB60, and down-regulation of several stress-responsive genes. Altogether, these results indicate that AtYak1 plays a role as a positive regulator in ABA-mediated drought response in Arabidopsis. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Ecophysiological response to seasonal variations in water availability in the arborescent, endemic plant Vellozia gigantea.

PubMed

Morales, Melanie; Garcia, Queila S; Munné-Bosch, Sergi

2015-03-01

The physiological response of plants growing in their natural habitat is strongly determined by seasonal variations in environmental conditions and the interaction of abiotic and biotic stresses. Here, leaf water and nutrient contents, changes in cellular redox state and endogenous levels of stress-related phytohormones (abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid and jasmonates) were examined during the rainy and dry season in Vellozia gigantea, an endemic species growing at high elevations in the rupestrian fields of the Espinhaço Range in Brazil. Enhanced stomatal closure and increased ABA levels during the dry season were associated with an efficient control of leaf water content. Moreover, reductions in 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA) levels during the dry season were observed, while levels of other jasmonates, such as jasmonic acid and jasmonoyl-isoleucine, were not affected. Changes in ABA and OPDA levels correlated with endogenous concentrations of iron and silicon, hydrogen peroxide, and vitamin E, thus indicating complex interactions between water and nutrient contents, changes in cellular redox state and endogenous hormone concentrations. Results also suggested crosstalk between activation of mechanisms for drought stress tolerance (as mediated by ABA) and biotic stress resistance (mediated by jasmonates), in which vitamin E levels may serve as a control point. It is concluded that, aside from a tight ABA-associated regulation of stomatal closure during the dry season, crosstalk between activation of abiotic and biotic defences, and nutrient accumulation in leaves may be important modulators of plant stress responses in plants growing in their natural habitat. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

C2-domain abscisic acid-related proteins mediate the interaction of PYR/PYL/RCAR abscisic acid receptors with the plasma membrane and regulate abscisic acid sensitivity in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Lesia; Gonzalez-Guzman, Miguel; Diaz, Maira; Rodrigues, Americo; Izquierdo-Garcia, Ana C; Peirats-Llobet, Marta; Fernandez, Maria A; Antoni, Regina; Fernandez, Daniel; Marquez, Jose A; Mulet, Jose M; Albert, Armando; Rodriguez, Pedro L

2014-12-01

Membrane-delimited abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction plays a critical role in early ABA signaling, but the molecular mechanisms linking core signaling components to the plasma membrane are unclear. We show that transient calcium-dependent interactions of PYR/PYL ABA receptors with membranes are mediated through a 10-member family of C2-domain ABA-related (CAR) proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Specifically, we found that PYL4 interacted in an ABA-independent manner with CAR1 in both the plasma membrane and nucleus of plant cells. CAR1 belongs to a plant-specific gene family encoding CAR1 to CAR10 proteins, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation and coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that PYL4-CAR1 as well as other PYR/PYL-CAR pairs interacted in plant cells. The crystal structure of CAR4 was solved, which revealed that, in addition to a classical calcium-dependent lipid binding C2 domain, a specific CAR signature is likely responsible for the interaction with PYR/PYL receptors and their recruitment to phospholipid vesicles. This interaction is relevant for PYR/PYL function and ABA signaling, since different car triple mutants affected in CAR1, CAR4, CAR5, and CAR9 genes showed reduced sensitivity to ABA in seedling establishment and root growth assays. In summary, we identified PYR/PYL-interacting partners that mediate a transient Ca(2+)-dependent interaction with phospholipid vesicles, which affects PYR/PYL subcellular localization and positively regulates ABA signaling. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

C2-Domain Abscisic Acid-Related Proteins Mediate the Interaction of PYR/PYL/RCAR Abscisic Acid Receptors with the Plasma Membrane and Regulate Abscisic Acid Sensitivity in Arabidopsis[C][W

PubMed Central

Rodriguez, Lesia; Diaz, Maira; Rodrigues, Americo; Izquierdo-Garcia, Ana C.; Peirats-Llobet, Marta; Fernandez, Maria A.; Antoni, Regina; Fernandez, Daniel; Marquez, Jose A.; Mulet, Jose M.; Albert, Armando; Rodriguez, Pedro L.

2014-01-01

Membrane-delimited abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction plays a critical role in early ABA signaling, but the molecular mechanisms linking core signaling components to the plasma membrane are unclear. We show that transient calcium-dependent interactions of PYR/PYL ABA receptors with membranes are mediated through a 10-member family of C2-domain ABA-related (CAR) proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Specifically, we found that PYL4 interacted in an ABA-independent manner with CAR1 in both the plasma membrane and nucleus of plant cells. CAR1 belongs to a plant-specific gene family encoding CAR1 to CAR10 proteins, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation and coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that PYL4-CAR1 as well as other PYR/PYL-CAR pairs interacted in plant cells. The crystal structure of CAR4 was solved, which revealed that, in addition to a classical calcium-dependent lipid binding C2 domain, a specific CAR signature is likely responsible for the interaction with PYR/PYL receptors and their recruitment to phospholipid vesicles. This interaction is relevant for PYR/PYL function and ABA signaling, since different car triple mutants affected in CAR1, CAR4, CAR5, and CAR9 genes showed reduced sensitivity to ABA in seedling establishment and root growth assays. In summary, we identified PYR/PYL-interacting partners that mediate a transient Ca2+-dependent interaction with phospholipid vesicles, which affects PYR/PYL subcellular localization and positively regulates ABA signaling. PMID:25465408

The Occurrence of Apparent Bilateral Aldosterone Suppression in Adrenal Vein Sampling for Primary Aldosteronism

PubMed Central

Shibayama, Yui; Wada, Norio; Naruse, Mitsuhide; Kurihara, Isao; Ito, Hiroshi; Yoneda, Takashi; Takeda, Yoshiyu; Umakoshi, Hironobu; Tsuiki, Mika; Ichijo, Takamasa; Fukuda, Hisashi; Katabami, Takuyuki; Yoshimoto, Takanobu; Ogawa, Yoshihiro; Kawashima, Junji; Ohno, Yuichi; Sone, Masakatsu; Fujita, Megumi; Takahashi, Katsutoshi; Shibata, Hirotaka; Kamemura, Kohei; Fujii, Yuichi; Yamamoto, Koichi; Suzuki, Tomoko

2018-01-01

Abstract Context In adrenal venous sampling (AVS) for patients with primary aldosteronism (PA), apparent bilateral aldosterone suppression (ABAS), defined as lower aldosterone/cortisol ratios in the bilateral adrenal veins than that in the inferior vena cava, is occasionally experienced. ABAS is uninterpretable with respect to lateralization of excess aldosterone production. We previously reported that ABAS was not a rare phenomenon and was significantly reduced after adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) administration. Objective To validate the effects of ACTH administration and adding sampling positions in the left adrenal vein on the prevalence of ABAS in the larger Japan Primary Aldosteronism Study. Patients The data from 1689 patients with PA who underwent AVS between January 2006 and October 2016 were studied. All patients in the previous study, the West Japan Adrenal Vein Sampling study, were excluded. Outcome Measurements The prevalence of ABAS was investigated at two sampling positions in the left adrenal vein, the central vein and the common trunk, without and with ACTH administration. Results The prevalence of ABAS with ACTH administration was significantly lower than that without ACTH administration [without ACTH vs with ACTH: 79/440 (18.0%) vs 45/591 (7.6%); P < 0.001]. With ACTH administration, the prevalence of ABAS was not different between the sampling position, at the central vein and at the common trunk [33/591 (5.6%) vs 32/591 (5.4%); P = 1.00]. Conclusions The effectiveness of ACTH administration for the reduction of ABAS in AVS regardless of the sampling position in the left adrenal vein was confirmed in the larger cohort. PMID:29687091

Two MYB-related transcription factors play opposite roles in sugar signaling in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-Shih; Chao, Yi-Chi; Tseng, Tzu-Wei; Huang, Chun-Kai; Lo, Pei-Ching; Lu, Chung-An

2017-02-01

Sugar regulation of gene expression has profound effects at all stages of the plant life cycle. Although regulation at the transcriptional level is one of the most prominent mechanisms by which gene expression is regulated, only a few transcription factors have been identified and demonstrated to be involved in the regulation of sugar-regulated gene expression. OsMYBS1, an R1/2-type MYB transcription factor, has been demonstrated to be involved in sugar- and hormone-regulated α-amylase gene expression in rice. Arabidopsis contains two OsMYBS1 homologs. In the present study, we investigate MYBS1 and MYBS2 in sugar signaling in Arabidopsis. Our results indicate that MYBS1 and MYBS2 play opposite roles in regulating glucose and ABA signaling in Arabidopsis during seed germination and early seedling development. MYB proteins have been classified into four subfamilies: R2R3-MYB, R1/2-MYB, 3R-MYB, and 4R-MYB. An R1/2-type MYB transcription factor, OsMYBS1, has been demonstrated to be involved in sugar- and hormone-regulated α-amylase genes expression in rice. In this study, two genes homologous to OsMYBS1, MYBS1 and MYBS2, were investigated in Arabidopsis. Subcellular localization analysis showed that MYBS1 and MYBS2 were localized in the nucleus. Rice embryo transient expression assays indicated that both MYBS1 and MYBS2 could recognize the sugar response element, TA-box, in the promoter and induced promoter activity. mybs1 mutant exhibited hypersensitivity to glucose, whereas mybs2 seedlings were hyposensitive to it. MYBS1 and MYBS2 are involved in the control of glucose-responsive gene expression, as the mybs1 mutant displayed increased expression of a hexokinase gene (HXK1), chlorophyll a/b-binding protein gene (CAB1), ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene (APL3), and chalcone synthase gene (CHS), whereas the mybs2 mutant exhibited decreased expression of these genes. mybs1 also showed an enhanced response to abscisic acid (ABA) in the seed germination and seedling growth stages, while mybs2 showed reduced responses. The ABA biosynthesis inhibitor fluridone rescued the mybs1 glucose-hypersensitive phenotype. Moreover, the mRNA levels of three ABA biosynthesis genes, ABA1, NCED9, and AAO3, and three ABA signaling genes, ABI3, ABI4, and ABI5, were increased upon glucose treatment of mybs1 seedlings, but were decreased in mybs2 seedlings. These results indicate that MYBS1 and MYBS2 play opposite roles in regulating glucose and ABA signaling in Arabidopsis during seed germination and early seedling development.

Liming can decrease legume crop yield and leaf gas exchange by enhancing root to shoot ABA signalling

PubMed Central

Rothwell, Shane A.; Elphinstone, E. David; Dodd, Ian C.

2015-01-01

To meet future requirements for food production, sustainable intensive agricultural systems need to optimize nutrient availability to maximize yield, traditionally achieved by maintaining soil pH within an optimal range (6–6.5) by applying lime (calcium carbonate). However, a field trial that applied recommended liming rates to a sandy loam soil (increasing soil pH from 5.5 to 6.2) decreased pod yield of field bean (Vicia faba L. cv. Fuego) by ~30%. Subsequent pot trials, with liming that raised soil pH to 6.3–6.7, reduced stomatal conductance (g s) by 63, 26, and 59% in V. faba, bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and pea (Pisum sativum), respectively. Furthermore, liming reduced shoot dry biomass by 16–24% in these species. Ionomic analysis of root xylem sap and leaf tissue revealed a decrease in phosphorus concentration that was correlated with decreased g s: both reductions were partially reversed by adding superphosphate fertilizer. Further analysis of pea suggests that leaf gas exchange was reduced by a systemic increase (roots, xylem sap, and leaves) in the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) in response to lime-induced suboptimal plant phosphorus concentrations. Supplying synthetic ABA via the transpiration stream to detached pea leaves, at the same xylem sap concentrations induced by liming, decreased transpiration. Furthermore, the g s of the ABA-deficient mutant pea wilty was unresponsive to liming, apparently confirming that ABA mediates some responses to low phosphorus availability caused by liming. This research provides a detailed mechanistic understanding of the physiological processes by which lime application can limit crop yields, and questions the suitability of current liming recommendations. PMID:25740925

Synthesis, structural characterization and effect on human granulocyte intracellular cAMP levels of abscisic acid analogs.

PubMed

Bellotti, Marta; Salis, Annalisa; Grozio, Alessia; Damonte, Gianluca; Vigliarolo, Tiziana; Galatini, Andrea; Zocchi, Elena; Benatti, Umberto; Millo, Enrico

2015-01-01

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA), in addition to regulating physiological functions in plants, is also produced and released by several mammalian cell types, including human granulocytes, where it stimulates innate immune functions via an increase of the intracellular cAMP concentration ([cAMP]i). We synthesized several ABA analogs and evaluated the structure-activity relationship, by the systematical modification of selected regions of these analogs. The resulting molecules were tested for their ability to inhibit the ABA-induced increase of [cAMP]i in human granulocytes. The analogs with modified configurations at C-2' and C-3' abrogated the ABA-induced increase of the [cAMP]i and also inhibited several pro-inflammatory effects induced by exogenous ABA on granulocytes and monocytes. Accordingly, these analogs could be suitable as novel putative anti-inflammatory compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expression of PsGRP1, a novel glycine rich protein gene of Pisum sativum, is induced in developing fruit and seed and by ABA in pistil and root.

PubMed

Urbez, Cristina; Cercós, Manuel; Perez-Amador, Miguel A; Carbonell, Juan

2006-05-01

A novel glycine-rich protein gene, PsGRP1, has been identified in Pisum sativum L. Accumulation of PsGRP1 transcripts was observed in reproductive organs and vegetative tissues. They were localized in endocarp sclerenchyma during fruit development in cells that will lignify. PsGRP1 expression was also detected in senescent pistils and developing seeds and induced by ABA treatment in presenescent pistils. A raise in the expression was also observed in roots after treatment with ABA or mannitol but not under cold stress. A mannitol treatment induced a rise in ABA levels and fluridone treatment counteracted the mannitol induction of PsGRP1 expression. The results suggest a possible role for PsGRP1 in differentiation of the endocarp sclerenchyma and during seed development, pistil senescence and osmotic stress under ABA control.

Functional roles of the pepper RING finger protein gene, CaRING1, in abscisic acid signaling and dehydration tolerance.

PubMed

Lim, Chae Woo; Hwang, Byung Kook; Lee, Sung Chul

2015-09-01

Plants are constantly exposed to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses, which include pathogens and conditions of high salinity, low temperature, and drought. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a major plant hormone involved in signal transduction pathways that mediate the defense response of plants to abiotic stress. Previously, we isolated Ring finger protein gene (CaRING1) from pepper (Capsicum annuum), which is associated with resistance to bacterial pathogens, accompanied by hypersensitive cell death. Here, we report a new function of the CaRING1 gene product in the ABA-mediated defense responses of plants to dehydration stress. The expression of the CaRING1 gene was induced in pepper leaves treated with ABA or exposed to dehydration or NaCl. Virus-induced gene silencing of CaRING1 in pepper plants exhibited low degree of ABA-induced stomatal closure and high levels of transpirational water loss in dehydrated leaves. These led to be more vulnerable to dehydration stress in CaRING1-silenced pepper than in the control pepper, accompanied by reduction of ABA-regulated gene expression and low accumulation of ABA and H2O2. In contrast, CaRING1-overexpressing transgenic plants showed enhanced sensitivity to ABA during the seedling growth and establishment. These plants were also more tolerant to dehydration stress than the wild-type plants because of high ABA accumulation, enhanced stomatal closure and increased expression of stress-responsive genes. Together, these results suggest that the CaRING1 acts as positive factor for dehydration tolerance in Arabidopsis by modulating ABA biosynthesis and ABA-mediated stomatal closing and gene expression.

Patterns of auxin and abscisic acid movement in the tips of gravistimulated primary roots of maize

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, L. M.; Evans, M. L.

1996-01-01

Because both abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin (IAA) have been suggested as possible chemical mediators of differential growth during root gravitropism, we compared with redistribution of label from applied 3H-IAA and 3H-ABA during maize root gravitropism and examined the relative basipetal movement of 3H-IAA and 3H-ABA applied to the caps of vertical roots. Lateral movement of 3H-ABA across the tips of vertical roots was non-polar and about 2-fold greater than lateral movement of 3H-IAA (also non-polar). The greater movement of ABA was not due to enhanced uptake since the uptake of 3H-IAA was greater than that of 3H-ABA. Basipetal movement of label from 3H-IAA or 3H-ABA applied to the root cap was determined by measuring radioactivity in successive 1 mm sections behind the tip 90 minutes after application. ABA remained largely in the first mm (point of application) whereas IAA was concentrated in the region 2-4 mm from the tip with substantial levels found 7-8 mm from the tip. Pretreatment with inhibitors of polar auxin transport decreased both gravicurvature and the basipetal movement of IAA. When roots were placed horizontally, the movement of 3H-IAA from top to bottom across the cap was enhanced relative to movement from bottom to top whereas the pattern of movement of label from 3H-ABA was unaffected. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that IAA plays a role in root gravitropism but contrary to the idea that gravi-induced asymmetric distribution of ABA contributes to the response.

Strigolactone Levels in Dicot Roots Are Determined by an Ancestral Symbiosis-Regulated Clade of the PHYTOENE SYNTHASE Gene Family

PubMed Central

Stauder, Ron; Welsch, Ralf; Camagna, Maurizio; Kohlen, Wouter; Balcke, Gerd U.; Tissier, Alain; Walter, Michael H.

2018-01-01

Strigolactones (SLs) are apocarotenoid phytohormones synthesized from carotenoid precursors. They are produced most abundantly in roots for exudation into the rhizosphere to cope with mineral nutrient starvation through support of root symbionts. Abscisic acid (ABA) is another apocarotenoid phytohormone synthesized in roots, which is involved in responses to abiotic stress. Typically low carotenoid levels in roots raise the issue of precursor supply for the biosynthesis of these two apocarotenoids in this organ. Increased ABA levels upon abiotic stress in Poaceae roots are known to be supported by a particular isoform of phytoene synthase (PSY), catalyzing the rate-limiting step in carotenogenesis. Here we report on novel PSY3 isogenes from Medicago truncatula (MtPSY3) and Solanum lycopersicum (SlPSY3) strongly expressed exclusively upon root interaction with symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and moderately in response to phosphate starvation. They belong to a widespread clade of conserved PSYs restricted to dicots (dPSY3) distinct from the Poaceae-PSY3s involved in ABA formation. An ancient origin of dPSY3s and a potential co-evolution with the AM symbiosis is discussed in the context of PSY evolution. Knockdown of MtPSY3 in hairy roots of M. truncatula strongly reduced SL and AM-induced C13 α-ionol/C14 mycorradicin apocarotenoids. Inhibition of the reaction subsequent to phytoene synthesis revealed strongly elevated levels of phytoene indicating induced flux through the carotenoid pathway in roots upon mycorrhization. dPSY3 isogenes are coregulated with upstream isogenes and downstream carotenoid cleavage steps toward SLs (D27, CCD7, CCD8) suggesting a combined carotenoid/apocarotenoid pathway, which provides “just in time”-delivery of precursors for apocarotenoid formation. PMID:29545815

Alleviation of Osmotic Stress Effects by Exogenous Application of Salicylic or Abscisic Acid on Wheat Seedlings

PubMed Central

Marcińska, Izabela; Czyczyło-Mysza, Ilona; Skrzypek, Edyta; Grzesiak, Maciej T.; Janowiak, Franciszek; Filek, Maria; Dziurka, Michał; Dziurka, Kinga; Waligórski, Piotr; Juzoń, Katarzyna; Cyganek, Katarzyna; Grzesiak, Stanisław

2013-01-01

The aim of the study was to assess the role of salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in osmotic stress tolerance of wheat seedlings. This was accomplished by determining the impact of the acids applied exogenously on seedlings grown under osmotic stress in hydroponics. The investigation was unique in its comprehensiveness, examining changes under osmotic stress and other conditions, and testing a number of parameters simultaneously. In both drought susceptible (SQ1) and drought resistant (CS) wheat cultivars, significant physiological and biochemical changes were observed upon the addition of SA (0.05 mM) or ABA (0.1 μM) to solutions containing half-strength Hoagland medium and PEG 6000 (−0.75 MPa). The most noticeable result of supplementing SA or ABA to the medium (PEG + SA and PEG + ABA) was a decrease in the length of leaves and roots in both cultivars. While PEG treatment reduced gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll content in CS, and osmotic potential, and conversely, increased lipid peroxidation, soluble carbohydrates in SQ1, proline content in both cultivars and total antioxidants activity in SQ1, PEG + SA or PEG + ABA did not change the values of these parameters. Furthermore, PEG caused a two-fold increase of endogenous ABA content in SQ1 and a four-fold increase in CS. PEG + ABA increased endogenous ABA only in SQ1, whereas PEG + SA caused a greater increase of ABA content in both cultivars compared to PEG. In PEG-treated plants growing until the harvest, a greater decrease of yield components was observed in SQ1 than in CS. PEG + SA, and particularly PEG + ABA, caused a greater increase of these yield parameters in CS compared to SQ1. In conclusion, SA and ABA ameliorate, particularly in the tolerant wheat cultivar, the harmful effects and after effects of osmotic stress induced by PEG in hydroponics through better osmotic adjustment achieved by an increase in proline and carbohydrate content as well as by an increase in antioxidant activity. PMID:23803653

Implications of leaf ontogeny on drought-induced gradients of CAM expression and ABA levels in rosettes of the epiphytic tank bromeliad Guzmania monostachia.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Maria Aurineide; Hamachi, Leonardo; Mioto, Paulo Tamaso; Purgatto, Eduardo; Mercier, Helenice

2016-11-01

Guzmania monostachia is an epiphytic heteroblastic bromeliad that exhibits rosette leaves forming water-holding tanks at maturity. Different portions along its leaf blades can display variable degrees of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) up-regulation under drought. Since abscisic acid (ABA) can act as an important long-distance signal, we conducted a joint investigation of ontogenetic and drought impacts on CAM intensity and ABA levels in different leaf groups within the G. monostachia rosette. For this, three groups of leaves were analysed according to their position within the mature-tank rosette (i.e., younger, intermediate, and older leaves) to characterize the general growth patterns and magnitude of drought-modulated CAM expression. CAM activity was evaluated by analysing key molecules in the biochemical machinery of this photosynthetic pathway, while endogenous ABA content was comparatively measured in different portions of each leaf group after seven days under well-watered (control) or drought treatment. The results revealed that G. monostachia shows more uniform morphological characteristics along the leaves when in the atmospheric stage. The drought treatment of mature-tank rosettes generally induced in older leaves a more severe water loss, followed by the lowest CAM activity and a higher increase in ABA levels, while younger leaves showed an opposite response. Therefore, leaf groups at distinct ontogenetic stages within the tank rosette of G. monostachia responded to drought with variable degrees of water loss and CAM expression. ABA seems to participate in this tissue-compartmented response as a long-distance signalling molecule, transmitting the drought-induced signals originated in older leaves towards the younger ones. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Proteomic analysis reveals differential accumulation of small heat shock proteins and late embryogenesis abundant proteins between ABA-deficient mutant vp5 seeds and wild-type Vp5 seeds in maize

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiaolin; Gong, Fangping; Yang, Le; Hu, Xiuli; Tai, Fuju; Wang, Wei

2014-01-01

ABA is a major plant hormone that plays important roles during many phases of plant life cycle, including seed development, maturity and dormancy, and especially the acquisition of desiccation tolerance. Understanding of the molecular basis of ABA-mediated plant response to stress is of interest not only in basic research on plant adaptation but also in applied research on plant productivity. Maize mutant viviparous-5 (vp5), deficient in ABA biosynthesis in seeds, is a useful material for studying ABA-mediated response in maize. Due to carotenoid deficiency, vp5 endosperm is white, compared to yellow Vp5 endosperm. However, the background difference at proteome level between vp5 and Vp5 seeds is unclear. This study aimed to characterize proteome alterations of maize vp5 seeds and to identify ABA-dependent proteins during seed maturation. We compared the embryo and endosperm proteomes of vp5 and Vp5 seeds by gel-based proteomics. Up to 46 protein spots, most in embryos, were found to be differentially accumulated between vp5 and Vp5. The identified proteins included small heat shock proteins (sHSPs), late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, stress proteins, storage proteins and enzymes among others. However, EMB564, the most abundant LEA protein in maize embryo, accumulated in comparable levels between vp5 and Vp5 embryos, which contrasted to previously characterized, greatly lowered expression of emb564 mRNA in vp5 embryos. Moreover, LEA proteins and sHSPs displayed differential accumulations in vp5 embryos: six out of eight identified LEA proteins decreased while nine sHSPs increased in abundance. Finally, we discussed the possible causes of global proteome alterations, especially the observed differential accumulation of identified LEA proteins and sHSPs in vp5 embryos. The data derived from this study provides new insight into ABA-dependent proteins and ABA-mediated response during maize seed maturation. PMID:25653661

Role of Abscisic Acid in the Induction of Freezing Tolerance in Brassica napus Suspension-Cultured Cells 1

PubMed Central

Johnson-Flanagan, Anne M.; Huiwen, Zhong; Thiagarajah, Mohan R.; Saini, Hargurdeep S.

1991-01-01

Brassica napus suspension-cultured cells could be hardened in 6 days at 25°C by the addition of mefluidide or ABA to the culture medium. Cells treated with mefluidide (10 milligrams per liter) or ABA (50 micromolar) attained an LT50 of −17.5°C or −18°C, respectively, while the LT50 for the comparable nonhardened control (sucrose) was −10°C. The increased freezing tolerance of mefluidide-treated cells was paralleled by a 4- to 23-fold increase in ABA, as measured by gas-liquid chromatography using electron capture detection. Application of 1 milligram per liter of fluridone, an inhibitor of abscisic acid biosynthesis, prevented the mefluidide-induced increase in freezing tolerance and the accumulation of ABA. Both these inhibitory effects of fluridone were overridden by 50 micromolar ABA in the culture medium. On the basis of these results, we concluded that increased ABA levels are important for the induction of freezing tolerance in suspension-cultured cells. PMID:16668089

Idiotypic properties of the murine anti-arsonate antibody response: B- and T-cell influences.

PubMed

Conger, J D; Lewis, G K; Goodman, J W

1985-10-01

In a previous report characterizing the arsonate (ABA)-specific plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses of A/J mice induced by ABA-KLH, two interesting characteristics of the idiotypic (Id) profile were noted: (1) an apparent Id selectivity in the isotype switch since the earliest appearing IgG PFC in the primary response were significantly more "cross-reactive Id" (CRI)-dominant than the IgM PFC population, and, (2) a temporal waning of CRI dominance with time among IgG PFC, from 75-100% CRI+ PFC to about 25-45% CRI+ PFC in secondary responses. Experiments were performed to determine whether these effects are largely attributable to T or to B cells. Mice were immunized with a T-independent (TI) form of ABA (ABA-Brucella abortus) and apparent Id selectivity was observed; the earliest IgG PFC averaged 75% CRI+ while IgM PFC were only 39% CRI+. Due to the TI nature of the Ag, this provides suggestive, but not conclusive, evidence that the Id asymmetry in the isotype switch may be attributable to the direct interaction of Ag with B cells. Other studies addressed the temporal shift in CRI dominance. First, it was found that preexposure of mice to either KLH or to ABA (on an irrelevant carrier) resulted in diminished CRI dominance in subsequent "primary" responses to ABA-KLH. Secondly, adoptive transfer experiments with B and T cells from virgin mice (Bv, Tv) or ABA-KLH-primed mice (Bp, Tp) showed that recipients of Bv + Tp or Bp + Tv generated anti-ABA PFC responses with intermediate CRI levels. The Tv cells had some preferential tendency to activate CRI+ clones in the Bp population. The results demonstrate that CRI levels are jointly determined by the immune status of both B and T cells. A simple model is offered which accounts for early Id dominance and its gradual decline and has as its central postulate the assumption that CRI+ B cells in the virgin ABA-specific repertoire have an affinity advantage over CRI- clones.

Transcriptome profiling of postharvest strawberry fruit in response to exogenous auxin and abscisic acid.

PubMed

Chen, Jingxin; Mao, Linchun; Lu, Wenjing; Ying, Tiejin; Luo, Zisheng

2016-01-01

Auxin and abscisic acid regulate strawberry fruit ripening and senescence through cross-talk of their signal transduction pathways that further modulate the structural genes related to physico-chemical properties of fruit. The physiological and transcriptomic changes in harvested strawberry fruits in responses to IAA, ABA and their combination were analyzed. Exogenous IAA delayed the ripening process of strawberries after harvest while ABA promoted the postharvest ripening. However, treatment with a combination of IAA and ABA did not slow down nor accelerate the postharvest ripening in the strawberry fruits. At the molecular level, exogenous IAA up regulated the expressions of genes related to IAA signaling, including AUX/IAA, ARF, TOPLESS and genes encoding E3 ubiquitin protein ligase and annexin, and down regulated genes related to pectin depolymerization, cell wall degradation, sucrose and anthocyanin biosyntheses. In contrast, exogenous ABA induced genes related to fruit softening, and genes involved in signaling pathways including SKP1, HSPs, CK2, and SRG1. Comparison of transcriptomes in responses to individual treatments with IAA or ABA or the combination revealed that there were cooperative and antagonistic actions between IAA and ABA in fruit. However, 17% of the differentially expressed unigenes in response to the combination of IAA and ABA were unique and were not found in those unigenes responding to either IAA or ABA alone. The analyses also found that receptor-like kinases and ubiquitin ligases responded to both IAA and ABA, which seemed to play a pivotal role in both hormones' signaling pathways and thus might be the cross-talk points of both hormones.

A role for intestinal TLR4-driven inflammatory response during activity-based anorexia

PubMed Central

Belmonte, Liliana; Achamrah, Najate; Nobis, Séverine; Guérin, Charlène; Riou, Gaëtan; Bôle-Feysot, Christine; Boyer, Olivier; Richard, Vincent; Rego, Jean Claude Do; Déchelotte, Pierre; Goichon, Alexis; Coëffier, Moïse

2016-01-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation and altered gut microbiota. However, the molecular origin of the inflammation remains unknown. Toll-like receptors are key regulators of innate immune response and their activation seems also to be involved in the control of food intake. We used activity-based anorexia (ABA) model to investigate the role of TLR4 and its contribution in anorexia-associated low-grade inflammation. Here, we found that ABA affected early the intestinal inflammatory status and the hypothalamic response. Indeed, TLR4 was upregulated both on colonic epithelial cells and intestinal macrophages, leading to elevated downstream mucosal cytokine production. These mucosal changes occurred earlier than hypothalamic changes driving to increased levels of IL-1β and IL-1R1 as well as increased levels of plasma corticosterone. Paradoxically, TLR4-deficient mice exhibited greater vulnerability to ABA with increased mortality rate, suggesting a major contribution of TLR4-mediated responses during ABA-induced weight loss. PMID:27779218

A role for intestinal TLR4-driven inflammatory response during activity-based anorexia.

PubMed

Belmonte, Liliana; Achamrah, Najate; Nobis, Séverine; Guérin, Charlène; Riou, Gaëtan; Bôle-Feysot, Christine; Boyer, Olivier; Richard, Vincent; Rego, Jean Claude Do; Déchelotte, Pierre; Goichon, Alexis; Coëffier, Moïse

2016-10-25

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation and altered gut microbiota. However, the molecular origin of the inflammation remains unknown. Toll-like receptors are key regulators of innate immune response and their activation seems also to be involved in the control of food intake. We used activity-based anorexia (ABA) model to investigate the role of TLR4 and its contribution in anorexia-associated low-grade inflammation. Here, we found that ABA affected early the intestinal inflammatory status and the hypothalamic response. Indeed, TLR4 was upregulated both on colonic epithelial cells and intestinal macrophages, leading to elevated downstream mucosal cytokine production. These mucosal changes occurred earlier than hypothalamic changes driving to increased levels of IL-1β and IL-1R1 as well as increased levels of plasma corticosterone. Paradoxically, TLR4-deficient mice exhibited greater vulnerability to ABA with increased mortality rate, suggesting a major contribution of TLR4-mediated responses during ABA-induced weight loss.

Abscisic Acid Is a Major Regulator of Grape Berry Ripening Onset: New Insights into ABA Signaling Network

PubMed Central

Pilati, Stefania; Bagagli, Giorgia; Sonego, Paolo; Moretto, Marco; Brazzale, Daniele; Castorina, Giulia; Simoni, Laura; Tonelli, Chiara; Guella, Graziano; Engelen, Kristof; Galbiati, Massimo; Moser, Claudio

2017-01-01

Grapevine is a world-wide cultivated economically relevant crop. The process of berry ripening is non-climacteric and does not rely on the sole ethylene signal. Abscisic acid (ABA) is recognized as an important hormone of ripening inception and color development in ripening berries. In order to elucidate the effect of this signal at the molecular level, pre-véraison berries were treated ex vivo for 20 h with 0.2 mM ABA and berry skin transcriptional modulation was studied by RNA-seq after the treatment and 24 h later, in the absence of exogenous ABA. This study highlighted that a small amount of ABA triggered its own biosynthesis and had a transcriptome-wide effect (1893 modulated genes) characterized by the amplification of the transcriptional response over time. By comparing this dataset with the many studies on ripening collected within the grapevine transcriptomic compendium Vespucci, an extended overlap between ABA- and ripening modulated gene sets was observed (71% of the genes), underpinning the role of this hormone in the regulation of berry ripening. The signaling network of ABA, encompassing ABA metabolism, transport and signaling cascade, has been analyzed in detail and expanded based on knowledge from other species in order to provide an integrated molecular description of this pathway at berry ripening onset. Expression data analysis was combined with in silico promoter analysis to identify candidate target genes of ABA responsive element binding protein 2 (VvABF2), a key upstream transcription factor of the ABA signaling cascade which is up-regulated at véraison and also by ABA treatments. Two transcription factors, VvMYB143 and VvNAC17, and two genes involved in protein degradation, Armadillo-like and Xerico-like genes, were selected for in vivo validation by VvABF2-mediated promoter trans-activation in tobacco. VvNAC17 and Armadillo-like promoters were induced by ABA via VvABF2, while VvMYB143 responded to ABA in a VvABF2-independent manner. This knowledge of the ABA cascade in berry skin contributes not only to the understanding of berry ripening regulation but might be useful to other areas of viticultural interest, such as bud dormancy regulation and drought stress tolerance. PMID:28680438

Atlas-based segmentation in breast cancer radiotherapy: Evaluation of specific and generic-purpose atlases.

PubMed

Ciardo, Delia; Gerardi, Marianna Alessandra; Vigorito, Sabrina; Morra, Anna; Dell'acqua, Veronica; Diaz, Federico Javier; Cattani, Federica; Zaffino, Paolo; Ricotti, Rosalinda; Spadea, Maria Francesca; Riboldi, Marco; Orecchia, Roberto; Baroni, Guido; Leonardi, Maria Cristina; Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara Alicja

2017-04-01

Atlas-based automatic segmentation (ABAS) addresses the challenges of accuracy and reliability in manual segmentation. We aim to evaluate the contribution of specific-purpose in ABAS of breast cancer (BC) patients with respect to generic-purpose libraries. One generic-purpose and 9 specific-purpose libraries, stratified according to type of surgery and size of thorax circumference, were obtained from the computed tomography of 200 BC patients. Keywords about contralateral breast volume and presence of breast expander/prostheses were recorded. ABAS was validated on 47 independent patients, considering manual segmentation from scratch as reference. Five ABAS datasets were obtained, testing single-ABAS and multi-ABAS with simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE). Center of mass distance (CMD), average Hausdorff distance (AHD) and Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) between corresponding ABAS and manual structures were evaluated and statistically significant differences between different surgeries, structures and ABAS strategies were investigated. Statistically significant differences between patients who underwent different surgery were found, with superior results for conservative-surgery group, and between different structures were observed: ABAS of heart, lungs, kidneys and liver was satisfactory (median values: CMD<2 mm, DSC≥0.80, AHD<1.5 mm), whereas chest wall, breast and spinal cord obtained moderate performance (median values: 2 mm ≤ CMD<5 mm, 0.60 ≤ DSC<0.80, 1.5 mm ≤ AHD<4 mm) and esophagus, stomach, brachial plexus and supraclavicular nodes obtained poor performance (median CMD≥5 mm, DSC<0.60, AHD≥4 mm). The application of STAPLE algorithm generally yields higher performance and the use of keywords improves results for breast ABAS. The homogeneity in the selection of atlases based on multiple anatomical and clinical features and the use of specific-purpose libraries can improve ABAS performance with respect to generic-purpose libraries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A mechanism of growth inhibition by abscisic acid in germinating seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana based on inhibition of plasma membrane H+-ATPase and decreased cytosolic pH, K+, and anions.

PubMed

Planes, María D; Niñoles, Regina; Rubio, Lourdes; Bissoli, Gaetano; Bueso, Eduardo; García-Sánchez, María J; Alejandro, Santiago; Gonzalez-Guzmán, Miguel; Hedrich, Rainer; Rodriguez, Pedro L; Fernández, José A; Serrano, Ramón

2015-02-01

The stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) induces expression of defence genes in many organs, modulates ion homeostasis and metabolism in guard cells, and inhibits germination and seedling growth. Concerning the latter effect, several mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana with improved capability for H(+) efflux (wat1-1D, overexpression of AKT1 and ost2-1D) are less sensitive to inhibition by ABA than the wild type. This suggested that ABA could inhibit H(+) efflux (H(+)-ATPase) and induce cytosolic acidification as a mechanism of growth inhibition. Measurements to test this hypothesis could not be done in germinating seeds and we used roots as the most convenient system. ABA inhibited the root plasma-membrane H(+)-ATPase measured in vitro (ATP hydrolysis by isolated vesicles) and in vivo (H(+) efflux from seedling roots). This inhibition involved the core ABA signalling elements: PYR/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors, ABA-inhibited protein phosphatases (HAB1), and ABA-activated protein kinases (SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3). Electrophysiological measurements in root epidermal cells indicated that ABA, acting through the PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors, induced membrane hyperpolarization (due to K(+) efflux through the GORK channel) and cytosolic acidification. This acidification was not observed in the wat1-1D mutant. The mechanism of inhibition of the H(+)-ATPase by ABA and its effects on cytosolic pH and membrane potential in roots were different from those in guard cells. ABA did not affect the in vivo phosphorylation level of the known activating site (penultimate threonine) of H(+)-ATPase in roots, and SnRK2.2 phosphorylated in vitro the C-terminal regulatory domain of H(+)-ATPase while the guard-cell kinase SnRK2.6/OST1 did not. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Modulation of organic acids and sugar content in tomato fruits by an abscisic acid-regulated transcription factor.

PubMed

Bastías, Adriana; López-Climent, María; Valcárcel, Mercedes; Rosello, Salvador; Gómez-Cadenas, Aurelio; Casaretto, José A

2011-03-01

Growing evidence suggests that the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a role in fruit development. ABA signaling components of developmental programs and responses to stress conditions include the group of basic leucine zipper transcriptional activators known as ABA-response element binding factors (AREBs/ABFs). AREB transcription factors mediate ABA-regulated gene expression involved in desiccation tolerance and are expressed mainly in seeds and in vegetative tissues under stress; however, they are also expressed in some fruits such as tomato. In order to get an insight into the role of ABA signaling in fruit development, the expression of two AREB-like factors were investigated during different developmental stages. In addition, tomato transgenic lines that overexpress and downregulate one AREB-like transcription factor, SlAREB1, were used to determine its effect on the levels of some metabolites determining fruit quality. Higher levels of citric acid, malic acid, glutamic acid, glucose and fructose were observed in SlAREB1-overexpressing lines compared with those in antisense suppression lines in red mature fruit pericarp. The higher hexose concentration correlated with increased expression of genes encoding a vacuolar invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) and a sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13). No significant changes were found in ethylene content which agrees with the normal ripening phenotype observed in transgenic fruits. These results suggest that an AREB-mediated ABA signal affects the metabolism of these compounds during the fruit developmental program. Copyright © Physiologia Plantarum 2010.

The Arabidopsis aba4-1 mutant reveals a specific function for neoxanthin in protection against photooxidative stress.

PubMed

Dall'Osto, Luca; Cazzaniga, Stefano; North, Helen; Marion-Poll, Annie; Bassi, Roberto

2007-03-01

The aba4-1 mutant completely lacks neoxanthin but retains all other xanthophyll species. The missing neoxanthin in light-harvesting complex (Lhc) proteins is compensated for by higher levels of violaxanthin, albeit with lower capacity for photoprotection compared with proteins with wild-type levels of neoxanthin. Detached leaves of aba4-1 were more sensitive to oxidative stress than the wild type when exposed to high light and incubated in a solution of photosensitizer agents. Both treatments caused more rapid pigment bleaching and lipid oxidation in aba4-1 than wild-type plants, suggesting that neoxanthin acts as an antioxidant within the photosystem II (PSII) supercomplex in thylakoids. While neoxanthin-depleted Lhc proteins and leaves had similar sensitivity as the wild type to hydrogen peroxide and singlet oxygen, they were more sensitive to superoxide anions. aba4-1 intact plants were not more sensitive than the wild type to high-light stress, indicating the existence of compensatory mechanisms of photoprotection involving the accumulation of zeaxanthin. However, the aba4-1 npq1 double mutant, lacking zeaxanthin and neoxanthin, underwent stronger PSII photoinhibition and more extensive oxidation of pigments than the npq1 mutant, which still contains neoxanthin. We conclude that neoxanthin preserves PSII from photoinactivation and protects membrane lipids from photooxidation by reactive oxygen species. Neoxanthin appears particularly active against superoxide anions produced by the Mehler's reaction, whose rate is known to be enhanced in abiotic stress conditions.

The Arabidopsis aba4-1 Mutant Reveals a Specific Function for Neoxanthin in Protection against Photooxidative Stress[W

PubMed Central

Dall'Osto, Luca; Cazzaniga, Stefano; North, Helen; Marion-Poll, Annie; Bassi, Roberto

2007-01-01

The aba4-1 mutant completely lacks neoxanthin but retains all other xanthophyll species. The missing neoxanthin in light-harvesting complex (Lhc) proteins is compensated for by higher levels of violaxanthin, albeit with lower capacity for photoprotection compared with proteins with wild-type levels of neoxanthin. Detached leaves of aba4-1 were more sensitive to oxidative stress than the wild type when exposed to high light and incubated in a solution of photosensitizer agents. Both treatments caused more rapid pigment bleaching and lipid oxidation in aba4-1 than wild-type plants, suggesting that neoxanthin acts as an antioxidant within the photosystem II (PSII) supercomplex in thylakoids. While neoxanthin-depleted Lhc proteins and leaves had similar sensitivity as the wild type to hydrogen peroxide and singlet oxygen, they were more sensitive to superoxide anions. aba4-1 intact plants were not more sensitive than the wild type to high-light stress, indicating the existence of compensatory mechanisms of photoprotection involving the accumulation of zeaxanthin. However, the aba4-1 npq1 double mutant, lacking zeaxanthin and neoxanthin, underwent stronger PSII photoinhibition and more extensive oxidation of pigments than the npq1 mutant, which still contains neoxanthin. We conclude that neoxanthin preserves PSII from photoinactivation and protects membrane lipids from photooxidation by reactive oxygen species. Neoxanthin appears particularly active against superoxide anions produced by the Mehler's reaction, whose rate is known to be enhanced in abiotic stress conditions. PMID:17351115

Melatonin enhances cold tolerance in drought-primed wild-type and abscisic acid-deficient mutant barley.

PubMed

Li, Xiangnan; Tan, Dun-Xian; Jiang, Dong; Liu, Fulai

2016-10-01

Melatonin is involved in multiple plant developmental processes and various stress responses. To explore the roles of melatonin played as well as its association with abscisic acid (ABA) in a process of drought priming-induced cold tolerance (DPICT), a wild-type barley and its ABA-deficient mutant Az34 counterpart were selected for comparison, in which the effects of melatonin application (either foliarly or rhizospherically) and/or drought priming on the cold tolerance of both types of barleys were systematically investigated. It was demonstrated that the early drought priming induced an increase of endogenous melatonin production, which is not ABA dependent. In addition, exogenously applied melatonin resulted in higher ABA concentration in the drought-primed plants than in the nonprimed plants when exposed to cold stress, indicating that ABA responded in a drought-dependent manner. The interplay of melatonin and ABA leads to plants maintaining better water status. Drought priming-induced melatonin accumulation enhanced the antioxidant capacity in both chloroplasts and mitochondria, which sustained the photosynthetic electron transport in photosynthetic apparatus of the plants under cold stress. These results suggest that the exogenous melatonin application enhances the DPICT by modulating subcellular antioxidant systems and ABA levels in barley. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of bisphenol A, an environmental endocrine disruptor, on the endogenous hormones of plants.

PubMed

Wang, Shengman; Wang, Lihong; Hua, Weiqi; Zhou, Min; Wang, Qingqing; Zhou, Qing; Huang, Xiaohua

2015-11-01

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemical in the environment that exerts potential harm to plants. Phytohormones play important roles both in regulating multiple aspects of plant growth and in plants' responses to environmental stresses. But how BPA affects plant growth by regulating endogenous hormones remains poorly understood. Here, we found that treatment with 1.5 mg L(-1) BPA improved the growth of soybean seedlings, companied by increases in the contents of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and zeatin (ZT), and decreases in the ratios of abscisic acid (ABA)/IAA, ABA/gibberellic acid (GA), ABA/ZT, ethylene (ETH)/GA, ETH/IAA, and ETH/ZT. Treatment with higher concentrations of BPA (from 3 to 96 mg L(-1)) inhibited the growth of soybean seedlings, meanwhile, decreased the contents of IAA, GA, ZT, and ETH, and increased the content of ABA and the ratios of ABA/IAA, ABA/GA, ABA/ZT, ETH/GA, ETH/IAA, and ETH/ZT. The increases in the ratios of growth and stress hormones were correlated with the increase in the BPA content of the roots. Thus, BPA could affect plant growth through changing the levels of single endogenous hormone and the ratios of growth and stress hormones in the roots because of BPA absorption by the roots.

Assessment of burnout among health workers and bankers in Aba south local government area, Abia state, South East Nigeria.

PubMed

Aguwa, E N; Nduka, I; Arinze-Onyia, S U

2014-01-01

To determine the prevalence of burnout among health workers and bankers in Aba South Local Government Area in Abia State. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out in 2013 among health workers and bankers in Aba metropolis. By multistage sampling method, proportionate number of the health workers and bankers were selected. The study instrument was Freudenberger Burnout Scale. A total of 327 health workers and bankers were studied: 253 (77.4%) were health workers while 74 (22.6%) were bankers. The age range was 21 to 59 years, and 229 (70.0%) were females. Most (48.3%) had worked for 5 years or less and had burnout scores within 0-25. There was significant difference between gender ( P = 0.017), level of education ( P = 0.038), and type of occupation ( P = 0.002) to burnout score. Age ( P = 0.956), marital status ( P = 0.461), and years of work ( P = 0.247) did not significantly affect burnout score. Female health workers were significantly more at risk of burning out compared to their male counterparts. Among bankers, however, though females were more at risk, this was not significant. Sex, level of education and type of work were the greatest contributors to burnout score. The prevalence of burnout risk among health workers and bankers is high. More female health workers are at risk of burnout than male health workers. There should be policies aimed at identifying those most at risk and reducing the prevalence.

Identification of Open Stomata1-Interacting Proteins Reveals Interactions with Sucrose Non-fermenting1-Related Protein Kinases2 and with Type 2A Protein Phosphatases That Function in Abscisic Acid Responses1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Waadt, Rainer; Manalansan, Bianca; Rauniyar, Navin; Munemasa, Shintaro; Booker, Matthew A.; Brandt, Benjamin; Waadt, Christian; Nusinow, Dmitri A.; Kay, Steve A.; Kunz, Hans-Henning; Schumacher, Karin; DeLong, Alison; Yates, John R.; Schroeder, Julian I.

2015-01-01

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) controls growth and development and regulates plant water status through an established signaling pathway. In the presence of ABA, pyrabactin resistance/regulatory component of ABA receptor proteins inhibit type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs). This, in turn, enables the activation of Sucrose Nonfermenting1-Related Protein Kinases2 (SnRK2). Open Stomata1 (OST1)/SnRK2.6/SRK2E is a major SnRK2-type protein kinase responsible for mediating ABA responses. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) expressing an epitope-tagged OST1 in the recessive ost1-3 mutant background was used for the copurification and identification of OST1-interacting proteins after osmotic stress and ABA treatments. These analyses, which were confirmed using bimolecular fluorescence complementation and coimmunoprecipitation, unexpectedly revealed homo- and heteromerization of OST1 with SnRK2.2, SnRK2.3, OST1, and SnRK2.8. Furthermore, several OST1-complexed proteins were identified as type 2A protein phosphatase (PP2A) subunits and as proteins involved in lipid and galactolipid metabolism. More detailed analyses suggested an interaction network between ABA-activated SnRK2-type protein kinases and several PP2A-type protein phosphatase regulatory subunits. pp2a double mutants exhibited a reduced sensitivity to ABA during seed germination and stomatal closure and an enhanced ABA sensitivity in root growth regulation. These analyses add PP2A-type protein phosphatases as another class of protein phosphatases to the interaction network of SnRK2-type protein kinases. PMID:26175513

Identification of Open Stomata1-Interacting Proteins Reveals Interactions with Sucrose Non-fermenting1-Related Protein Kinases2 and with Type 2A Protein Phosphatases That Function in Abscisic Acid Responses

DOE PAGES

Waadt, Rainer; Manalansan, Bianca; Rauniyar, Navin; ...

2015-09-04

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) controls growth and development and regulates plant water status through an established signaling pathway. In the presence of ABA, pyrabactin resistance/regulatory component of ABA receptor proteins inhibit type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs). This, in turn, enables the activation of Sucrose Nonfermenting1-Related Protein Kinases2 (SnRK2). Open Stomata1 (OST1)/SnRK2.6/SRK2E is a major SnRK2-type protein kinase responsible for mediating ABA responses. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) expressing an epitope-tagged OST1 in the recessive ost1-3 mutant background was used for the copurification and identification of OST1-interacting proteins after osmotic stress and ABA treatments. Furthemore, these analyses, which were confirmed usingmore » bimolecular fluorescence complementation and coimmunoprecipitation, unexpectedly revealed homo- and heteromerization of OST1 with SnRK2.2, SnRK2.3, OST1, and SnRK2.8. Furthermore, several OST1-complexed proteins were identified as type 2A protein phosphatase (PP2A) subunits and as proteins involved in lipid and galactolipid metabolism. More detailed analyses suggested an interaction network between ABA-activated SnRK2-type protein kinases and several PP2A-type protein phosphatase regulatory subunits. pp2a double mutants exhibited a reduced sensitivity to ABA during seed germination and stomatal closure and an enhanced ABA sensitivity in root growth regulation. Our analyses add PP2A-type protein phosphatases as another class of protein phosphatases to the interaction network of SnRK2-type protein kinases.« less

Differences in Copper Absorption and Accumulation between Copper-Exclusion and Copper-Enrichment Plants: A Comparison of Structure and Physiological Responses

PubMed Central

Fu, Lei; Chen, Chen; Wang, Bin; Zhou, Xishi; Li, Shuhuan; Guo, Pan; Shen, Zhenguo; Wang, Guiping; Chen, Yahua

2015-01-01

Differences in copper (Cu) absorption and transport, physiological responses and structural characteristics between two types of Cu-resistant plants, Oenothera glazioviana (Cu-exclusion type) and Elsholtzia haichowensis (Cu-enrichment type), were investigated in the present study. The results indicated the following: (1) After 50 μM Cu treatment, the Cu ratio in the xylem vessels of E. haichowensis increased by 60%. A Cu adsorption experiment indicated that O. glazioviana exhibited greater resistance to Cu, and Cu absorption and the shoot/root ratio of Cu were significantly lower in O. glazioviana than in E. haichowensis. (2) An analysis of the endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) variance and exogenous ABA treatment demonstrated that the ABA levels of both plants did not differ; exogenous ABA treatment clearly reduced Cu accumulation in both plants. (3) The leaf stomatal density of O. glazioviana was significantly less than that of E. haichowensis. Guard cells in E. haichowensis plants were covered with a thick cuticle layer, the epidermal hair was more numerous and longer, and the number of xylem conduits in the root was small. (4) The transpiration rate and the stomatal conductance of O. glazioviana were both significantly lower than those of E. haichowensis, regardless of whether the plants were treated with Cu. Taken together, these results indicate that the differences in the structural characteristics between these two plant species, particularly in the characteristics related to plant transpiration, are important factors that govern whether plants acquire or exclude Cu. PMID:26207743

Increasing carbon availability stimulates growth and secondary metabolites via modulation of phytohormones in winter wheat

PubMed Central

Reichelt, Michael; Chowdhury, Somak; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Hartmann, Henrik

2017-01-01

Abstract Phytohormones play important roles in plant acclimation to changes in environmental conditions. However, their role in whole-plant regulation of growth and secondary metabolite production under increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2]) is uncertain but crucially important for understanding plant responses to abiotic stresses. We grew winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) under three [CO2] (170, 390, and 680 ppm) over 10 weeks, and measured gas exchange, relative growth rate (RGR), soluble sugars, secondary metabolites, and phytohormones including abscisic acid (ABA), auxin (IAA), jasmonic acid (JA), and salicylic acid (SA) at the whole-plant level. Our results show that, at the whole-plant level, RGR positively correlated with IAA but not ABA, and secondary metabolites positively correlated with JA and JA-Ile but not SA. Moreover, soluble sugars positively correlated with IAA and JA but not ABA and SA. We conclude that increasing carbon availability stimulates growth and production of secondary metabolites via up-regulation of auxin and jasmonate levels, probably in response to sugar-mediated signalling. Future low [CO2] studies should address the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in leaf ABA and SA biosynthesis, and at the transcriptional level should focus on biosynthetic and, in particular, on responsive genes involved in [CO2]-induced hormonal signalling pathways. PMID:28159987

Induction of phytic acid synthesis by abscisic acid in suspension-cultured cells of rice.

PubMed

Matsuno, Koya; Fujimura, Tatsuhito

2014-03-01

A pathway of phytic acid (PA) synthesis in plants has been revealed via investigations of low phytic acid mutants. However, the regulation of this pathway is not well understood because it is difficult to control the environments of cells in the seeds, where PA is mainly synthesized. We modified a rice suspension culture system in order to study the regulation of PA synthesis. Rice cells cultured with abscisic acid (ABA) accumulate PA at higher levels than cells cultured without ABA, and PA accumulation levels increase with ABA concentration. On the other hand, higher concentrations of sucrose or inorganic phosphorus do not affect PA accumulation. Mutations in the genes RINO1, OsMIK, OsIPK1 and OsLPA1 have each been reported to confer low phytic acid phenotypes in seeds. Each of these genes is upregulated in cells cultured with ABA. OsITPK4 and OsITPK6 are upregulated in cells cultured with ABA and in developing seeds. These results suggest that the regulation of PA synthesis is similar between developing seeds and cells in this suspension culture system. This system will be a powerful tool for elucidating the regulation of PA synthesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of factors affecting growth and cold acclimation of Vitis callus cultures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deng, L.

1987-01-01

In vitro grape tissue culture initiation, growth, and cold acclimation were studied. Factors involved were genotypes, media, plant growth regulators, age, light, temperature, antioxidant, clearing and adsorbing agents, sucrose level, osmotic potential, ABA, chilling and freezing treatments. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 1 ..mu..M 2,4-d + 0.1 uM Ba, MS containing 1 uM 2,4-D, and woody plant medium containing 1 uM 2,4-D + 0.1 uM BA produced abundant callus tissue for most grape genotypes; either WPM or MS containing 1 uM BA stimulated shoot growth in all the 12 genotypes tested. Adding 1 uM abscisic acid (ABA) to themore » B5 medium with 1 uM 2,4-D and 0.5 uM BA enhanced growth and quality of Chancellor callus. /sup 3/H-ABA was taken up actively by callus tissue at 12 days after subculture, but by 20 d this effect disappeared. When /sup 14/C-sucrose was added to the medium. /sup 14/C level of cells reached a plateau after 48 h; this plateau was higher if ABA was also present in the medium. Cells on media containing ABA were larger in size, lighter in color, and more loosely connected.« less

Brazing SiC/SiC Composites to Metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steffier, Wayne S.

2004-01-01

Experiments have shown that active brazing alloys (ABAs) can be used to join SiC/SiC composite materials to metals, with bond strengths sufficient for some structural applications. The SiC/SiC composite coupons used in the experiments were made from polymerbased SiC fiber preforms that were chemical-vapor-infiltrated with SiC to form SiC matrices. Some of the metal coupons used in the experiments were made from 304 stainless steel; others were made from oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper. Three ABAs were chosen for the experiments: two were chosen randomly from among a number of ABAs that were on hand at the time; the third ABA was chosen because its titanium content (1.25 percent) is less than those of the other two ABAs (1.75 and 4.5 percent, respectively) and it was desired to evaluate the effect of reducing the titanium content, as described below. The characteristics of ABAs that are considered to be beneficial for the purpose of joining SiC/SiC to metal include wettability, reactivity, and adhesion to SiC-based ceramics. Prior to further development, it was verified that the three chosen ABAs have these characteristics. For each ABA, suitable vacuum brazing process conditions were established empirically by producing a series of (SiC/SiC)/ABA wetting samples. These samples were then sectioned and subjected to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDS) for analysis of their microstructures and compositions. Specimens for destructive mechanical tests were fabricated by brazing of lap joints between SiC/SiC coupons 1/8-in. (.3.2- mm) thick and, variously, stainless steel or copper tabs. The results of destructive mechanical tests and the SEM/EDS analysis were used to guide the development of a viable method of brazing the affected materials.

AREB1, AREB2, and ABF3 are master transcription factors that cooperatively regulate ABRE-dependent ABA signaling involved in drought stress tolerance and require ABA for full activation.

PubMed

Yoshida, Takuya; Fujita, Yasunari; Sayama, Hiroko; Kidokoro, Satoshi; Maruyama, Kyonoshin; Mizoi, Junya; Shinozaki, Kazuo; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko

2010-02-01

A myriad of drought stress-inducible genes have been reported, and many of these are activated by abscisic acid (ABA). In the promoter regions of such ABA-regulated genes, conserved cis-elements, designated ABA-responsive elements (ABREs), control gene expression via bZIP-type AREB/ABF transcription factors. Although all three members of the AREB/ABF subfamily, AREB1, AREB2, and ABF3, are upregulated by ABA and water stress, it remains unclear whether these are functional homologs. Here, we report that all three AREB/ABF transcription factors require ABA for full activation, can form hetero- or homodimers to function in nuclei, and can interact with SRK2D/SnRK2.2, an SnRK2 protein kinase that was identified as a regulator of AREB1. Along with the tissue-specific expression patterns of these genes and the subcellular localization of their encoded proteins, these findings clearly indicate that AREB1, AREB2, and ABF3 have largely overlapping functions. To elucidate the role of these AREB/ABF transcription factors, we generated an areb1 areb2 abf3 triple mutant. Large-scale transcriptome analysis, which showed that stress-responsive gene expression is remarkably impaired in the triple mutant, revealed novel AREB/ABF downstream genes in response to water stress, including many LEA class and group-Ab PP2C genes and transcription factors. The areb1 areb2 abf3 triple mutant is more resistant to ABA than are the other single and double mutants with respect to primary root growth, and it displays reduced drought tolerance. Thus, these results indicate that AREB1, AREB2, and ABF3 are master transcription factors that cooperatively regulate ABRE-dependent gene expression for ABA signaling under conditions of water stress.

Identification of low Ca(2+) stress-induced embryo apoptosis response genes in Arachis hypogaea by SSH-associated library lift (SSHaLL).

PubMed

Chen, Hua; Zhang, Chong; Cai, Tie Cheng; Deng, Ye; Zhou, Shuangbiao; Zheng, Yixiong; Ma, Shiwei; Tang, Ronghua; Varshney, Rajeev K; Zhuang, Weijian

2016-02-01

Calcium is a universal signal in the regulation of wide aspects in biology, but few are known about the function of calcium in the control of early embryo development. Ca(2+) deficiency in soil induces early embryo abortion in peanut, producing empty pods, which is a general problem; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, embryo abortion was characterized to be caused by apoptosis marked with cell wall degradation. Using a method of SSH cDNA libraries associated with library lift (SSHaLL), 62 differentially expressed genes were isolated from young peanut embryos. These genes were classified to be stress responses, catabolic process, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, embryo morphogenesis, regulation, etc. The cell retardation with cell wall degradation was caused by up-regulated cell wall hydrolases and down-regulated cellular synthases genes. HsfA4a, which was characterized to be important to embryo development, was significantly down-regulated under Ca(2+) -deficient conditions from 15 days after pegging (DAP) to 30 DAP. Two AhCYP707A4 genes, encoding abscisic acid (ABA) 8'-hydroxylases, key enzymes for ABA catabolism, were up-regulated by 21-fold under Ca(2+) -deficient conditions upstream of HsfA4a, reducing the ABA level in early embryos. Over-expression of AhCYP707A4 in Nicotiana benthamiana showed a phenotype of low ABA content with high numbers of aborted embryos, small pods and less seeds, which confirms that AhCYP707A4 is a key player in regulation of Ca(2+) deficiency-induced embryo abortion via ABA-mediated apoptosis. The results elucidated the mechanism of low Ca(2+) -induced embryo abortion and described the method for other fields of study. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Role of Endogenous Strigolactones and Their Interaction with ABA during the Infection Process of the Parasitic Weed Phelipanche ramosa in Tomato Plants

PubMed Central

Cheng, Xi; Floková, Kristýna; Bouwmeester, Harro; Ruyter-Spira, Carolien

2017-01-01

The root parasitic plant species Phelipanche ramosa, branched broomrape, causes severe damage to economically important crops such as tomato. Its seed germination is triggered by host-derived signals upon which it invades the host root. In tomato, strigolactones (SLs) are the main germination stimulants for P. ramosa. Therefore, the development of low SL-producing lines may be an approach to combat the parasitic weed problem. However, since SLs are also a plant hormone controlling many aspects of plant development, SL deficiency may also have an effect on post-germination stages of the infection process, during the parasite-host interaction. In this study, we show that SL-deficient tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum; SlCCD8 RNAi lines), infected with pre-germinated P. ramosa seeds, display an increased infection level and faster development of the parasite, which suggests a positive role for SLs in the host defense against parasitic plant invasion. Furthermore, we show that SL-deficient tomato plants lose their characteristic SL-deficient phenotype during an infection with P. ramosa through a reduction in the number of internodes and the number and length of secondary branches. Infection with P. ramosa resulted in increased levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in the leaves and roots of both wild type and SL-deficient lines. Upon parasite infection, the level of the conjugate ABA-glucose ester (ABA-GE) also increased in leaves of both wild type and SL-deficient lines and in roots of one SL-deficient line. The uninfected SL-deficient lines had a higher leaf ABA-GE level than the wild type. Despite the high levels of ABA, stomatal aperture and water loss rate were not affected by parasite infection in the SL-deficient line, while in wild type tomato stomatal aperture and water loss increased upon infection. Future studies are needed to further underpin the role that SLs play in the interaction of hosts with parasitic plants and which other plant hormones interact with the SLs during this process. PMID:28392795

The Role of Endogenous Strigolactones and Their Interaction with ABA during the Infection Process of the Parasitic Weed Phelipanche ramosa in Tomato Plants.

PubMed

Cheng, Xi; Floková, Kristýna; Bouwmeester, Harro; Ruyter-Spira, Carolien

2017-01-01

The root parasitic plant species Phelipanche ramosa , branched broomrape, causes severe damage to economically important crops such as tomato. Its seed germination is triggered by host-derived signals upon which it invades the host root. In tomato, strigolactones (SLs) are the main germination stimulants for P. ramosa . Therefore, the development of low SL-producing lines may be an approach to combat the parasitic weed problem. However, since SLs are also a plant hormone controlling many aspects of plant development, SL deficiency may also have an effect on post-germination stages of the infection process, during the parasite-host interaction. In this study, we show that SL-deficient tomato plants ( Solanum lycopersicum; SlCCD8 RNAi lines), infected with pre-germinated P. ramosa seeds, display an increased infection level and faster development of the parasite, which suggests a positive role for SLs in the host defense against parasitic plant invasion. Furthermore, we show that SL-deficient tomato plants lose their characteristic SL-deficient phenotype during an infection with P. ramosa through a reduction in the number of internodes and the number and length of secondary branches. Infection with P. ramosa resulted in increased levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in the leaves and roots of both wild type and SL-deficient lines. Upon parasite infection, the level of the conjugate ABA-glucose ester (ABA-GE) also increased in leaves of both wild type and SL-deficient lines and in roots of one SL-deficient line. The uninfected SL-deficient lines had a higher leaf ABA-GE level than the wild type. Despite the high levels of ABA, stomatal aperture and water loss rate were not affected by parasite infection in the SL-deficient line, while in wild type tomato stomatal aperture and water loss increased upon infection. Future studies are needed to further underpin the role that SLs play in the interaction of hosts with parasitic plants and which other plant hormones interact with the SLs during this process.

A role for PacMYBA in ABA-regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis in red-colored sweet cherry cv. Hong Deng (Prunus avium L.).

PubMed

Shen, Xinjie; Zhao, Kai; Liu, Linlin; Zhang, Kaichun; Yuan, Huazhao; Liao, Xiong; Wang, Qi; Guo, Xinwei; Li, Fang; Li, Tianhong

2014-05-01

The MYB transcription factors and plant hormone ABA have been suggested to play a role in fruit anthocyanin biosynthesis, but supporting genetic evidence has been lacking in sweet cherry. The present study describes the first functional characterization of an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, PacMYBA, from red-colored sweet cherry cv. Hong Deng (Prunus avium L.). Transient promoter assays demonstrated that PacMYBA physically interacted with several anthocyanin-related basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors to activate the promoters of PacDFR, PacANS and PacUFGT, which are thought to be involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. Furthermore, the immature seeds of transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing PacMYBA exhibited ectopic pigmentation. Silencing of PacMYBA, using a Tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-induced gene silencing technique, resulted in sweet cherry fruit that lacked red pigment. ABA treatment significantly induced anthocyanin accumulation, while treatment with the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) blocked anthocyanin production. PacMYBA expression peaked after 2 h of pre-incubation in ABA and was 15.2-fold higher than that of sweet cherries treated with NDGA. The colorless phenotype was also observed in the fruits silenced in PacNCED1, which encodes a key enzyme in the ABA biosynthesis pathway. The endogenous ABA content as well as the transcript levels of six structural genes and PacMYBA in PacNCED1-RNAi (RNA interference) fruit were significantly lower than in the TRV vector control fruit. These results suggest that PacMYBA plays an important role in ABA-regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis and ABA is a signal molecule that promotes red-colored sweet cherry fruit accumulating anthocyanin.

Variable responses of two VlMYBA gene promoters to ABA and ACC in Kyoho grape berries.

PubMed

Zhai, Xiawan; Zhang, Yushu; Kai, Wenbin; Liang, Bin; Jiang, Li; Du, Yangwei; Wang, Juan; Sun, Yufei; Leng, Ping

2017-04-01

The VlMYBA subfamily of transcription factors has been known to be the functional regulators in anthocyanin biosynthesis in red grapes. In this study, the expressions of the VlMYBA1-2 and VlMYBA 2 genes, and the responses of the VlMYBA1-2/2 promoters to ABA and ACC treatments in Kyoho grape berries are examined through quantitative real-time PCR analysis and the transient expression assay. The results show that the expressions of VlMYBA1-2/2 increase dramatically after véraison and reach their highest levels when the berries are nearly fully ripe. Exogenous ABA promotes the expressions of VlMYBA1-2/2, whereas the ACC treatment increases the expression of VlMYBA2, however, it has no effect on VlMYBA1-2. The ABA treatment has a faster and stronger effect on berry pigmentation than ACC does. The VlMYBA1-2 promoter sequence contains two ABA response elements (ABRE) but no ethylene response element (ERE), whereas the VlMYBA2 promoter sequence contains two ABRE and one ERE in the upstream region of the start codon. The VlMYBA2 promoter can be activated by both ABA (more effective) and ACC, whereas the VlMYBA1-2 promoter can be activated by ABA only. In sum, ABA can promote the coloring of Kyoho grape by the promotion of VlMYBA1-2/2 transcriptions via activating the response of their promoters to ABA, whereas ethylene only regulates VlMYBA2 through the response activation of its promoter to ACC which partially enhances the coloring. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Suppressing Type 2C Protein Phosphatases Alters Fruit Ripening and the Stress Response in Tomato.

PubMed

Zhang, Yushu; Li, Qian; Jiang, Li; Kai, Wenbin; Liang, Bin; Wang, Juan; Du, Yangwei; Zhai, Xiawan; Wang, Jieling; Zhang, Yingqi; Sun, Yufei; Zhang, Lusheng; Leng, Ping

2018-01-01

Although ABA signaling has been widely studied in Arabidopsis, the roles of core ABA signaling components in fruit remain poorly understood. Herein, we characterize SlPP2C1, a group A type 2C protein phosphatase that negatively regulates ABA signaling and fruit ripening in tomato. The SlPP2C1 protein was localized in the cytoplasm close to AtAHG3/AtPP2CA. The SlPP2C1 gene was expressed in all tomato tissues throughout development, particularly in flowers and fruits, and it was up-regulated by dehydration and ABA treatment. SlPP2C1 expression in fruits was increased at 30 d after full bloom and peaked at the B + 1 stage. Suppression of SlPP2C1 expression significantly accelerated fruit ripening which was associated with higher levels of ABA signaling genes that are reported to alter the expression of fruit ripening genes involved in ethylene release and cell wall catabolism. SlPP2C1-RNAi (RNA interference) led to increased endogenous ABA accumulation and advanced release of ethylene in transgenic fruits compared with wild-type (WT) fruits. SlPP2C1-RNAi also resulted in abnormal flowers and obstructed the normal abscission of pedicels. SlPP2C1-RNAi plants were hypersensitized to ABA, and displayed delayed seed germination and primary root growth, and increased resistance to drought stress compared with WT plants. These results demonstrated that SlPP2C1 is a functional component in the ABA signaling pathway which participates in fruit ripening, ABA responses and drought tolerance. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Computational prediction and experimental verification of HVA1-like abscisic acid responsive promoters in rice (Oryza sativa).

PubMed

Ross, Christian; Shen, Qingxi J

2006-09-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the central plant hormones, responsible for controlling both maturation and germination in seeds, as well as mediating adaptive responses to desiccation, injury, and pathogen infection in vegetative tissues. Thorough analyses of two barley genes, HVA1 and HVA22, indicate that their response to ABA relies on the interaction of two cis-acting elements in their promoters, an ABA response element (ABRE) and a coupling element (CE). Together, they form an ABA response promoter complex (ABRC). Comparison of promoters of barley HVA1 and it rice orthologue indicates that the structures and sequences of their ABRCs are highly similar. Prediction of ABA responsive genes in the rice genome is then tractable to a bioinformatics approach based on the structures of the well-defined barley ABRCs. Here we describe a model developed based on the consensus, inter-element spacing and orientations of experimentally determined ABREs and CEs. Our search of the rice promoter database for promoters that fit the model has generated a partial list of genes in rice that have a high likelihood of being involved in the ABA signaling network. The ABA inducibility of some of the rice genes identified was validated with quantitative reverse transcription PCR (QPCR). By limiting our input data to known enhancer modules and experimentally derived rules, we have generated a high confidence subset of ABA-regulated genes. The results suggest that the pathways by which cereals respond to biotic and abiotic stresses overlap significantly, and that regulation is not confined to the level transcription. The large fraction of putative regulatory genes carrying HVA1-like enhancer modules in their promoters suggests the ABA signal enters at multiple points into a complex regulatory network that remains largely unmapped.

Negative Regulation of Abscisic Acid Signaling by the Fagus sylvatica FsPP2C1 Plays A Role in Seed Dormancy Regulation and Promotion of Seed Germination1

PubMed Central

González-García, Mary Paz; Rodríguez, Dolores; Nicolás, Carlos; Rodríguez, Pedro Luis; Nicolás, Gregorio; Lorenzo, Oscar

2003-01-01

FsPP2C1 was previously isolated from beech (Fagus sylvatica) seeds as a functional protein phosphatase type-2C (PP2C) with all the conserved features of these enzymes and high homology to ABI1, ABI2, and PP2CA, PP2Cs identified as negative regulators of ABA signaling. The expression of FsPP2C1 was induced upon abscisic acid (ABA) treatment and was also up-regulated during early weeks of stratification. Furthermore, this gene was specifically expressed in ABA-treated seeds and was hardly detectable in vegetative tissues. In this report, to provide genetic evidence on FsPP2C1 function in seed dormancy and germination, we used an overexpression approach in Arabidopsis because transgenic work is not feasible in beech. Constitutive expression of FsPP2C1 under the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter confers ABA insensitivity in Arabidopsis seeds and, consequently, a reduced degree of seed dormancy. Additionally, transgenic 35S:FsPP2C1 plants are able to germinate under unfavorable conditions, as inhibitory concentrations of mannitol, NaCl, or paclobutrazol. In vegetative tissues, Arabidopsis FsPP2C1 transgenic plants show ABA-resistant early root growth and diminished induction of the ABA-response genes RAB18 and KIN2, but no effect on stomatal closure regulation. Seed and vegetative phenotypes of Arabidopsis 35S:FsPP2C1 plants suggest that FsPP2C1 negatively regulates ABA signaling. The ABA inducibility of FsPP2C1 expression, together with the transcript accumulation mainly in seeds, suggest that it could play an important role modulating ABA signaling in beechnuts through a negative feedback loop. Finally, we suggest that negative regulation of ABA signaling by FsPP2C1 is a factor contributing to promote the transition from seed dormancy to germination during early weeks of stratification. PMID:12970481

Influence of abscisic acid on growth, biomass and lipid yield of Scenedesmus quadricauda under nitrogen starved condition.

PubMed

Sulochana, Sujitha Balakrishnan; Arumugam, Muthu

2016-08-01

Scenedesmus quadricauda, accumulated more lipid but with a drastic reduction in biomass yield during nitrogen starvation. Abscisic acid (ABA) being a stress responsible hormone, its effect on growth and biomass with sustainable lipid yield during nitrogen depletion was studied. The result revealed that the ABA level shoots up at 24h (27.21pmol/L) during the onset of nitrogen starvation followed by a sharp decline. The external supplemented ABA showed a positive effect on growth pattern (38×10(6)cells/ml) at a lower concentration. The dry biomass yield is also increasing up to 2.1 fold compared to nitrogen deficient S. quadricauda. The lipid content sustains in 1 and 2μM concentration of ABA under nitrogen-deficient condition. The fatty acid composition of ABA treated S. quadricauda cultures with respect to nitrogen-starved cells showed 11.17% increment in saturated fatty acid content, the desired lipid composition for biofuel application. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Group A PP2Cs evolved in land plants as key regulators of intrinsic desiccation tolerance

PubMed Central

Komatsu, Kenji; Suzuki, Norihiro; Kuwamura, Mayuri; Nishikawa, Yuri; Nakatani, Mao; Ohtawa, Hitomi; Takezawa, Daisuke; Seki, Motoaki; Tanaka, Maho; Taji, Teruaki; Hayashi, Takahisa; Sakata, Yoichi

2013-01-01

Vegetative desiccation tolerance is common in bryophytes, although this character has been lost in most vascular plants. The moss Physcomitrella patens survives complete desiccation if treated with abscisic acid (ABA). Group A protein phosphatases type 2C (PP2C) are negative regulators of abscisic acid signalling. Here we show that the elimination of Group A PP2C is sufficient to ensure P. patens survival to full desiccation, without ABA treatment, although its growth is severely hindered. Microarray analysis shows that the Group A PP2C-regulated genes exclusively overlap with genes exhibiting a high level of ABA induction. Group A PP2C disruption weakly affects ABA-activated kinase activity, indicating Group A PP2C action downstream of these kinases in the moss. We propose that Group A PP2C emerged in land plants to repress desiccation tolerance mechanisms, possibly facilitating plants propagation on land, whereas ABA releases the intrinsic desiccation tolerance from Group A PP2C regulation. PMID:23900426

Grafting cucumber onto luffa improves drought tolerance by increasing ABA biosynthesis and sensitivity

PubMed Central

Liu, Shanshan; Li, Hao; Lv, Xiangzhang; Ahammed, Golam Jalal; Xia, Xiaojian; Zhou, Jie; Shi, Kai; Asami, Tadao; Yu, Jingquan; Zhou, Yanhong

2016-01-01

Balancing stomata-dependent CO2 assimilation and transpiration is a key challenge for increasing crop productivity and water use efficiency under drought stress for sustainable crop production worldwide. Here, we show that cucumber and luffa plants with luffa as rootstock have intrinsically increased water use efficiency, decreased transpiration rate and less affected CO2 assimilation capacity following drought stress over those with cucumber as rootstock. Drought accelerated abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in roots, xylem sap and leaves, and induced the transcript of ABA signaling genes, leading to a decreased stomatal aperture and transpiration in the plants grafted onto luffa roots as compared to plants grafted onto cucumber roots. Furthermore, stomatal movement in the plants grafted onto luffa roots had an increased sensitivity to ABA. Inhibition of ABA biosynthesis in luffa roots decreased the drought tolerance in cucumber and luffa plants. Our study demonstrates that the roots of luffa have developed an enhanced ability to sense the changes in root-zone moisture and could eventually deliver modest level of ABA from roots to shoots that enhances water use efficiency under drought stress. Such a mechanism could be greatly exploited to benefit the agricultural production especially in arid and semi-arid areas. PMID:26832070

The Structure of Arabidopsis thaliana OST1 Provides Insights into the Kinase Regulation Mechanism in Response to Osmotic Stress

PubMed Central

Yunta, Cristina; Martínez-Ripoll, Martín; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Albert, Armando

2013-01-01

SnRK [SNF1 (sucrose non-fermenting-1)-related protein kinase] 2.6 [open stomata 1 (OST1)] is well characterized at molecular and physiological levels to control stomata closure in response to water-deficit stress. OST1 is a member of a family of 10 protein kinases from Arabidopsis thaliana (SnRK2) that integrates abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent and ABA-independent signals to coordinate the cell response to osmotic stress. A subgroup of protein phosphatases type 2C binds OST1 and keeps the kinase dephosphorylated and inactive. Activation of OST1 relies on the ABA-dependent inhibition of the protein phosphatases type 2C and the subsequent self-phosphorylation of the kinase. The OST1 ABA-independent activation depends on a short sequence motif that is conserved among all the members of the SnRK2 family. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying this regulation. The crystallographic structure of OST1 shows that ABA-independent regulation motif stabilizes the conformation of the kinase catalytically essential α C helix, and it provides the basis of the ABA-independent regulation mechanism for the SnRK2 family of protein kinases. PMID:21983340

Abscisic acid and osmoticum prevent germination of developing alfalfa embryos, but only osmoticum maintains the synthesis of developmental proteins.

PubMed

Xu, N; Coulter, K M; Derek Bewley, J

1990-10-01

Developing seeds of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) acquire the ability to germinate during the latter stages of development, the maturation drying phase. Isolated embryos placed on Murashige and Skoog medium germinate well during early and late development, but poorly during mid-development; however, when placed on water they germinate well only during the latter stage of development. Germination of isolated embryos is very slow and poor when they are incubated in the presence of surrounding seed structures (the endosperm or seed coat) taken from the mid-development stages. This inhibitory effect is also achieved by incubating embryos in 10(-5) M abscisic acid (ABA). Endogenous ABA attains a high level during mid-development, especially in the endosperm. Seeds developing in pods treated with fluridone (1-methyl-3-phenyl-5[3-(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl]-4(1H)-pyridinone) contain low levels of ABA during mid-development, and the endosperm and seed coat only weakly inhibit the germination of isolated embryos. However, intact seeds from fluridone-treated pods do not germinate viviparously, which is indicative that ABA alone is not responsible for maintaining seeds in a developing state. Application of osmoticum (e.g. 0.35 M sucrose) to isolated developing embryos prevents their germination. Also, in the developing seed in situ the osmotic potential is high. Thus internal levels of osmoticum may play a role in preventing germination of the embryo and maintaining development. Abscisic acid and osmoticum impart distinctly different metabolic responses on developing embryos, as demonstrated by their protein-synthetic capacity. Only in the presence of osmoticum do embryos synthesize proteins which are distinctly recognizable as those synthesized by developing embryos in situ, i.e. when inside the pod. Abscisic acid induces the synthesis of a few unique proteins, but these arise even in mature embryos treated with ABA. Thus while both osmoticum and ABA prevent precocious germination, their effects on the synthetic capacity of the developing embryo are quite distinct. Since seeds with low endogenous ABA do not germinate, osmotic regulation may be the more important of these two factors in controlling seed development.

Inhibition of tomato shoot growth by over-irrigation is linked to nitrogen deficiency and ethylene.

PubMed

Fiebig, Antje; Dodd, Ian C

2016-01-01

Although physiological effects of acute flooding have been well studied, chronic effects of suboptimal soil aeration caused by over-irrigation of containerized plants have not, despite its likely commercial significance. By automatically scheduling irrigation according to soil moisture thresholds, effects of over-irrigation on soil properties (oxygen concentration, temperature and moisture), leaf growth, gas exchange, phytohormone [abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene] relations and nutrient status of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill. cv. Ailsa Craig) were studied. Over-irrigation slowly increased soil moisture and decreased soil oxygen concentration by 4%. Soil temperature was approximately 1°C lower in the over-irrigated substrate. Over-irrigating tomato plants for 2 weeks significantly reduced shoot height (by 25%) and fresh weight and total leaf area (by 60-70%) compared with well-drained plants. Over-irrigation did not alter stomatal conductance, leaf water potential or foliar ABA concentrations, suggesting that growth inhibition was not hydraulically regulated or dependent on stomatal closure or changes in ABA. However, over-irrigation significantly increased foliar ethylene emission. Ethylene seemed to inhibit growth, as the partially ethylene-insensitive genotype Never ripe (Nr) was much less sensitive to over-irrigation than the wild type. Over-irrigation induced significant foliar nitrogen deficiency and daily supplementation of small volumes of 10 mM Ca(NO3 )2 to over-irrigated soil restored foliar nitrogen concentrations, ethylene emission and shoot fresh weight of over-irrigated plants to control levels. Thus reduced nitrogen uptake plays an important role in inhibiting growth of over-irrigated plants, in part by stimulating foliar ethylene emission. © 2015 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

An ABA-responsive DRE-binding protein gene from Setaria italica, SiARDP, the target gene of SiAREB, plays a critical role under drought stress.

PubMed

Li, Cong; Yue, Jing; Wu, Xiaowei; Xu, Cong; Yu, Jingjuan

2014-10-01

The DREB (dehydration-responsive element binding)-type transcription factors regulate the expression of stress-inducible genes by binding the DRE/CRT cis-elements in promoter regions. The upstream transcription factors that regulate the transcription of DREB transcription factors have not been clearly defined, although the function of DREB transcription factors in abiotic stress is known. In this study, an abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive DREB-binding protein gene (SiARDP) was cloned from foxtail millet (Setaria italica). The transcript level of SiARDP increased not only after drought, high salt, and low temperature stresses, but also after an ABA treatment in foxtail millet seedlings. Two ABA-responsive elements (ABRE1: ACGTGTC; ABRE2: ACGTGGC) exist in the promoter of SiARDP. Further analyses showed that two ABA-responsive element binding (AREB)-type transcription factors, SiAREB1 and SiAREB2, could physically bind to the ABRE core element in vitro and in vivo. The constitutive expression of SiARDP in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced drought and salt tolerance during seed germination and seedling development, and overexpression of SiARDP in foxtail millet improved drought tolerance. The expression levels of target genes of SiARDP were upregulated in transgenic Arabidopsis and foxtail millet. These results reveal that SiARDP, one of the target genes of SiAREB, is involved in ABA-dependent signal pathways and plays a critical role in the abiotic stress response in plants. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Investigation into the role of endogenous abscisic acid during ripening of imported avocado cv. Hass.

PubMed

Meyer, Marjolaine D; Chope, Gemma A; Terry, Leon A

2017-08-01

The importance of ethylene in avocado ripening has been extensively studied. In contrast, little is known about the possible role of abscisic acid (ABA). The present work studied the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) (0.3 μL L -1 ), e+® Ethylene Remover and the combination thereof on the quality of imported avocado cv. Hass fruit stored for 7 days at 12 °C. Ethylene production, respiration, firmness, colour, heptose (C7) sugars and ABA concentrations in mesocarp tissue were measured throughout storage. Treatment with e+® Ethylene Remover reduced ethylene production, respiration rate and physiological ripening compared with controls. Fruit treated with 1-MCP + e+® Ethylene Remover and, to a lesser extent 1-MCP alone, had the lowest ethylene production and respiration rate and hence the best quality. Major sugars measured in mesocarp tissue were mannoheptulose and perseitol, and their content was not correlated with ripening parameters. Mesocarp ABA concentration, as determined by mass spectrometry, increased as fruit ripened and was negatively correlated with fruit firmness. Results suggest a relationship between ABA and ethylene metabolism since blocking ethylene, and to a larger extent blocking and removing ethylene, resulted in lower ABA concentrations. Whether ABA influences avocado fruit ripening needs to be determined in future research. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Unravelling molecular responses to moderate dehydration in harvested fruit of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) using a fruit-specific ABA-deficient mutant.

PubMed

Romero, Paco; Rodrigo, María J; Alférez, Fernando; Ballester, Ana-Rosa; González-Candelas, Luis; Zacarías, Lorenzo; Lafuente, María T

2012-04-01

Water stress affects many agronomic traits that may be regulated by the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). Within these traits, loss of fruit quality becomes important in many citrus cultivars that develop peel damage in response to dehydration. To study peel dehydration transcriptional responsiveness in harvested citrus fruit and the putative role of ABA in this process, this study performed a comparative large-scale transcriptional analysis of water-stressed fruits of the wild-type Navelate orange (Citrus sinesis L. Osbeck) and its spontaneous ABA-deficient mutant Pinalate, which is more prone to dehydration and to developing peel damage. Major changes in gene expression occurring in the wild-type line were impaired in the mutant fruit. Gene ontology analysis revealed the ability of Navelate fruits to induce the response to water deprivation and di-, tri-valent inorganic cation transport biological processes, as well as repression of the carbohydrate biosynthesis process in the mutant. Exogenous ABA triggered relevant transcriptional changes and repressed the protein ubiquitination process, although it could not fully rescue the physiological behaviour of the mutant. Overall, the results indicated that dehydration responsiveness requires ABA-dependent and -independent signals, and highlight that the ability of citrus fruits to trigger molecular responses against dehydration is an important factor in reducing their susceptibility to developing peel damage.

Unravelling molecular responses to moderate dehydration in harvested fruit of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) using a fruit-specific ABA-deficient mutant

PubMed Central

Romero, Paco; Rodrigo, María J.; Alférez, Fernando; Ballester, Ana-Rosa; González-Candelas, Luis; Zacarías, Lorenzo; Lafuente, María T.

2012-01-01

Water stress affects many agronomic traits that may be regulated by the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). Within these traits, loss of fruit quality becomes important in many citrus cultivars that develop peel damage in response to dehydration. To study peel dehydration transcriptional responsiveness in harvested citrus fruit and the putative role of ABA in this process, this study performed a comparative large-scale transcriptional analysis of water-stressed fruits of the wild-type Navelate orange (Citrus sinesis L. Osbeck) and its spontaneous ABA-deficient mutant Pinalate, which is more prone to dehydration and to developing peel damage. Major changes in gene expression occurring in the wild-type line were impaired in the mutant fruit. Gene ontology analysis revealed the ability of Navelate fruits to induce the response to water deprivation and di-, tri-valent inorganic cation transport biological processes, as well as repression of the carbohydrate biosynthesis process in the mutant. Exogenous ABA triggered relevant transcriptional changes and repressed the protein ubiquitination process, although it could not fully rescue the physiological behaviour of the mutant. Overall, the results indicated that dehydration responsiveness requires ABA-dependent and -independent signals, and highlight that the ability of citrus fruits to trigger molecular responses against dehydration is an important factor in reducing their susceptibility to developing peel damage. PMID:22315241

T cell PPARγ is required for the anti-inflammatory efficacy of abscisic acid against experimental IBD.

PubMed

Guri, Amir J; Evans, Nicholas P; Hontecillas, Raquel; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2011-09-01

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) has been shown to be effective in ameliorating chronic and acute inflammation. The objective of this study was to investigate whether ABA's anti-inflammatory efficacy in the gut is dependent on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in T cells. PPARγ-expressing and T cell-specific PPARγ null mice were fed diets with or without ABA (100 mg/kg) for 35 days prior to challenge with 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate. The severity of clinical disease was assessed daily, and mice were euthanized on Day 7 of the dextran sodium sulfate challenge. Colonic inflammation was assessed through macroscopic and histopathological examination of inflammatory lesions and real-time quantitative RT-PCR-based quantification of inflammatory genes. Flow cytometry was used to phenotypically characterize leukocyte populations in the blood and mesenteric lymph nodes. Colonic sections were stained immunohistochemically to determine the effect of ABA on colonic regulatory T (T(reg)) cells. ABA's beneficial effects on disease activity were completely abrogated in T cell-specific PPARγ null mice. Additionally, ABA improved colon histopathology, reduced blood F4/80(+)CD11b(+) monocytes, increased the percentage of CD4(+) T cells expressing the inhibitory molecule cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 in blood and enhanced the number of T(reg) cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes and colons of PPARγ-expressing but not T cell-specific PPARγ null mice. We conclude that dietary ABA ameliorates experimental inflammatory bowel disease by enhancing T(reg) cell accumulation in the colonic lamina propria through a PPARγ-dependent mechanism. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abscisic acid alleviates iron deficiency by promoting root iron reutilization and transport from root to shoot in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Lei, Gui Jie; Zhu, Xiao Fang; Wang, Zhi Wei; Dong, Fang; Dong, Ning Yu; Zheng, Shao Jian

2014-04-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) has been demonstrated to be involved in iron (Fe) homeostasis, but the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we found that Fe deficiency induced ABA accumulation rapidly (within 6 h) in the roots of Arabidopsis. Exogenous ABA at 0.5 μM decreased the amount of root apoplastic Fe bound to pectin and hemicellulose, and increased the shoot Fe content significantly, thus alleviating Fe deficiency-induced chlorosis. Exogenous ABA promoted the secretion of phenolics to release apoplastic Fe and up-regulated the expression of AtNRAMP3 to enhance reutilization of Fe stored in the vacuoles, leading to a higher level of soluble Fe and lower ferric-chelate reductase (FCR) activity in roots. Treatment with ABA also led to increased Fe concentrations in the xylem sap, partially because of the up-regulation of AtFRD3, AtYSL2 and AtNAS1, genes related to long-distance transport of Fe. Exogenous ABA could not alleviate the chlorosis of abi5 mutant resulting from the significantly low expression of AtYSL2 and low transport of Fe from root to shoot. Taken together, our data support the conclusion that ABA is involved in the reutilization and transport of Fe from root to shoot under Fe deficiency conditions in Arabidopsis. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Physiological response to drought in radiata pine: phytohormone implication at leaf level.

PubMed

De Diego, N; Pérez-Alfocea, F; Cantero, E; Lacuesta, M; Moncaleán, P

2012-04-01

Pinus radiata D. Don is one of the most abundant species in the north of Spain. Knowledge of drought response mechanisms is essential to guarantee plantation survival under reduced water supply as predicted in the future. Tolerance mechanisms are being studied in breeding programs, because information on such mechanisms can be used for genotype selection. In this paper, we analyze the changes of leaf water potential, hydraulic conductance (K(leaf)), stomatal conductance and phytohormones under drought in P. radiata breeds (O1, O2, O3, O4, O5 and O6) from different climatology areas, hypothesizing that they could show variable drought tolerance. As a primary signal, drought decreased cytokinin (zeatin and zeatin riboside-Z + ZR) levels in needles parallel to K(leaf) and gas exchange. When Z + ZR decreased by 65%, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation started as a second signal and increments were higher for IAA than for ABA. When plants decreased by 80%, Z + ZR and K(leaf) doubled their ABA and IAA levels, the photosystem II yield decreased and the electrolyte leakage increased. At the end of the drought period, less tolerant breeds increased IAA over 10-fold compared with controls. External damage also induced jasmonic acid accumulation in all breeds except in O5 (P. radiata var. radiata × var. cedrosensis), which accumulated salicylic acid as a defense mechanism. After rewatering, only the most tolerant plants recovered their K(leaf,) perhaps due to an IAA decrease and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid maintenance. From all phytohormones, IAA was the most representative 'water deficit signal' in P. radiata.

Quantification of 3-nitrobenzanthrone-DNA adducts using online column-switching HPLC-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Gamboa da Costa, Gonçalo; Singh, Rajinder; Arlt, Volker M; Mirza, Amin; Richards, Meirion; Takamura-Enya, Takeji; Schmeiser, Heinz H; Farmer, Peter B; Phillips, David H

2009-11-01

The aromatic nitroketone 3-nitrobenzanthrone (3-nitro-7H-benz[de]anthracen-7-one; 3-NBA) is an extremely potent mutagen and a suspected human carcinogen detected in the exhaust of diesel engines and in airborne particulate matter. 3-NBA is metabolically activated via reduction of the nitro group to the hydroxylamine (N-OH-3-ABA) to form covalent DNA adducts. Thus far, the detection and quantification of covalent 3-NBA-DNA adducts has relied solely on (32)P-postlabeling methodologies. In order to expand the range of available techniques for the detection and improved quantification of 3-NBA-DNA adducts, we have developed a method based upon online column-switching HPLC coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, with isotopic dilution of (15)N-labeled internal standards. This methodology was applied to the determination of three 3-NBA-derived adducts: 2-(2'-deoxyguanosin-N(2)-yl)-3-aminobenzanthrone (dG-N(2)-3-ABA), N-(2'-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-3-aminobenzanthrone (dG-C8-N-3-ABA) and 2-(2'-deoxyguanosine-8-yl)-3-aminobenzanthrone (dG-C8-C2-3-ABA). Dose-dependent increases were observed for all three adducts when salmon testis DNA was reacted with N-acetoxy-3-aminobenzanthrone (N-AcO-3-ABA). dG-C8-C2-3-ABA was detected at much lower levels (overall 1%) than the other two adducts. DNA samples isolated from tissues of rats treated either intratracheally with 3-NBA or intraperitoneally with N-OH-3-ABA were analyzed by mass spectrometry, and the results compared to those obtained by (32)P-postlabeling. The method required 50 microg of hydrolyzed animal DNA on column and the limit of detection was 2.0 fmol for each adduct. dG-C8-C2-3-ABA was not observed in any of the samples providing confirmation that it is not formed in vivo. Linear regression analysis of the levels of dG-N(2)-3-ABA and dG-C8-N-3-ABA in the rat DNA showed a reasonable correlation between the two methods (R(2) = 0.88 and 0.93, respectively). In summary, the mass spectrometric method is a faster, more automated analytical approach that also provides structural confirmation of the adducts detected by (32)P-postlabeling, and it has sufficient sensitivity and precision to analyze DNA adducts in animals exposed to 3-NBA or its hydroxylamine metabolite.

Initial water deficit effects on Lupinus albus photosynthetic performance, carbon metabolism, and hormonal balance: metabolic reorganization prior to early stress responses.

PubMed

Pinheiro, Carla; António, Carla; Ortuño, Maria Fernanda; Dobrev, Petre I; Hartung, Wolfram; Thomas-Oates, Jane; Ricardo, Cândido Pinto; Vanková, Radomira; Chaves, M Manuela; Wilson, Julie C

2011-10-01

The early (2-4 d) effects of slowly imposed soil water deficit on Lupinus albus photosynthetic performance, carbon metabolism, and hormonal balance in different organs (leaf blade, stem stele, stem cortex, and root) were evaluated on 23-d-old plants (growth chamber assay). Our work shows that several metabolic adjustments occurred prior to alteration of the plant water status, implying that water deficit is perceived before the change in plant water status. The slow, progressive decline in soil water content started to be visible 3 d after withholding water (3 DAW). The earliest plant changes were associated with organ-specific metabolic responses (particularly in the leaves) and with leaf conductance and only later with plant water status and photosynthetic rate (4 DAW) or photosynthetic capacity (according to the Farquhar model; 6 DAW). Principal component analysis (PCA) of the physiological parameters, the carbohydrate and the hormone levels and their relative values, as well as leaf water-soluble metabolites full scan data (LC-MS/MS), showed separation of the different sampling dates. At 6 DAW classically described stress responses are observed, with plant water status, ABA level, and root hormonal balance contributing to the separation of these samples. Discrimination of earlier stress stages (3 and 4 DAW) is only achieved when the relative levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), cytokinins (Cks), and carbon metabolism (glucose, sucrose, raffinose, and starch levels) are taken into account. Our working hypothesis is that, in addition to single responses (e.g. ABA increase), the combined alterations in hormone and carbohydrate levels play an important role in the stress response mechanism. Response to more advanced stress appears to be associated with a combination of cumulative changes, occurring in several plant organs. The carbohydrate and hormonal balance in the leaf (IAA to bioactive-Cks; soluble sugars to IAA and starch to IAA; relative abundances of the different soluble sugars) flag the initial responses to the slight decrease in soil water availability (10-15% decrease). Further alterations in sucrose to ABA and in raffinose to ABA relative values (in all organs) indicate that soil water availability continues to decrease. Such alterations when associated with changes in the root hormone balance indicate that the stress response is initiated. It is concluded that metabolic balance (e.g. IAA/bioactive Cks, carbohydrates/IAA, sucrose/ABA, raffinose/ABA, ABA/IAA) is relevant in triggering adjustment mechanisms.

The Zinc Finger Transcription Factor SlZFP2 Negatively Regulates Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis and Fruit Ripening in Tomato1

PubMed Central

Weng, Lin; Zhao, Fangfang; Li, Rong; Xu, Changjie; Chen, Kunsong

2015-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates plant development and adaptation to environmental conditions. Although the ABA biosynthesis pathway in plants has been thoroughly elucidated, how ABA biosynthetic genes are regulated at the molecular level during plant development is less well understood. Here, we show that the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) zinc finger transcription factor SlZFP2 is involved in the regulation of ABA biosynthesis during fruit development. Overexpression of SlZFP2 resulted in multiple phenotypic changes, including more branches, early flowering, delayed fruit ripening, lighter seeds, and faster seed germination, whereas down-regulation of its expression caused problematic fruit set, accelerated ripening, and inhibited seed germination. SlZFP2 represses ABA biosynthesis during fruit development through direct suppression of the ABA biosynthetic genes NOTABILIS, SITIENS, and FLACCA and the aldehyde oxidase SlAO1. We also show that SlZFP2 regulates fruit ripening through transcriptional suppression of the ripening regulator COLORLESS NON-RIPENING. Using bacterial one-hybrid screening and a selected amplification and binding assay, we identified the (A/T)(G/C)TT motif as the core binding sequence of SlZFP2. Furthermore, by RNA sequencing profiling, we found that 193 genes containing the SlZFP2-binding motifs in their promoters were differentially expressed in 2 d post anthesis fruits between the SlZFP2 RNA interference line and its nontransgenic sibling. We propose that SlZFP2 functions as a repressor to fine-tune ABA biosynthesis during fruit development and provides a potentially valuable tool for dissecting the role of ABA in fruit ripening. PMID:25637453

Physiological and molecular responses to drought in Petunia: the importance of stress severity

PubMed Central

Kim, Jongyun

2012-01-01

Plant responses to drought stress vary depending on the severity of stress and the stage of drought progression. To improve the understanding of such responses, the leaf physiology, abscisic acid (ABA) concentration, and expression of genes associated with ABA metabolism and signalling were investigated in Petunia × hybrida. Plants were exposed to different specific substrate water contents (θ = 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, or 0.40 m3·m–3) to induce varying levels of drought stress. Plant responses were investigated both during the drying period (θ decreased to the θ thresholds) and while those threshold θ were maintained. Stomatal conductance (gs) and net photosynthesis (A) decreased with decreasing midday leaf water potential (Ψleaf). Leaf ABA concentration increased with decreasing midday Ψleaf and was negatively correlated with gs (r = –0.92). Despite the increase in leaf ABA concentration under drought, no significant effects on the expression of ABA biosynthesis genes were observed. However, the ABA catabolism-related gene CYP707A2 was downregulated, primarily in plants under severe drought (θ = 0.10 m3∙m–3), suggesting a decrease in ABA catabolism under severe drought. Expression of phospholipase Dα (PLDα), involved in regulating stomatal responses to ABA, was enhanced under drought during the drying phase, but there was no relationship between PLDα expression and midday Ψleaf after the θ thresholds had been reached. The results show that drought response of plants depends on the severity of drought stress and the phase of drought progression. PMID:23077204

Pepper protein phosphatase type 2C, CaADIP1 and its interacting partner CaRLP1 antagonistically regulate ABA signalling and drought response.

PubMed

Lim, Chae Woo; Lee, Sung Chul

2016-07-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key phytohormone that regulates plant growth and developmental processes, including seed germination and stomatal closing. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of a novel type 2C protein phosphatase, CaADIP1 (Capsicum annuum ABA and Drought-Induced Protein phosphatase 1). The expression of CaADIP1 was induced in pepper leaves by ABA, drought and NaCl treatments. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing CaADIP1 (CaADIP1-OX) exhibited an ABA-hyposensitive and drought-susceptible phenotype. We used a yeast two-hybrid screening assay to identify CaRLP1 (Capsicum annuum RCAR-Like Protein 1), which interacts with CaADIP1 in the cytoplasm and nucleus. In contrast to CaADIP1-OX plants, CaRLP1-OX plants displayed an ABA-hypersensitive and drought-tolerant phenotype, which was characterized by low levels of transpirational water loss and increased expression of stress-responsive genes relative to those of wild-type plants. In CaADIP1-OX/CaRLP1-OX double transgenic plants, ectopic expression of the CaRLP1 gene led to strong suppression of CaADIP1-induced ABA hyposensitivity during the germinative and post-germinative stages, indicating that CaADIP1 and CaRLP1 act in the same signalling pathway and CaADIP1 functions downstream of CaRLP1. Our results indicate that CaADIP1 and its interacting partner CaRLP1 antagonistically regulate the ABA-dependent defense signalling response to drought stress. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Rose (Rosa hybrida) NAC Transcription Factor 3 Gene, RhNAC3, Involved in ABA Signaling Pathway Both in Rose and Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Lü, Peitao; Liu, Jitao; Gao, Junping; Zhang, Changqing

2014-01-01

Plant transcription factors involved in stress responses are generally classified by their involvement in either the abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent or the ABA-independent regulatory pathways. A stress-associated NAC gene from rose (Rosa hybrida), RhNAC3, was previously found to increase dehydration tolerance in both rose and Arabidopsis. However, the regulatory mechanism involved in RhNAC3 action is still not fully understood. In this study, we isolated and analyzed the upstream regulatory sequence of RhNAC3 and found many stress-related cis-elements to be present in the promoter, with five ABA-responsive element (ABRE) motifs being of particular interest. Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana plants transformed with the putative RhNAC3 promoter sequence fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene revealed that RhNAC3 is expressed at high basal levels in leaf guard cells and in vascular tissues. Moreover, the ABRE motifs in the RhNAC3 promoter were observed to have a cumulative effect on the transcriptional activity of this gene both in the presence and absence of exogenous ABA. Overexpression of RhNAC3 in A. thaliana resulted in ABA hypersensitivity during seed germination and promoted leaf closure after ABA or drought treatments. Additionally, the expression of 11 ABA-responsive genes was induced to a greater degree by dehydration in the transgenic plants overexpressing RhNAC3 than control lines transformed with the vector alone. Further analysis revealed that all these genes contain NAC binding cis-elements in their promoter regions, and RhNAC3 was found to partially bind to these putative NAC recognition sites. We further found that of 219 A. thaliana genes previously shown by microarray analysis to be regulated by heterologous overexpression RhNAC3, 85 are responsive to ABA. In rose, the expression of genes downstream of the ABA-signaling pathways was also repressed in RhNAC3-silenced petals. Taken together, we propose that the rose RhNAC3 protein could mediate ABA signaling both in rose and in A. thaliana. PMID:25290154

The rose (Rosa hybrida) NAC transcription factor 3 gene, RhNAC3, involved in ABA signaling pathway both in rose and Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Jiang, Guimei; Jiang, Xinqiang; Lü, Peitao; Liu, Jitao; Gao, Junping; Zhang, Changqing

2014-01-01

Plant transcription factors involved in stress responses are generally classified by their involvement in either the abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent or the ABA-independent regulatory pathways. A stress-associated NAC gene from rose (Rosa hybrida), RhNAC3, was previously found to increase dehydration tolerance in both rose and Arabidopsis. However, the regulatory mechanism involved in RhNAC3 action is still not fully understood. In this study, we isolated and analyzed the upstream regulatory sequence of RhNAC3 and found many stress-related cis-elements to be present in the promoter, with five ABA-responsive element (ABRE) motifs being of particular interest. Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana plants transformed with the putative RhNAC3 promoter sequence fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene revealed that RhNAC3 is expressed at high basal levels in leaf guard cells and in vascular tissues. Moreover, the ABRE motifs in the RhNAC3 promoter were observed to have a cumulative effect on the transcriptional activity of this gene both in the presence and absence of exogenous ABA. Overexpression of RhNAC3 in A. thaliana resulted in ABA hypersensitivity during seed germination and promoted leaf closure after ABA or drought treatments. Additionally, the expression of 11 ABA-responsive genes was induced to a greater degree by dehydration in the transgenic plants overexpressing RhNAC3 than control lines transformed with the vector alone. Further analysis revealed that all these genes contain NAC binding cis-elements in their promoter regions, and RhNAC3 was found to partially bind to these putative NAC recognition sites. We further found that of 219 A. thaliana genes previously shown by microarray analysis to be regulated by heterologous overexpression RhNAC3, 85 are responsive to ABA. In rose, the expression of genes downstream of the ABA-signaling pathways was also repressed in RhNAC3-silenced petals. Taken together, we propose that the rose RhNAC3 protein could mediate ABA signaling both in rose and in A. thaliana.

Mechanistic Investigation of the Bypass of a Bulky Aromatic DNA Adduct Catalyzed by a Y-family DNA Polymerase

PubMed Central

Gadkari, Varun V.; Tokarsky, E. John; Malik, Chanchal K.; Basu, Ashis K.; Suo, Zucai

2014-01-01

3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA), a nitropolyaromatic hydrocarbon (NitroPAH) pollutant in diesel exhaust, is a potent mutagen and carcinogen. After metabolic activation, the primary metabolites of 3-NBA react with DNA to form dG and dA adducts. One of the three major adducts identified is N-(2’-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-3-aminobenzanthrone (dGC8-N-ABA). This bulky adduct likely stalls replicative DNA polymerases but can be traversed by lesion bypass polymerases in vivo. Here, we employed running start assays to show that a site-specifically placed dGC8-N-ABA is bypassed in vitro by Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4), a model Y-family DNA polymerase. However, the nucleotide incorporation rate of Dpo4 was significantly reduced opposite both the lesion and the template position immediately downstream from the lesion site, leading to two strong pause sites. To investigate the kinetic effect of dGC8-N-ABA on polymerization, we utilized pre-steady-state kinetic methods to determine the kinetic parameters for individual nucleotide incorporations upstream, opposite, and downstream from the dGC8-N-ABA lesion. Relative to the replication of the corresponding undamaged DNA template, both nucleotide incorporation efficiency and fidelity of Dpo4 were considerably decreased during dGC8-N-ABA lesion bypass and the subsequent extension step. The lower nucleotide incorporation efficiency caused by the lesion is a result of a significantly reduced dNTP incorporation rate constant and modestly weaker dNTP binding affinity. At both pause sites, nucleotide incorporation followed biphasic kinetics with a fast and a slow phase and their rates varied with nucleotide concentration. In contrast, only the fast phase was observed with undamaged DNA. A kinetic mechanism was proposed for the bypass of dGC8-N-ABA bypass catalyzed by Dpo4. PMID:25048879

Mechanistic investigation of the bypass of a bulky aromatic DNA adduct catalyzed by a Y-family DNA polymerase.

PubMed

Gadkari, Varun V; Tokarsky, E John; Malik, Chanchal K; Basu, Ashis K; Suo, Zucai

2014-09-01

3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA), a nitropolyaromatic hydrocarbon (NitroPAH) pollutant in diesel exhaust, is a potent mutagen and carcinogen. After metabolic activation, the primary metabolites of 3-NBA react with DNA to form dG and dA adducts. One of the three major adducts identified is N-(2'-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-3-aminobenzanthrone (dG(C8-N-ABA)). This bulky adduct likely stalls replicative DNA polymerases but can be traversed by lesion bypass polymerases in vivo. Here, we employed running start assays to show that a site-specifically placed dG(C8-N-ABA) is bypassed in vitro by Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4), a model Y-family DNA polymerase. However, the nucleotide incorporation rate of Dpo4 was significantly reduced opposite both the lesion and the template position immediately downstream from the lesion site, leading to two strong pause sites. To investigate the kinetic effect of dG(C8-N-ABA) on polymerization, we utilized pre-steady-state kinetic methods to determine the kinetic parameters for individual nucleotide incorporations upstream, opposite, and downstream from the dG(C8-N-ABA) lesion. Relative to the replication of the corresponding undamaged DNA template, both nucleotide incorporation efficiency and fidelity of Dpo4 were considerably decreased during dG(C8-N-ABA) lesion bypass and the subsequent extension step. The lower nucleotide incorporation efficiency caused by the lesion is a result of a significantly reduced dNTP incorporation rate constant and modestly weaker dNTP binding affinity. At both pause sites, nucleotide incorporation followed biphasic kinetics with a fast and a slow phase and their rates varied with nucleotide concentration. In contrast, only the fast phase was observed with undamaged DNA. A kinetic mechanism was proposed for the bypass of dG(C8-N-ABA) bypass catalyzed by Dpo4. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flavonoid Accumulation Plays an Important Role in the Rust Resistance of Malus Plant Leaves.

PubMed

Lu, Yanfen; Chen, Qi; Bu, Yufen; Luo, Rui; Hao, Suxiao; Zhang, Jie; Tian, Ji; Yao, Yuncong

2017-01-01

Cedar-apple rust ( Gymnosporangium yamadai Miyabe) is a fungal disease that causes substantial injury to apple trees and results in fruit with reduced size and quality and a lower commercial value. The molecular mechanisms underlying the primary and secondary metabolic effects of rust spots on the leaves of Malus apple cultivars are poorly understood. Using HPLC, we found that the contents of flavonoid compounds, especially anthocyanin and catechin, were significantly increased in rust-infected symptomatic tissue (RIT). The expression levels of structural genes and MYB transcription factors related to flavonoid biosynthesis were one- to seven-fold higher in the RIT. Among these genes, CHS, DFR, ANS, FLS and MYB10 showed more than a 10-fold increase, suggesting that these genes were expressed at significantly higher levels in the RIT. Hormone concentration assays showed that the levels of abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ETH), jasmonate (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) were higher in the RIT and were consistent with the expression levels of McNCED, McACS, McLOX and McNPR1 , respectively. Our study explored the complicated crosstalk of the signal transduction pathways of ABA, ETH, JA and SA; the primary metabolism of glucose, sucrose, fructose and sorbitol; and the secondary metabolism of flavonoids involved in the rust resistance of Malus crabapple leaves.

Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 4): Milan Army Ammunition Plant, Milan, TN, March 11, 1998

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-09-01

This decision document presents the selected action for the Salvage Yard, Former Ammunition Burnout Area (ABA), and Sanitary Landfill at MLAAP, located in Gibson and Carroll Counties, TN. This ROD addresses the final response action planned for the Salvage Yard, Former ABA, and Sanitary Landfill, including soil and groundwater. NFA is the selected remedy for soil and groundwater at the Salvage Yard, Former ABA, and Sanitary landfill. The selected remedy manages the risk to acceptable levels for both human health and the environment and is the final action planned.

Suppression Subtractive Hybridization Analysis of Genes Regulated by Application of Exogenous Abscisic Acid in Pepper Plant (Capsicum annuum L.) Leaves under Chilling Stress.

PubMed

Guo, Wei-Li; Chen, Ru-Gang; Gong, Zhen-Hui; Yin, Yan-Xu; Li, Da-Wei

2013-01-01

Low temperature is one of the major factors limiting pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) production during winter and early spring in non-tropical regions. Application of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) effectively alleviates the symptoms of chilling injury, such as wilting and formation of necrotic lesions on pepper leaves; however, the underlying molecular mechanism is not understood. The aim of this study was to identify genes that are differentially up- or downregulated in ABA-pretreated hot pepper seedlings incubated at 6°C for 48 h, using a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method. A total of 235 high-quality ESTs were isolated, clustered and assembled into a collection of 73 unigenes including 18 contigs and 55 singletons. A total of 37 unigenes (50.68%) showed similarities to genes with known functions in the non-redundant database; the other 36 unigenes (49.32%) showed low similarities or unknown functions. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the 37 unigenes could be classified into nine functional categories. The expression profiles of 18 selected genes were analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR; the expression levels of 10 of these genes were at least two-fold higher in the ABA-pretreated seedlings under chilling stress than water-pretreated (control) plants under chilling stress. In contrast, the other eight genes were downregulated in ABA-pretreated seedlings under chilling stress, with expression levels that were one-third or less of the levels observed in control seedlings under chilling stress. These results suggest that ABA can positively and negatively regulate genes in pepper plants under chilling stress.

Overexpression of a Common Wheat Gene TaSnRK2.8 Enhances Tolerance to Drought, Salt and Low Temperature in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hongying; Mao, Xinguo; Wang, Chengshe; Jing, Ruilian

2010-01-01

Drought, salinity and low temperatures are major factors limiting crop productivity and quality. Sucrose non-fermenting1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) plays a key role in abiotic stress signaling in plants. In this study, TaSnRK2.8, a SnRK2 member in wheat, was cloned and its functions under multi-stress conditions were characterized. Subcellular localization showed the presence of TaSnRK2.8 in the cell membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus. Expression pattern analyses in wheat revealed that TaSnRK2.8 was involved in response to PEG, NaCl and cold stresses, and possibly participates in ABA-dependent signal transduction pathways. To investigate its role under various environmental stresses, TaSnRK2.8 was transferred to Arabidopsis under control of the CaMV-35S promoter. Overexpression of TaSnRK2.8 resulted in enhanced tolerance to drought, salt and cold stresses, further confirmed by longer primary roots and various physiological characteristics, including higher relative water content, strengthened cell membrane stability, significantly lower osmotic potential, more chlorophyll content, and enhanced PSII activity. Meanwhile, TaSnRK2.8 plants had significantly lower total soluble sugar levels under normal growing conditions, suggesting that TaSnRK2.8 might be involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Moreover, the transcript levels of ABA biosynthesis (ABA1, ABA2), ABA signaling (ABI3, ABI4, ABI5), stress-responsive genes, including two ABA-dependent genes (RD20A, RD29B) and three ABA-independent genes (CBF1, CBF2, CBF3), were generally higher in TaSnRK2.8 plants than in WT/GFP controls under normal/stress conditions. Our results suggest that TaSnRK2.8 may act as a regulatory factor involved in a multiple stress response pathways. PMID:21209856

Immunolocalization of IAA and ABA in roots and needles of radiata pine (Pinus radiata) during drought and rewatering.

PubMed

De Diego, N; Rodríguez, J L; Dodd, I C; Pérez-Alfocea, F; Moncaleán, P; Lacuesta, M

2013-05-01

Anatomical, physiological and phytohormonal changes involved in drought tolerance were examined in different Pinus radiata D. Don breeds subjected to soil drying and rewatering. Breeds with the smallest stomatal chamber size had the lowest transpiration rate and the highest intrinsic water-use efficiency. Xylem cell size was positively correlated with leaf hydraulic conductance and needle indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) concentrations, whereas transpiration rate was negatively correlated with needle abscisic acid (ABA) levels. Since these two phytohormones seem important in regulating the P. radiata drought response, they were simultaneously immunolocalized in roots and needles of the most tolerant breed (P. radiata var. radiata × var. cedrosensis) during two sequential drought cycles and after rewatering. During drought, IAA was unequally distributed into the pointed area of the needle cross-section and mainly located in mesophyll and vascular tissue cells of needles, possibly inducing needle epinasty, whereas ABA was principally located in guard cells, presumably to elicit stomata closure. In the roots, at the end of the first drought cycle, while strong IAA accumulation was observed in the cortex, ABA levels decreased probably due to translocation to the leaves. Rewatering modified the distribution of both IAA and ABA in the needles, causing an accumulation principally in vascular tissue, with residual concentrations in mesophyll, likely favouring the acclimatization of the plants for further drought cycles. Contrarily, in the roots IAA and ABA were located in the exodermis, a natural barrier that regulates the phytohormone translocation to other plant tissues and hormone losses to the soil solution after rewatering. These results confirm that immunolocalization is an efficient tool to understand the translocation of IAA and ABA in plants subjected to different water stress situations, and clarify their role in regulating physiological responses such as stomata closure and epinasty in needles and root development.

Increasing carbon availability stimulates growth and secondary metabolites via modulation of phytohormones in winter wheat.

PubMed

Huang, Jianbei; Reichelt, Michael; Chowdhury, Somak; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Hartmann, Henrik

2017-02-01

Phytohormones play important roles in plant acclimation to changes in environmental conditions. However, their role in whole-plant regulation of growth and secondary metabolite production under increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2]) is uncertain but crucially important for understanding plant responses to abiotic stresses. We grew winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) under three [CO2] (170, 390, and 680 ppm) over 10 weeks, and measured gas exchange, relative growth rate (RGR), soluble sugars, secondary metabolites, and phytohormones including abscisic acid (ABA), auxin (IAA), jasmonic acid (JA), and salicylic acid (SA) at the whole-plant level. Our results show that, at the whole-plant level, RGR positively correlated with IAA but not ABA, and secondary metabolites positively correlated with JA and JA-Ile but not SA. Moreover, soluble sugars positively correlated with IAA and JA but not ABA and SA. We conclude that increasing carbon availability stimulates growth and production of secondary metabolites via up-regulation of auxin and jasmonate levels, probably in response to sugar-mediated signalling. Future low [CO2] studies should address the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in leaf ABA and SA biosynthesis, and at the transcriptional level should focus on biosynthetic and, in particular, on responsive genes involved in [CO2]-induced hormonal signalling pathways. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Abscisic Acid Signaling and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants: A Review on Current Knowledge and Future Prospects

PubMed Central

Vishwakarma, Kanchan; Upadhyay, Neha; Kumar, Nitin; Yadav, Gaurav; Singh, Jaspreet; Mishra, Rohit K.; Kumar, Vivek; Verma, Rishi; Upadhyay, R. G.; Pandey, Mayank; Sharma, Shivesh

2017-01-01

Abiotic stress is one of the severe stresses of environment that lowers the growth and yield of any crop even on irrigated land throughout the world. A major phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays an essential part in acting toward varied range of stresses like heavy metal stress, drought, thermal or heat stress, high level of salinity, low temperature, and radiation stress. Its role is also elaborated in various developmental processes including seed germination, seed dormancy, and closure of stomata. ABA acts by modifying the expression level of gene and subsequent analysis of cis- and trans-acting regulatory elements of responsive promoters. It also interacts with the signaling molecules of processes involved in stress response and development of seeds. On the whole, the stress to a plant can be susceptible or tolerant by taking into account the coordinated activities of various stress-responsive genes. Numbers of transcription factor are involved in regulating the expression of ABA responsive genes by acting together with their respective cis-acting elements. Hence, for improvement in stress-tolerance capacity of plants, it is necessary to understand the mechanism behind it. On this ground, this article enlightens the importance and role of ABA signaling with regard to various stresses as well as regulation of ABA biosynthetic pathway along with the transcription factors for stress tolerance. PMID:28265276

The Arabidopsis mutant, fy-1, has an ABA-insensitive germination phenotype.

PubMed

Jiang, Shiling; Kumar, Santosh; Eu, Young-Jae; Jami, Sravan Kumar; Stasolla, Claudio; Hill, Robert D

2012-04-01

Arabidopsis FY, a homologue of the yeast RNA 3' processing factor Pfs2p, regulates the autonomous floral transition pathway through its interaction with FCA, an RNA binding protein. It is demonstrated here that FY also influences seed dormancy. Freshly-harvested seed of the Arabidopsis fy-1 mutant germinated readily in the absence of stratification or after-ripening. Furthermore, the fy-1 mutant showed less ABA sensitivity compared with the wild type, Ler, under identical conditions. Freshly-harvested seed of fy-1 had significantly higher ABA levels than Ler, even though Ler was dormant and fy-1 germinated readily. The PPLPP domains of FY, which are required for flowering control, were not essential for the ABA-influenced repression of germination. FLC expression analysis in seeds of different genotypes suggested that the effect of FY on dormancy may not be elicited through FLC. No significant differences in CYP707A1, CYP707A2, NCED9, ABI3, and ABI4 were observed between freshly-harvested Ler and fy-1 imbibed for 48 h. GA3ox1 and GA3ox2 rapidly increased over the 48 h imbibition period for fy-1, with no significant increases in these transcripts for Ler. ABI5 levels were significantly lower in fy-1 over the 48 h imbibition period. The results suggest that FY is involved in the development of dormancy and ABA sensitivity in Arabidopsis seed.

PBIS May Not Qualify as Classical Applied Behavior Analysis. So What?

PubMed

Critchfield, Thomas S

2015-05-01

Some disagreement exists over whether Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) embodies the features of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as described in a classic 1968 paper by Baer, Wolf, and Risley. When it comes to disseminating interventions at a societal level, a more compelling issue is whether ABA should become more like PBIS.

Isolation and characterization of an osmotic stress and ABA induced histone deacetylase in Arachis hygogaea

PubMed Central

Su, Liang-Chen; Deng, Bin; Liu, Shuai; Li, Li-Mei; Hu, Bo; Zhong, Yu-Ting; Li, Ling

2015-01-01

Histone acetylation, which together with histone methylation regulates gene activity in response to stress, is an important epigenetic modification. There is an increasing research focus on histone acetylation in crops, but there is no information to date in peanut (Arachis hypogaea). We showed that osmotic stress and ABA affect the acetylation of histone H3 loci in peanut seedlings by immunoblotting experiments. Using RNA-seq data for peanut, we found a RPD3/HDA1-like superfamily histone deacetylase (HDAC), termed AhHDA1, whose gene is up-regulated by PEG-induced water limitation and ABA signaling. We isolated and characterized AhHDA1 from A. hypogaea, showing that AhHDA1 is very similar to an Arabidopsis HDAC (AtHDA6) and, in recombinant form, possesses HDAC activity. To understand whether and how osmotic stress and ABA mediate the peanut stress response by epigenetics, the expression of AhHDA1 and stress-responsive genes following treatment with PEG, ABA, and the specific HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) were analyzed. AhHDA1 transcript levels were enhanced by all three treatments, as was expression of peanut transcription factor genes, indicating that AhHDA1 might be involved in the epigenetic regulation of stress resistance genes that comprise the responses to osmotic stress and ABA. PMID:26217363

Bacteria isolated from roots and rhizosphere of Vitis vinifera retard water losses, induce abscisic acid accumulation and synthesis of defense-related terpenes in in vitro cultured grapevine.

PubMed

Salomon, María Victoria; Bottini, Rubén; de Souza Filho, Gonçalo Apolinário; Cohen, Ana Carmen; Moreno, Daniela; Gil, Mariana; Piccoli, Patricia

2014-08-01

Eleven bacterial strains were isolated at different soil depths from roots and rhizosphere of grapevines from a commercial vineyard. By 16S rRNA gene sequencing 10 different genera and 8 possible at species level were identified. From them, Bacillus licheniformis Rt4M10 and Pseudomonas fluorescens Rt6M10 were selected according to their characteristics as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Both produced abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and the gibberellins A1 and A3 in chemically-defined medium. They also colonized roots of in vitro grown Vitis vinifera cv. Malbec plants. As result of bacterization ABA levels in 45 days-old in vitro plants were increased 76-fold by B. licheniformis and 40-fold by P. fluorescens as compared to controls. Both bacteria diminished plant water loss rate in correlation with increments of ABA. Twenty and 30 days post bacterization the plants incremented terpenes. The monoterpenes α-pinene, terpinolene, 4-carene, limonene, eucalyptol and lilac aldehyde A, and the sesquiterpenes α-bergamotene, α-farnesene, nerolidol and farnesol were assessed by gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry analysis. α-Pinene and nerolidol were the most abundant (µg per g of tissue in plants bacterized with P. fluorescens). Only α-pinene, eucalyptol and farnesol were identified at low concentration in non-bacterized plants treated with ABA, while no terpenes were detected in controls. The results obtained along with others from literature suggest that B. licheniformis and P. fluorescens act as stress alleviators by inducing ABA synthesis so diminishing water losses. These bacteria also elicit synthesis of compounds of plant defense via an ABA independent mechanism. © 2013 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Calcium partitioning and allocation and blossom-end rot development in tomato plants in response to whole-plant and fruit-specific abscisic acid treatments.

PubMed

Tonetto de Freitas, Sergio; McElrone, Andrew J; Shackel, Kenneth A; Mitcham, Elizabeth J

2014-01-01

The mechanisms regulating Ca(2+) partitioning and allocation in plants and fruit remain poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to determine Ca(2+) partitioning and allocation in tomato plants and fruit in response to whole-plant and fruit-specific abscisic acid (ABA) treatments, as well as to analyse the effect of changes in Ca(2+) partitioning and allocation on fruit susceptibility to the Ca(2+) deficiency disorder blossom-end rot (BER) under water stress conditions. Tomato plants of the cultivar Ace 55 (Vf) were grown in a greenhouse and exposed to low Ca(2+) conditions during fruit growth and development. Starting 1 day after pollination (DAP), the following treatments were initiated: (i) whole plants were sprayed weekly with deionized water (control) or (ii) with 500mg l(-1) ABA; or fruit on each plant were dipped weekly (iii) in deionized water (control) or (iv) in 500mg l(-1) ABA. At 15 DAP, BER was completely prevented by whole-plant or fruit-specific ABA treatments, whereas plants or fruit treated with water had 16-19% BER incidence. At 30 DAP, BER was prevented by the whole-plant ABA treatment, whereas fruit dipped in ABA had a 16% and water-treated plants or fruit had a 36-40% incidence of BER. The results showed that spraying the whole plant with ABA increases xylem sap flow and Ca(2+) movement into the fruit, resulting in higher fruit tissue and water-soluble apoplastic Ca(2+) concentrations that prevent BER development. Although fruit-specific ABA treatment had no effect on xylem sap flow rates or Ca(2+) movement into the fruit, it increased fruit tissue water-soluble apoplastic Ca(2+) concentrations and reduced fruit susceptibility to BER to a lesser extent.

Calcium partitioning and allocation and blossom-end rot development in tomato plants in response to whole-plant and fruit-specific abscisic acid treatments

PubMed Central

Tonetto de Freitas, Sergio

2014-01-01

The mechanisms regulating Ca2+ partitioning and allocation in plants and fruit remain poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to determine Ca2+ partitioning and allocation in tomato plants and fruit in response to whole-plant and fruit-specific abscisic acid (ABA) treatments, as well as to analyse the effect of changes in Ca2+ partitioning and allocation on fruit susceptibility to the Ca2+ deficiency disorder blossom-end rot (BER) under water stress conditions. Tomato plants of the cultivar Ace 55 (Vf) were grown in a greenhouse and exposed to low Ca2+ conditions during fruit growth and development. Starting 1 day after pollination (DAP), the following treatments were initiated: (i) whole plants were sprayed weekly with deionized water (control) or (ii) with 500mg l−1 ABA; or fruit on each plant were dipped weekly (iii) in deionized water (control) or (iv) in 500mg l−1 ABA. At 15 DAP, BER was completely prevented by whole-plant or fruit-specific ABA treatments, whereas plants or fruit treated with water had 16–19% BER incidence. At 30 DAP, BER was prevented by the whole-plant ABA treatment, whereas fruit dipped in ABA had a 16% and water-treated plants or fruit had a 36–40% incidence of BER. The results showed that spraying the whole plant with ABA increases xylem sap flow and Ca2+ movement into the fruit, resulting in higher fruit tissue and water-soluble apoplastic Ca2+ concentrations that prevent BER development. Although fruit-specific ABA treatment had no effect on xylem sap flow rates or Ca2+ movement into the fruit, it increased fruit tissue water-soluble apoplastic Ca2+ concentrations and reduced fruit susceptibility to BER to a lesser extent. PMID:24220654

CDPKs CPK6 and CPK3 Function in ABA Regulation of Guard Cell S-Type Anion- and Ca2+- Permeable Channels and Stomatal Closure

PubMed Central

Munemasa, Shintaro; Wang, Yong-Fei; Andreoli, Shannon; Tiriac, Hervé; Alonso, Jose M; Harper, Jeffery F; Ecker, Joseph R; Kwak, June M; Schroeder, Julian I

2006-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction has been proposed to utilize cytosolic Ca2+ in guard cell ion channel regulation. However, genetic mutants in Ca2+ sensors that impair guard cell or plant ion channel signaling responses have not been identified, and whether Ca2+-independent ABA signaling mechanisms suffice for a full response remains unclear. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) have been proposed to contribute to central signal transduction responses in plants. However, no Arabidopsis CDPK gene disruption mutant phenotype has been reported to date, likely due to overlapping redundancies in CDPKs. Two Arabidopsis guard cell–expressed CDPK genes, CPK3 and CPK6, showed gene disruption phenotypes. ABA and Ca2+ activation of slow-type anion channels and, interestingly, ABA activation of plasma membrane Ca2+-permeable channels were impaired in independent alleles of single and double cpk3cpk6 mutant guard cells. Furthermore, ABA- and Ca2+-induced stomatal closing were partially impaired in these cpk3cpk6 mutant alleles. However, rapid-type anion channel current activity was not affected, consistent with the partial stomatal closing response in double mutants via a proposed branched signaling network. Imposed Ca2+ oscillation experiments revealed that Ca2+-reactive stomatal closure was reduced in CDPK double mutant plants. However, long-lasting Ca2+-programmed stomatal closure was not impaired, providing genetic evidence for a functional separation of these two modes of Ca2+-induced stomatal closing. Our findings show important functions of the CPK6 and CPK3 CDPKs in guard cell ion channel regulation and provide genetic evidence for calcium sensors that transduce stomatal ABA signaling. PMID:17032064

Combination of individual tree detection and area-based approach in imputation of forest variables using airborne laser data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vastaranta, Mikko; Kankare, Ville; Holopainen, Markus; Yu, Xiaowei; Hyyppä, Juha; Hyyppä, Hannu

2012-01-01

The two main approaches to deriving forest variables from laser-scanning data are the statistical area-based approach (ABA) and individual tree detection (ITD). With ITD it is feasible to acquire single tree information, as in field measurements. Here, ITD was used for measuring training data for the ABA. In addition to automatic ITD (ITD auto), we tested a combination of ITD auto and visual interpretation (ITD visual). ITD visual had two stages: in the first, ITD auto was carried out and in the second, the results of the ITD auto were visually corrected by interpreting three-dimensional laser point clouds. The field data comprised 509 circular plots ( r = 10 m) that were divided equally for testing and training. ITD-derived forest variables were used for training the ABA and the accuracies of the k-most similar neighbor ( k-MSN) imputations were evaluated and compared with the ABA trained with traditional measurements. The root-mean-squared error (RMSE) in the mean volume was 24.8%, 25.9%, and 27.2% with the ABA trained with field measurements, ITD auto, and ITD visual, respectively. When ITD methods were applied in acquiring training data, the mean volume, basal area, and basal area-weighted mean diameter were underestimated in the ABA by 2.7-9.2%. This project constituted a pilot study for using ITD measurements as training data for the ABA. Further studies are needed to reduce the bias and to determine the accuracy obtained in imputation of species-specific variables. The method could be applied in areas with sparse road networks or when the costs of fieldwork must be minimized.

Is ABA involved in tolerance responses to salinity by affecting cytoplasm ion homeostasis in rice cell lines?

PubMed

Pons, Raül; Cornejo, María Jesús; Sanz, Amparo

2013-01-01

The ability of plant cells to maintain cytoplasm ion homeostasis under saline stress is among the main mechanisms involved in salt tolerance. To cope with excess Na(+), cells extrude it from the cytoplasm, which requires expenditure of metabolic energy, provided by H(+) gradients generated by membrane-bound H(+)-pumps. ABA is well-known to be involved in physiological processes elicited or enhanced by stresses causing cell dehydration. In this work we studied the possible implication of this plant hormone in the control of salt-induced cellular mechanisms conducting to Na(+) extrusion from the cytoplasm. We used rice (Oryza sativa L.) cell lines selected for their different tolerance to salinity to measure the response to ABA of H(+)-pumps and Na(+)/H(+)-antiporters associated to the plasma membrane and the tonoplast. Our results show that ABA generally enhances H(+)-pumping under salt stress but not under control conditions. This effect occurs to a higher extent across the tonoplast in the more tolerant lines (L-T). Na(+)/H(+) antiport activity is practically undetectable in calli under control conditions, pre-treated or not with ABA, but shows a strong activation under salinity across the tonoplast, particularly in L-T lines (cv Bahia) and also across de plasma membrane in cv Bomba. In these lines, prior treatments with ABA tend to reduce the NaCl enhanced activity of both antiporters. Overall, under saline conditions ABA seems to affect synergistically H(+) pumping and antagonistically Na(+) extrusion. A complex network of positive and negative regulatory signals seems involved in restoring ion cell homeostasis under salt stress. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Effect of exogenous abscisic acid on morphology, growth and nutrient uptake of rice (Oryza sativa) roots under simulated acid rain stress.

PubMed

Liu, Hongyue; Ren, Xiaoqian; Zhu, Jiuzheng; Wu, Xi; Liang, Chanjuan

2018-05-31

Application of proper ABA can improve acid tolerance of rice roots by balancing endogenous hormones and promoting nutrient uptake. Abscisic acid (ABA) has an important signaling role in enhancing plant tolerance to environmental stress. To alleviate the inhibition on plant growth and productivity caused by acid rain, it is crucial to clarify the regulating mechanism of ABA on adaptation of plants to acid rain. Here, we studied the effects of exogenously applied ABA on nutrients uptake of rice roots under simulated acid rain (SAR) stress from physiological, biochemical and molecular aspects. Compared to the single SAR treatment (pH 4.5 or 3.5), exogenous 10 μM ABA alleviated the SAR-induced inhibition of root growth by balancing endogenous hormones (abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, gibberellic acid and zeatin), promoting nutrient uptake (nitrate, P, K and Mg) in rice roots, and increasing the activity of the plasma membrane H + -ATPase by up-regulating expression levels of genes (OSA2, OSA4, OSA9 and OSA10). However, exogenous 100 μM ABA exacerbated the SAR-caused inhibition of root growth by disrupting the balance of endogenous hormones, and inhibiting nutrient uptake (nitrate, P, K, Ca and Mg) through decreasing the activity of the plasma membrane H + -ATPase. These results indicate that proper concentration of exogenous ABA could enhance tolerance of rice roots to SAR stress by promoting nutrients uptake and balancing endogenous hormones.

Negative regulation of ABA signaling by WRKY33 is critical for Arabidopsis immunity towards Botrytis cinerea 2100

PubMed Central

Liu, Shouan; Kracher, Barbara; Ziegler, Jörg; Birkenbihl, Rainer P; Somssich, Imre E

2015-01-01

The Arabidopsis mutant wrky33 is highly susceptible to Botrytis cinerea. We identified >1680 Botrytis-induced WRKY33 binding sites associated with 1576 Arabidopsis genes. Transcriptional profiling defined 318 functional direct target genes at 14 hr post inoculation. Comparative analyses revealed that WRKY33 possesses dual functionality acting either as a repressor or as an activator in a promoter-context dependent manner. We confirmed known WRKY33 targets involved in hormone signaling and phytoalexin biosynthesis, but also uncovered a novel negative role of abscisic acid (ABA) in resistance towards B. cinerea 2100. The ABA biosynthesis genes NCED3 and NCED5 were identified as direct targets required for WRKY33-mediated resistance. Loss-of-WRKY33 function resulted in elevated ABA levels and genetic studies confirmed that WRKY33 acts upstream of NCED3/NCED5 to negatively regulate ABA biosynthesis. This study provides the first detailed view of the genome-wide contribution of a specific plant transcription factor in modulating the transcriptional network associated with plant immunity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07295.001 PMID:26076231

The Basic Leucine Zipper Transcription Factor ABSCISIC ACID RESPONSE ELEMENT-BINDING FACTOR2 Is an Important Transcriptional Regulator of Abscisic Acid-Dependent Grape Berry Ripening Processes1[W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Nicolas, Philippe; Lecourieux, David; Kappel, Christian; Cluzet, Stéphanie; Cramer, Grant; Delrot, Serge; Lecourieux, Fatma

2014-01-01

In grape (Vitis vinifera), abscisic acid (ABA) accumulates during fruit ripening and is thought to play a pivotal role in this process, but the molecular basis of this control is poorly understood. This work characterizes ABSCISIC ACID RESPONSE ELEMENT-BINDING FACTOR2 (VvABF2), a grape basic leucine zipper transcription factor belonging to a phylogenetic subgroup previously shown to be involved in ABA and abiotic stress signaling in other plant species. VvABF2 transcripts mainly accumulated in the berry, from the onset of ripening to the harvesting stage, and were up-regulated by ABA. Microarray analysis of transgenic grape cells overexpressing VvABF2 showed that this transcription factor up-regulates and/or modifies existing networks related to ABA responses. In addition, grape cells overexpressing VvABF2 exhibited enhanced responses to ABA treatment compared with control cells. Among the VvABF2-mediated responses highlighted in this study, the synthesis of phenolic compounds and cell wall softening were the most strongly affected. VvABF2 overexpression strongly increased the accumulation of stilbenes that play a role in plant defense and human health (resveratrol and piceid). In addition, the firmness of fruits from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants overexpressing VvABF2 was strongly reduced. These data indicate that VvABF2 is an important transcriptional regulator of ABA-dependent grape berry ripening. PMID:24276949

A leu-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinase, FaRIPK1, interacts with the ABA receptor, FaABAR, to regulate fruit ripening in strawberry.

PubMed

Hou, Bing-Zhu; Xu, Cheng; Shen, Yuan-Yue

2018-03-24

Strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa) is a model plant for studying non-climacteric fruit ripening regulated by abscisic acid (ABA); however, its exact molecular mechanisms are yet not fully understood. In this study, a predicted leu-rich repeat (LRR) receptor-like kinase in strawberry, red-initial protein kinase 1 (FaRIPK1), was screened and, using a yeast two-hybrid assay, was shown to interact with a putative ABA receptor, FaABAR. This association was confirmed by bimolecular fluorescence complementation and co-immunoprecipitation assays, and shown to occur in the nucleus. Expression analysis by real-time PCR showed that FaRIPK1 is expressed in roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit, with a particularly high expression in white fruit at the onset of coloration. Down-regulation of FaRIPK1 expression in strawberry fruit, using Tobacco rattle virus-induced gene silencing, inhibited ripening, as evidenced by suppression of ripening-related physiological changes and reduced expression of several genes involved in softening, sugar content, pigmentation, and ABA biosynthesis and signaling. The yeast-expressed LRR and STK (serine/threonine protein kinase) domains of FaRIPK1 bound ABA and showed kinase activity, respectively. A fruit disc-incubation test revealed that FaRIPK1 expression was induced by ABA and ethylene. The synergistic action of FaRIPK1 with FaABAR in regulation of strawberry fruit ripening is discussed.

The Arabidopsis MYB96 Transcription Factor Is a Positive Regulator of ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE4 in the Control of Seed Germination1

PubMed Central

Lee, Kyounghee; Lee, Hong Gil; Kim, Hyun Uk; Seo, Pil Joon

2015-01-01

Seed germination is a key developmental transition that initiates the plant life cycle. The timing of germination is determined by the coordinated action of two phytohormones, gibberellin and abscisic acid (ABA). In particular, ABA plays a key role in integrating environmental information and inhibiting the germination process. The utilization of embryonic lipid reserves contributes to seed germination by acting as an energy source, and ABA suppresses lipid degradation to modulate the germination process. Here, we report that the ABA-responsive R2R3-type MYB transcription factor MYB96, which is highly expressed in embryo, regulates seed germination by controlling the expression of ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE4 (ABI4) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). In the presence of ABA, germination was accelerated in MYB96-deficient myb96-1 seeds, whereas the process was significantly delayed in MYB96-overexpressing activation-tagging myb96-ox seeds. Consistently, myb96-1 seeds degraded a larger extent of lipid reserves even in the presence of ABA, while reduced lipid mobilization was observed in myb96-ox seeds. MYB96 directly regulates ABI4, which acts as a repressor of lipid breakdown, to define its spatial and temporal expression. Genetic analysis further demonstrated that ABI4 is epistatic to MYB96 in the control of seed germination. Taken together, the MYB96-ABI4 module regulates lipid mobilization specifically in the embryo to ensure proper seed germination under suboptimal conditions. PMID:25869652

Foliar Abscisic Acid-To-Ethylene Accumulation and Response Regulate Shoot Growth Sensitivity to Mild Drought in Wheat

PubMed Central

Valluru, Ravi; Davies, William J.; Reynolds, Matthew P.; Dodd, Ian C.

2016-01-01

Although, plant hormones play an important role in adjusting growth in response to environmental perturbation, the relative contributions of abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene remain elusive. Using six spring wheat genotypes differing for stress tolerance, we show that young seedlings of the drought-tolerant (DT) group maintained or increased shoot dry weight (SDW) while the drought-susceptible (DS) group decreased SDW in response to mild drought. Both the DT and DS groups increased endogenous ABA and ethylene concentrations under mild drought compared to control. The DT and DS groups exhibited different SDW response trends, whereby the DS group decreased while the DT group increased SDW, to increased concentrations of ABA and ethylene under mild drought, although both groups decreased ABA/ethylene ratio under mild drought albeit at different levels. We concluded that SDW of the DT and DS groups might be distinctly regulated by specific ABA:ethylene ratio. Further, a foliar-spray of low concentrations (0.1 μM) of ABA increased shoot relative growth rate (RGR) in the DS group while ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, ethylene precursor) spray increased RGR in both groups compared to control. Furthermore, the DT group accumulated a significantly higher galactose while a significantly lower maltose in the shoot compared to the DS group. Taken all together, these results suggest an impact of ABA, ethylene, and ABA:ethylene ratio on SDW of wheat seedlings that may partly underlie a genotypic variability of different shoot growth sensitivities to drought among crop species under field conditions. We propose that phenotyping based on hormone accumulation, response and hormonal ratio would be a viable, rapid, and an early–stage selection tool aiding genotype selection for stress tolerance. PMID:27148292

Stomatal closure of Pelargonium × hortorum in response to soil water deficit is associated with decreased leaf water potential only under rapid soil drying.

PubMed

Boyle, Richard K A; McAinsh, Martin; Dodd, Ian C

2016-01-01

Soil water deficits applied at different rates and for different durations can decrease both stomatal conductance (gs ) and leaf water potential (Ψleaf ). Understanding the physiological mechanisms regulating these responses is important in sustainable irrigation scheduling. Glasshouse-grown, containerized Pelargonium × hortorum BullsEye plants were irrigated either daily at various fractions of plant evapotranspiration (100, 75 and 50% ET) for 20 days or irrigation was withheld for 4 days. Xylem sap was collected and gs and Ψleaf were measured on days 15 and 20, and on days 16-19 for the respective treatments. Xylem sap pH and NO3 (-) and Ca(2+) concentrations did not differ between irrigation treatments. Xylem abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations ([ABA]xyl ) increased within 24 h of irrigation being withheld whilst gs and Ψleaf decreased. Supplying irrigation at a fraction of daily ET produced a similar relationship between [ABA]xyl and gs , but did not change Ψleaf . Treatment differences occurred independently of whether Ψleaf was measured in whole leaves with a pressure chamber, or in the lamina with a thermocouple psychrometer. Plants that were irrigated daily showed lower [ABA]xyl than plants from which irrigation was withheld, even at comparable soil moisture content. This implies that regular re-watering attenuates ABA signaling due to maintenance of soil moisture in the upper soil levels. Crucially, detached leaves supplied with synthetic ABA showed a similar relationship between [ABA]xyl and gs as intact plants, suggesting that stomatal closure of P. hortorum in response to soil water deficit is primarily an ABA-induced response, independent of changes in Ψleaf . © 2015 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

A 14-3-3 Family Protein from Wild Soybean (Glycine Soja) Regulates ABA Sensitivity in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Sun, Xiaoli; Sun, Mingzhe; Jia, Bowei; Chen, Chao; Qin, Zhiwei; Yang, Kejun; Shen, Yang; Meiping, Zhang; Mingyang, Cong; Zhu, Yanming

2015-01-01

It is widely accepted that the 14-3-3 family proteins are key regulators of multiple stress signal transduction cascades. By conducting genome-wide analysis, researchers have identified the soybean 14-3-3 family proteins; however, until now, there is still no direct genetic evidence showing the involvement of soybean 14-3-3s in ABA responses. Hence, in this study, based on the latest Glycine max genome on Phytozome v10.3, we initially analyzed the evolutionary relationship, genome organization, gene structure and duplication, and three-dimensional structure of soybean 14-3-3 family proteins systematically. Our results suggested that soybean 14-3-3 family was highly evolutionary conserved and possessed segmental duplication in evolution. Then, based on our previous functional characterization of a Glycine soja 14-3-3 protein GsGF14o in drought stress responses, we further investigated the expression characteristics of GsGF14o in detail, and demonstrated its positive roles in ABA sensitivity. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses in Glycine soja seedlings and GUS activity assays in PGsGF14O:GUS transgenic Arabidopsis showed that GsGF14o expression was moderately and rapidly induced by ABA treatment. As expected, GsGF14o overexpression in Arabidopsis augmented the ABA inhibition of seed germination and seedling growth, promoted the ABA induced stomata closure, and up-regulated the expression levels of ABA induced genes. Moreover, through yeast two hybrid analyses, we further demonstrated that GsGF14o physically interacted with the AREB/ABF transcription factors in yeast cells. Taken together, results presented in this study strongly suggested that GsGF14o played an important role in regulation of ABA sensitivity in Arabidopsis. PMID:26717241

Amplification of ABA biosynthesis and signaling through a positive feedback mechanism in seeds.

PubMed

Nonogaki, Mariko; Sall, Khadidiatou; Nambara, Eiji; Nonogaki, Hiroyuki

2014-05-01

Abscisic acid is an essential hormone for seed dormancy. Our previous study using the plant gene switch system, a chemically induced gene expression system, demonstrated that induction of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED), a rate-limiting ABA biosynthesis gene, was sufficient to suppress germination in imbibed Arabidopsis seeds. Here, we report development of an efficient experimental system that causes amplification of NCED expression during seed maturation. The system was created with a Triticum aestivum promoter containing ABA responsive elements (ABREs) and a Sorghum bicolor NCED to cause ABA-stimulated ABA biosynthesis and signaling, through a positive feedback mechanism. The chimeric gene pABRE:NCED enhanced NCED and ABF (ABRE-binding factor) expression in Arabidopsis Columbia-0 seeds, which caused 9- to 73-fold increases in ABA levels. The pABRE:NCED seeds exhibited unusually deep dormancy which lasted for more than 3 months. Interestingly, the amplified ABA pathways also caused enhanced expression of Arabidopsis NCED5, revealing the presence of positive feedback in the native system. These results demonstrated the robustness of positive feedback mechanisms and the significance of NCED expression, or single metabolic change, during seed maturation. The pABRE:NCED system provides an excellent experimental system producing dormant and non-dormant seeds of the same maternal origin, which differ only in zygotic ABA. The pABRE:NCED seeds contain a GFP marker which enables seed sorting between transgenic and null segregants and are ideal for comparative analysis. In addition to its utility in basic research, the system can also be applied to prevention of pre-harvest sprouting during crop production, and therefore contributes to translational biology. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How ABA block polymers activate cytochrome c in toluene: molecular dynamics simulation and experimental observation.

PubMed

Chen, Gong; Kong, Xian; Zhu, Jingying; Lu, Diannan; Liu, Zheng

2015-04-28

While the conjugation of enzymes with ABA copolymers has resulted in increased enzymatic activities in organic solvents, by several orders of magnitude, the underpinning mechanism has not been fully uncovered, particularly at the molecular level. In the present work, a coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation of cytochrome c (Cyt c) conjugated with a PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer (ABA) in toluene was simulated with Cyt c as a control. It is shown that the hydrophilic segments (PEO) of the conjugated block copolymer molecules tend to entangle around the hydrophilic patch of Cyt c, while the hydrophobic segments (PPO) extend into the toluene. At a lower temperature, the PEO tails tend to form a hairpin structure outside the conjugated protein, whereas the Cyt c-ABA conjugates tend to form larger aggregates. At a higher temperature, however, the PEO tails tend to adsorb onto the hydrophilic protein surface, thus improving the suspension of the Cyt c-ABA conjugates and, consequently, the contact with the substrate. Moreover, the temperature increase drives the conformational transition of the active site of Cyt c-ABA from an "inactive state" to an "activated state" and thus results in an enhanced activity. To validate the above simulations, Cyt c was conjugated to F127, an extensively used ABA copolymer. By elevating the temperature, a decrease in the average size of the Cyt c-F127 conjugates along with a great increase in the apparent activity in toluene was observed, as can be predicted from the molecular dynamics simulation. The above mentioned molecular simulations offer a molecular insight into the temperature-responsive behaviour of protein-ABA copolymers, which is helpful for the design and application of enzyme-polymer conjugates for industrial biocatalysis.

Functional mechanisms of drought tolerance in subtropical maize (Zea mays L.) identified using genome-wide association mapping.

PubMed

Thirunavukkarasu, Nepolean; Hossain, Firoz; Arora, Kanika; Sharma, Rinku; Shiriga, Kaliyugam; Mittal, Swati; Mohan, Sweta; Namratha, Pottekatt Mohanlal; Dogga, Sreelatha; Rani, Tikka Shobha; Katragadda, Sumalini; Rathore, Abhishek; Shah, Trushar; Mohapatra, Trilochan; Gupta, Hari Shankar

2014-12-24

Earlier studies were focused on the genetics of temperate and tropical maize under drought. We identified genetic loci and their association with functional mechanisms in 240 accessions of subtropical maize using a high-density marker set under water stress. Out of 61 significant SNPs (11 were false-discovery-rate-corrected associations), identified across agronomic traits, models, and locations by subjecting the accessions to water stress at flowering stage, 48% were associated with drought-tolerant genes. Maize gene models revealed that SNPs mapped for agronomic traits were in fact associated with number of functional traits as follows: stomatal closure, 28; flowering, 15; root development, 5; detoxification, 4; and reduced water potential, 2. Interactions of these SNPS through the functional traits could lead to drought tolerance. The SNPs associated with ABA-dependent signalling pathways played a major role in the plant's response to stress by regulating a series of functions including flowering, root development, auxin metabolism, guard cell functions, and scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). ABA signalling genes regulate flowering through epigenetic changes in stress-responsive genes. ROS generated by ABA signalling are reduced by the interplay between ethylene, ABA, and detoxification signalling transductions. Integration of ABA-signalling genes with auxin-inducible genes regulates root development which in turn, maintains the water balance by regulating electrochemical gradient in plant. Several genes are directly or indirectly involved in the functioning of agronomic traits related to water stress. Genes involved in these crucial biological functions interacted significantly in order to maintain the primary as well as exclusive functions related to coping with water stress. SNPs associated with drought-tolerant genes involved in strategic biological functions will be useful to understand the mechanisms of drought tolerance in subtropical maize.

Nitric oxide-activated calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase regulates the abscisic acid-induced antioxidant defence in maize

PubMed Central

Zhang, Aying; Jiang, Mingyi

2012-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and calcium (Ca2+)/calmodulin (CaM) are all required for abscisic acid (ABA)-induced antioxidant defence. Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) is a strong candidate for the decoder of Ca2+ signals. However, whether CCaMK is involved in ABA-induced antioxidant defence is unknown. The results of the present study show that exogenous and endogenous ABA induced increases in the activity of ZmCCaMK and the expression of ZmCCaMK in leaves of maize. Subcellular localization analysis showed that ZmCCaMK is located in the nucleus, the cytoplasm, and the plasma membrane. The transient expression of ZmCCaMK and the RNA interference (RNAi) silencing of ZmCCaMK analysis in maize protoplasts revealed that ZmCCaMK is required for ABA-induced antioxidant defence. Moreover, treatment with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) induced the activation of ZmCCaMK and the expression of ZmCCaMK. Pre-treatments with an NO scavenger and inhibitor blocked the ABA-induced increases in the activity and the transcript level of ZmCCaMK. Conversely, RNAi silencing of ZmCCaMK in maize protoplasts did not affect the ABA-induced NO production, which was further confirmed using a mutant of OsCCaMK, the homologous gene of ZmCCaMK in rice. Moreover, H2O2 was also required for the ABA activation of ZmCCaMK, and pre-treatments with an NO scavenger and inhibitor inhibited the H2O2-induced increase in the activity of ZmCCaMK. Taken together, the data clearly suggest that ZmCCaMK is required for ABA-induced antioxidant defence, and H2O2-dependent NO production plays an important role in the ABA-induced activation of ZmCCaMK. PMID:22865912

SlNCED1 and SlCYP707A2: key genes involved in ABA metabolism during tomato fruit ripening

PubMed Central

Ji, Kai; Kai, Wenbin; Zhao, Bo; Sun, Yufei; Yuan, Bing; Dai, Shengjie; Li, Qian; Chen, Pei; Wang, Ya; Pei, Yuelin; Wang, Hongqing; Guo, Yangdong; Leng, Ping

2014-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in fruit development and ripening. Here, three NCED genes encoding 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED, a key enzyme in the ABA biosynthetic pathway) and three CYP707A genes encoding ABA 8′-hydroxylase (a key enzyme in the oxidative catabolism of ABA) were identified in tomato fruit by tobacco rattle virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). Quantitative real-time PCR showed that VIGS-treated tomato fruits had significant reductions in target gene transcripts. In SlNCED1-RNAi-treated fruits, ripening slowed down, and the entire fruit turned to orange instead of red as in the control. In comparison, the downregulation of SlCYP707A2 expression in SlCYP707A2-silenced fruit could promote ripening; for example, colouring was quicker than in the control. Silencing SlNCED2/3 or SlCYP707A1/3 made no significant difference to fruit ripening comparing RNAi-treated fruits with control fruits. ABA accumulation and SlNCED1transcript levels in the SlNCED1-RNAi-treated fruit were downregulated to 21% and 19% of those in control fruit, respectively, but upregulated in SlCYP707A2-RNAi-treated fruit. Silencing SlNCED1 or SlCYP707A2 by VIGS significantly altered the transcripts of a set of both ABA-responsive and ripening-related genes, including ABA-signalling genes (PYL1, PP2C1, and SnRK2.2), lycopene-synthesis genes (SlBcyc, SlPSY1 and SlPDS), and cell wall-degrading genes (SlPG1, SlEXP, and SlXET) during ripening. These data indicate that SlNCED1 and SlCYP707A2 are key genes in the regulation of ABA synthesis and catabolism, and are involved in fruit ripening as positive and negative regulators, respectively. PMID:25039074

Transcriptional regulation of abscisic acid signal core components during cucumber seed germination and under Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, NaCl and simulated acid rain stresses.

PubMed

Wang, Yanping; Wang, Ya; Kai, Wenbin; Zhao, Bo; Chen, Pei; Sun, Liang; Ji, Kai; Li, Qian; Dai, Shengjie; Sun, Yufei; Wang, Yidong; Pei, Yuelin; Leng, Ping

2014-03-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone that regulates lots of physiological and biochemical processes in plant life cycle, especially in seed germination and stress responses. For exploring the transcriptional regulation of ABA signal transduction during cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seed germination and under Cu(2+), Zn(2+), NaCl and simulated acid rain stresses, nine CsPYLs, three group A CsPP2Cs and two subclass III CsSnRK2s were identified from cucumber genome, which respectively showed high sequence similarities and highly conserved domains with homologous genes in Arabidopsis. Based on Real-time PCR analysis, most of the tested genes' expression decreased during cucumber seed germination, which was in accordance with the ABA level variation. In addition, according to the absolute expression, CsPYL1, CsPYL3, CsPP2C5, CsABI1, CsSnRK2.3 and CsSnRK2.4 were highly expressed, indicating that they may play more important roles in ABA signaling during cucumber seed germination. Moreover, most of these highly expressed genes, except CsPYL3, were up-regulated by ABA treatment. Meanwhile, most of the tested genes' expression dramatically changed at the initial water uptake phase, indicating that this period may be critical in the regulation of ABA on seed germination. Under Cu(2+), Zn(2+), NaCl and simulated acid rain stresses, cucumber seed germination percentage decreased and ABA content increased. Meanwhile, the expression of ABA signal transduction core components genes showed specific response to a particular stress and was not always consist with ABA variation. Generally, the expression of CsPYL1, CsPYL3, CsABI1, CsSnRK2.3 and CsSnRK2.4 was sensitive to 120 mM NaCl and 0.5 mM Cu(2+) treatments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Physiological and molecular analysis of the interaction between aluminium toxicity and drought stress in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhong-Bao; Eticha, Dejene; Albacete, Alfonso; Rao, Idupulapati Madhusudana; Roitsch, Thomas; Horst, Walter Johannes

2012-01-01

Aluminium (Al) toxicity and drought are two major factors limiting common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) production in the tropics. Short-term effects of Al toxicity and drought stress on root growth in acid, Al-toxic soil were studied, with special emphasis on Al–drought interaction in the root apex. Root elongation was inhibited by both Al and drought. Combined stresses resulted in a more severe inhibition of root elongation than either stress alone. This result was different from the alleviation of Al toxicity by osmotic stress (–0.60 MPa polyethylene glycol) in hydroponics. However, drought reduced the impact of Al on the root tip, as indicated by the reduction of Al-induced callose formation and MATE expression. Combined Al and drought stress enhanced up-regulation of ACCO expression and synthesis of zeatin riboside, reduced drought-enhanced abscisic acid (ABA) concentration, and expression of NCED involved in ABA biosynthesis and the transcription factors bZIP and MYB, thus affecting the regulation of ABA-dependent genes (SUS, PvLEA18, KS-DHN, and LTP) in root tips. The results provide circumstantial evidence that in soil, drought alleviates Al injury, but Al renders the root apex more drought-sensitive, particularly by impacting the gene regulatory network involved in ABA signal transduction and cross-talk with other phytohormones necessary for maintaining root growth under drought. PMID:22371077

Singlet oxygen triggers chloroplast rupture and cell death in the zeaxanthin epoxidase defective mutant aba1 of Arabidopsis thaliana under high light stress.

PubMed

Sánchez-Corrionero, Álvaro; Sánchez-Vicente, Inmaculada; González-Pérez, Sergio; Corrales, Ascensión; Krieger-Liszkay, Anja; Lorenzo, Óscar; Arellano, Juan B

2017-09-01

The two Arabidopsis thaliana mutants, aba1 and max4, were previously identified as sharing a number of co-regulated genes with both the flu mutant and Arabidopsis cell suspension cultures exposed to high light (HL). On this basis, we investigated whether aba1 and max4 were generating high amounts of singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) and activating 1 O 2 -mediated cell death. Thylakoids of aba1 produced twice as much 1 O 2 as thylakoids of max4 and wild type (WT) plants when illuminated with strong red light. 1 O 2 was measured using the spin probe 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone hydrochloride. 77-K chlorophyll fluorescence emission spectra of thylakoids revealed lower aggregation of the light harvesting complex II in aba1. This was rationalized as a loss of connectivity between photosystem II (PSII) units and as the main cause for the high yield of 1 O 2 generation in aba1. Up-regulation of the 1 O 2 responsive gene AAA-ATPase was only observed with statistical significant in aba1 under HL. Two early jasmonate (JA)-responsive genes, JAZ1 and JAZ5, encoding for two repressor proteins involved in the negative feedback regulation of JA signalling, were not up-regulated to the WT plant levels. Chloroplast aggregation followed by chloroplast rupture and eventual cell death was observed by confocal imaging of the fluorescence emission of leaf cells of transgenic aba1 plants expressing the chimeric fusion protein SSU-GFP. Cell death was not associated with direct 1 O 2 cytotoxicity in aba1, but rather with a delayed stress response. In contrast, max4 did not show evidence of 1 O 2 -mediated cell death. In conclusion, aba1 may serve as an alternative model to other 1 O 2 -overproducing mutants of Arabidopsis for investigating 1 O 2 -mediated cell death. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Cannabinoid CB1 /CB2 receptor agonists attenuate hyperactivity and body weight loss in a rat model of activity-based anorexia.

PubMed

Scherma, Maria; Satta, Valentina; Collu, Roberto; Boi, Maria Francesca; Usai, Paolo; Fratta, Walter; Fadda, Paola

2017-08-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric condition characterized by excessive body weight loss and disturbed perceptions of body shape and size, often associated with excessive physical activity. There is currently no effective drug-related therapy of this disease and this leads to high relapse rate. Clinical data suggest that a promising therapy to treat and reduce reoccurrence of AN may be based on the use of drugs that target the endocannabinoid (EC) system, which appears dysregulated in AN patients. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) rodent model mimics the severe body weight loss and increased physical activity, as well as the neuroendocrine disturbances (i.e. hypoleptinaemia and hypercortisolaemia) in AN. This study investigated whether cannabinoid agonists can effectively modify anorexic-like behaviours and neuroendocrine changes in rats subjected to a repeated ABA regime that mimics the human condition in which patients repeatedly undergo a recovery and illness cycle. Our data show that subchronic treatment with both the natural CB 1 /CB 2 receptor agonist Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol and the synthetic CB 1 /CB 2 receptor agonist CP-55,940 significantly reduced body weight loss and running wheel activity in ABA rats. These behavioural effects were accompanied by an increase in leptin signalling and a decrease in plasma levels of corticosterone. Taken together, our results further demonstrate the involvement of the EC system in AN pathophysiology and that strategies which modulate EC signalling are useful to treat this disorder, specifically in patients where physical hyperactivity plays a central role in its progression and maintenance. © 2017 The British Pharmacological Society.

A dehydrin cognate protein from pea (Pisum sativum L.) with an atypical pattern of expression.

PubMed

Robertson, M; Chandler, P M

1994-11-01

Dehydrins are a family of proteins characterised by conserved amino acid motifs, and induced in plants by dehydration or treatment with ABA. An antiserum was raised against a synthetic oligopeptide based on the most highly conserved dehydrin amino acid motif, the lysine-rich (core sequence KIKEK-LPG). This antiserum detected a novel M(r) 40,000 polypeptide and enabled isolation of a corresponding cDNA clone, pPsB61 (B61). The deduced amino acid sequence contained two lysine-rich blocks, however the remainder of the sequenced differed markedly from other pea dehydrins. Surprisingly, the sequence contained a stretch of serine residues, a characteristic common to dehydrins from many plant species but which is missing in pea dehydrin. The expression patterns of B61 mRNA and polypeptide were distinctively different from those of the pea dehydrins during seed development, germination and in young seedlings exposed to dehydration stress or treated with ABA. In particular, dehydration stress led to slightly reduced levels of B61 RNA, and ABA application to young seedlings had no marked effect on its abundance. The M(r) 40,000 polypeptide is thus related to pea dehydrin by the presence of the most highly conserved amino acid sequence motifs, but lacks the characteristic expression pattern of dehydrin. By analogy with heat shock cognate proteins we refer to this protein as a dehydrin cognate.

Seed Hydropriming and Smoke Water Significantly Improve Low-Temperature Germination of Lupinus angustifolius L.

PubMed

Płażek, Agnieszka; Dubert, Franciszek; Kopeć, Przemysław; Dziurka, Michał; Kalandyk, Agnieszka; Pastuszak, Jakub; Wolko, Bogdan

2018-03-26

Seed imbibition under cold temperature is dangerous when dry seeds have relatively low water content. The aim of this study was to investigate germination of 20 lines/cultivars of narrow-leaf lupine at 7 °C (cold) and 13 °C (control) under the influence of smoke water and following seed hydropriming for 3 h at 20 °C. The efficacy of individual treatments was examined with regard to seed protection during low-temperature germination. Based on seed germination, vigour at cold was evaluated four days after sowing by means of hypocotyl length, the studied lines/cultivars were divided into three groups with low, high and very high germination rates. Germination vigour correlated with cell membrane permeability, dehydrogenase activity and abscisic acid (ABA) content and was analysed in the seeds one day after sowing. Gibberellin content did not correlate with germination vigour. The seeds of weakly germinating lines/cultivars had the highest cell permeability and ABA content as well as the lowest amylolytic activity at both studied temperatures. Additionally, the vigour of weakly germinating seeds at 7 °C correlated with dehydrogenase activity. Three-hour hydropriming was the most effective for seed germination under cold due to reduced cell membrane permeability and ABA level. Stimulating effects of smoke water on germination under cold could be explained by enhanced dehydrogenase activity.

Redox proteomics and physiological responses in Cistus albidus shrubs subjected to long-term summer drought followed by recovery.

PubMed

Brossa, Ricard; Pintó-Marijuan, Marta; Francisco, Rita; López-Carbonell, Marta; Chaves, Maria Manuela; Alegre, Leonor

2015-04-01

The interaction between enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, endogenous levels of ABA and ABA-GE, the rapid recuperation of photosynthetic proteins under re-watering as well the high level of antioxidant proteins in previously drought-stressed plants under re-watering conditions, will contribute to drought resistance in plants subjected to a long-term drought stress under Mediterranean field conditions. This work provides an overview of the mechanisms of Cistus albidus acclimation to long-term summer drought followed by re-watering in Mediterranean field conditions. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of drought resistance in these plants, a proteomic study using 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS was performed on leaves from these shrubs. The analysis identified 57 differentially expressed proteins in water-stressed plants when contrasted to well watered. Water-stressed plants showed an increase, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in HSPs, and downregulation of photosynthesis and carbon metabolism enzymes. Under drought conditions, there was considerable upregulation of enzymes related to redox homeostasis, DHA reductase, Glyoxalase, SOD and isoflavone reductase. However, upregulation of catalase was not observed until after re-watering was carried out. Drought treatment caused an enhancement in antioxidant defense responses that can be modulated by ABA, and its catabolites, ABA-GE, as well as JA. Furthermore, quantification of protein carbonylation was shown to be a useful marker of the relationship between water and oxidative stress, and showed that there was only moderate oxidative stress in C. albidus plants subjected to water stress. After re-watering plants recovered although the levels of ABA-GE and antioxidant enzymes still remain higher than in well-watered plants. We expect that our results will provide new data on summer acclimation to drought stress in Mediterranean shrubs.

Suppression Subtractive Hybridization Analysis of Genes Regulated by Application of Exogenous Abscisic Acid in Pepper Plant (Capsicum annuum L.) Leaves under Chilling Stress

PubMed Central

Gong, Zhen-Hui; Yin, Yan-Xu; Li, Da-Wei

2013-01-01

Low temperature is one of the major factors limiting pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) production during winter and early spring in non-tropical regions. Application of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) effectively alleviates the symptoms of chilling injury, such as wilting and formation of necrotic lesions on pepper leaves; however, the underlying molecular mechanism is not understood. The aim of this study was to identify genes that are differentially up- or downregulated in ABA-pretreated hot pepper seedlings incubated at 6°C for 48 h, using a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method. A total of 235 high-quality ESTs were isolated, clustered and assembled into a collection of 73 unigenes including 18 contigs and 55 singletons. A total of 37 unigenes (50.68%) showed similarities to genes with known functions in the non-redundant database; the other 36 unigenes (49.32%) showed low similarities or unknown functions. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the 37 unigenes could be classified into nine functional categories. The expression profiles of 18 selected genes were analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR; the expression levels of 10 of these genes were at least two-fold higher in the ABA-pretreated seedlings under chilling stress than water-pretreated (control) plants under chilling stress. In contrast, the other eight genes were downregulated in ABA-pretreated seedlings under chilling stress, with expression levels that were one-third or less of the levels observed in control seedlings under chilling stress. These results suggest that ABA can positively and negatively regulate genes in pepper plants under chilling stress. PMID:23825555

Lifting DELLA Repression of Arabidopsis Seed Germination by Nonproteolytic Gibberellin Signaling1[C][W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Ariizumi, Tohru; Hauvermale, Amber L.; Nelson, Sven K.; Hanada, Atsushi; Yamaguchi, Shinjiro; Steber, Camille M.

2013-01-01

DELLA repression of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seed germination can be lifted either through DELLA proteolysis by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway or through proteolysis-independent gibberellin (GA) hormone signaling. GA binding to the GIBBERELLIN-INSENSITIVE DWARF1 (GID1) GA receptors stimulates GID1-GA-DELLA complex formation, which in turn triggers DELLA protein ubiquitination and proteolysis via the SCFSLY1 E3 ubiquitin ligase and 26S proteasome. Although DELLA cannot be destroyed in the sleepy1-2 (sly1-2) F-box mutant, long dry after-ripening and GID1 overexpression can relieve the strong sly1-2 seed dormancy phenotype. It appears that sly1-2 seed dormancy results from abscisic acid (ABA) signaling downstream of DELLA, since dormant sly1-2 seeds accumulate high levels of ABA hormone and loss of ABA sensitivity rescues sly1-2 seed germination. DELLA positively regulates the expression of XERICO, an inducer of ABA biosynthesis. GID1b overexpression rescues sly1-2 germination through proteolysis-independent DELLA down-regulation associated with increased expression of GA-inducible genes and decreased ABA accumulation, apparently as a result of decreased XERICO messenger RNA levels. Higher levels of GID1 overexpression are associated with more efficient sly1 germination and increased GID1-GA-DELLA complex formation, suggesting that GID1 down-regulates DELLA through protein binding. After-ripening results in increased GA accumulation and GID1a-dependent GA signaling, suggesting that after-ripening triggers GA-stimulated GID1-GA-DELLA protein complex formation, which in turn blocks DELLA transcriptional activation of the XERICO inhibitor of seed germination. PMID:23818171

The regulator of G-protein signaling proteins involved in sugar and abscisic acid signaling in Arabidopsis seed germination.

PubMed

Chen, Yun; Ji, Fangfang; Xie, Hong; Liang, Jiansheng; Zhang, Jianhua

2006-01-01

The regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins, recently identified in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana; named as AtRGS1), has a predicted seven-transmembrane structure as well as an RGS box with GTPase-accelerating activity and thus desensitizes the G-protein-mediated signaling. The roles of AtRGS1 proteins in Arabidopsis seed germination and their possible interactions with sugars and abscisic acid (ABA) were investigated in this study. Using seeds that carry a null mutation in the genes encoding RGS protein (AtRGS1) and the alpha-subunit (AtGPA1) of the G protein in Arabidopsis (named rgs1-2 and gpa1-3, respectively), our genetic evidence proved the involvement of the AtRGS1 protein in the modulation of seed germination. In contrast to wild-type Columbia-0 and gpa1-3, stratification was found not to be required and the after-ripening process had no effect on the rgs1-2 seed germination. In addition, rgs1-2 seed germination was insensitive to glucose (Glc) and sucrose. The insensitivities of rgs1-2 to Glc and sucrose were not due to a possible osmotic stress because the germination of rgs1-2 mutant seeds showed the same response as those of gpa1-3 mutants and wild type when treated with the same concentrations of mannitol and sorbitol. The gpa1-3 seed germination was hypersensitive while rgs1-2 was less sensitive to exogenous ABA. The different responses to ABA largely diminished and the inhibitory effects on seed germination by exogenous ABA and Glc were markedly alleviated when endogenous ABA biosynthesis was inhibited. Hypersensitive responses of seed germination to both Glc and ABA were also observed in the overexpressor of AtRGS1. Analysis of the active endogenous ABA levels and the expression of NCED3 and ABA2 genes showed that Glc significantly stimulated the ABA biosynthesis and increased the expression of NCED3 and ABA2 genes in germinating Columbia seeds, but not in rgs1-2 mutant seeds. These data suggest that AtRGS1 proteins are involved in the regulation of seed germination. The hyposensitivity of rgs1-2 mutant seed germination to Glc might be the result of the impairment of ABA biosynthesis during seed germination.

The Regulator of G-Protein Signaling Proteins Involved in Sugar and Abscisic Acid Signaling in Arabidopsis Seed Germination1

PubMed Central

Chen, Yun; Ji, Fangfang; Xie, Hong; Liang, Jiansheng; Zhang, Jianhua

2006-01-01

The regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins, recently identified in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana; named as AtRGS1), has a predicted seven-transmembrane structure as well as an RGS box with GTPase-accelerating activity and thus desensitizes the G-protein-mediated signaling. The roles of AtRGS1 proteins in Arabidopsis seed germination and their possible interactions with sugars and abscisic acid (ABA) were investigated in this study. Using seeds that carry a null mutation in the genes encoding RGS protein (AtRGS1) and the α-subunit (AtGPA1) of the G protein in Arabidopsis (named rgs1-2 and gpa1-3, respectively), our genetic evidence proved the involvement of the AtRGS1 protein in the modulation of seed germination. In contrast to wild-type Columbia-0 and gpa1-3, stratification was found not to be required and the after-ripening process had no effect on the rgs1-2 seed germination. In addition, rgs1-2 seed germination was insensitive to glucose (Glc) and sucrose. The insensitivities of rgs1-2 to Glc and sucrose were not due to a possible osmotic stress because the germination of rgs1-2 mutant seeds showed the same response as those of gpa1-3 mutants and wild type when treated with the same concentrations of mannitol and sorbitol. The gpa1-3 seed germination was hypersensitive while rgs1-2 was less sensitive to exogenous ABA. The different responses to ABA largely diminished and the inhibitory effects on seed germination by exogenous ABA and Glc were markedly alleviated when endogenous ABA biosynthesis was inhibited. Hypersensitive responses of seed germination to both Glc and ABA were also observed in the overexpressor of AtRGS1. Analysis of the active endogenous ABA levels and the expression of NCED3 and ABA2 genes showed that Glc significantly stimulated the ABA biosynthesis and increased the expression of NCED3 and ABA2 genes in germinating Columbia seeds, but not in rgs1-2 mutant seeds. These data suggest that AtRGS1 proteins are involved in the regulation of seed germination. The hyposensitivity of rgs1-2 mutant seed germination to Glc might be the result of the impairment of ABA biosynthesis during seed germination. PMID:16361523

Effects of Drought on Gene Expression in Maize Reproductive and Leaf Meristem Tissue Revealed by RNA-Seq1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Kakumanu, Akshay; Ambavaram, Madana M.R.; Klumas, Curtis; Krishnan, Arjun; Batlang, Utlwang; Myers, Elijah; Grene, Ruth; Pereira, Andy

2012-01-01

Drought stress affects cereals especially during the reproductive stage. The maize (Zea mays) drought transcriptome was studied using RNA-Seq analysis to compare drought-treated and well-watered fertilized ovary and basal leaf meristem tissue. More drought-responsive genes responded in the ovary compared with the leaf meristem. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed a massive decrease in transcript abundance of cell division and cell cycle genes in the drought-stressed ovary only. Among Gene Ontology categories related to carbohydrate metabolism, changes in starch and Suc metabolism-related genes occurred in the ovary, consistent with a decrease in starch levels, and in Suc transporter function, with no comparable changes occurring in the leaf meristem. Abscisic acid (ABA)-related processes responded positively, but only in the ovaries. Related responses suggested the operation of low glucose sensing in drought-stressed ovaries. The data are discussed in the context of the susceptibility of maize kernel to drought stress leading to embryo abortion and the relative robustness of dividing vegetative tissue taken at the same time from the same plant subjected to the same conditions. Our working hypothesis involves signaling events associated with increased ABA levels, decreased glucose levels, disruption of ABA/sugar signaling, activation of programmed cell death/senescence through repression of a phospholipase C-mediated signaling pathway, and arrest of the cell cycle in the stressed ovary at 1 d after pollination. Increased invertase levels in the stressed leaf meristem, on the other hand, resulted in that tissue maintaining hexose levels at an “unstressed” level, and at lower ABA levels, which was correlated with successful resistance to drought stress. PMID:22837360

The Arabidopsis mutant, fy-1, has an ABA-insensitive germination phenotype

PubMed Central

Jiang, Shiling; Kumar, Santosh; Eu, Young-Jae; Jami, Sravan Kumar; Stasolla, Claudio; Hill, Robert D.

2012-01-01

Arabidopsis FY, a homologue of the yeast RNA 3' processing factor Pfs2p, regulates the autonomous floral transition pathway through its interaction with FCA, an RNA binding protein. It is demonstrated here that FY also influences seed dormancy. Freshly-harvested seed of the Arabidopsis fy-1 mutant germinated readily in the absence of stratification or after-ripening. Furthermore, the fy-1 mutant showed less ABA sensitivity compared with the wild type, Ler, under identical conditions. Freshly-harvested seed of fy-1 had significantly higher ABA levels than Ler, even though Ler was dormant and fy-1 germinated readily. The PPLPP domains of FY, which are required for flowering control, were not essential for the ABA-influenced repression of germination. FLC expression analysis in seeds of different genotypes suggested that the effect of FY on dormancy may not be elicited through FLC. No significant differences in CYP707A1, CYP707A2, NCED9, ABI3, and ABI4 were observed between freshly-harvested Ler and fy-1 imbibed for 48 h. GA3ox1 and GA3ox2 rapidly increased over the 48 h imbibition period for fy-1, with no significant increases in these transcripts for Ler. ABI5 levels were significantly lower in fy-1 over the 48 h imbibition period. The results suggest that FY is involved in the development of dormancy and ABA sensitivity in Arabidopsis seed. PMID:22282534

Independent Activation of Cold Acclimation by Low Temperature and Short Photoperiod in Hybrid Aspen1

PubMed Central

Welling, Annikki; Moritz, Thomas; Palva, E. Tapio; Junttila, Olavi

2002-01-01

Temperate zone woody plants cold acclimate in response to both short daylength (SD) and low temperature (LT). We were able to show that these two environmental cues induce cold acclimation independently by comparing the wild type (WT) and the transgenic hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × Populus tremuloides Michx.) line 22 overexpressing the oat (Avena sativa) PHYTOCHROME A gene. Line 22 was not able to detect the SD and, consequently, did not stop growing in SD conditions. This resulted in an impaired freezing tolerance development under SD. In contrast, exposure to LT resulted in cold acclimation of line 22 to a degree comparable with the WT. In contrast to the WT, line 22 could not dehydrate the overwintering tissues or induce the production of dehydrins (DHN) under SD conditions. Furthermore, abscisic acid (ABA) content of the buds of line 22 were the same under SD and long daylength, whereas prolonged SD exposure decreased the ABA level in the WT. LT exposure resulted in a rapid accumulation of DHN in both the WT and line 22. Similarly, ABA content increased transiently in both the WT and line 22. Our results indicate that phytochrome A is involved in photoperiodic regulation of ABA and DHN levels, but at LT they are regulated by a different mechanism. Although SD and LT induce cold acclimation independently, ABA and DHN may play important roles in both modes of acclimation. PMID:12177476

Molecular cloning and characterization of a tomato cDNA encoding a systemically wound-inducible bZIP DNA-binding protein

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stankovic, B.; Vian, A.; Henry-Vian, C.; Davies, E.

2000-01-01

Localized wounding of one leaf in intact tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants triggers rapid systemic transcriptional responses that might be involved in defense. To better understand the mechanism(s) of intercellular signal transmission in wounded tomatoes, and to identify the array of genes systemically up-regulated by wounding, a subtractive cDNA library for wounded tomato leaves was constructed. A novel cDNA clone (designated LebZIP1) encoding a DNA-binding protein was isolated and identified. This clone appears to be encoded by a single gene, and belongs to the family of basic leucine zipper domain (bZIP) transcription factors shown to be up-regulated by cold and dark treatments. Analysis of the mRNA levels suggests that the transcript for LebZIP1 is both organ-specific and up-regulated by wounding. In wounded wild-type tomatoes, the LebZIP1 mRNA levels in distant tissue were maximally up-regulated within only 5 min following localized wounding. Exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) prevented the rapid wound-induced increase in LebZIP1 mRNA levels, while the basal levels of LebZIP1 transcripts were higher in the ABA mutants notabilis (not), sitiens (sit), and flacca (flc), and wound-induced increases were greater in the ABA-deficient mutants. Together, these results suggest that ABA acts to curtail the wound-induced synthesis of LebZIP1 mRNA.

Expression analysis of β-glucosidase genes that regulate abscisic acid homeostasis during watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) development and under stress conditions.

PubMed

Li, Qian; Li, Ping; Sun, Liang; Wang, Yanping; Ji, Kai; Sun, Yufei; Dai, Shengjie; Chen, Pei; Duan, Chaorui; Leng, Ping

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to obtain new insights into the mechanisms that regulate endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) levels by β-glucosidase genes during the development of watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) and under drought stress conditions. In total, five cDNAs from watermelons were cloned by using reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). They included three cDNAs (ClBG1, ClBG2 and ClBG3) homologous to those that encode β-glucosidase l that hydrolyzes the ABA glucose ester (ABA-GE) to release active ABA, ClNCED4, which encodes 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED), a key enzyme in ABA biosynthesis, and ClCYP707A1, encoding ABA 8'-hydroxylase. A BLAST homology search revealed that the sequences of cDNAs and the deduced amino acids of these genes showed a high degree of homology to comparable molecules of other plant species. During fruit development and ripening, the expressions of ClBG1, ClNCED4 and ClCYP707A1 were relatively low at an early stage, increased rapidly along with fruit ripening, and reached the highest levels at 27 days after full bloom (DAFB) at the harvest stage. This trend was consistent with the accumulation of ABA. The ClBG2 gene on the other hand was highly expressed at 5 DAFB, and then decreased gradually with fruit development. Unlike ClBG1 and ClBG2, the expression of ClBG3 was low at an early stage; its expression peak occurred at 15 DAFB and then declined to the lowest point. When watermelon seedlings were subjected to drought stress, expressions of ClBG1 and ClCYP707A1 were significantly down-regulated, while expressions of ClBG2 and ClNCED4 were up-regulated in the roots, stems and leaves. The expression of ClBG3 was down-regulated in root tissue, but was up-regulated in stems and leaves. In conclusion, endogenous ABA content was modulated by a dynamic balance between biosynthesis and catabolism regulated by ClNCED4, ClCYP707A1 and ClBGs during development and under drought stress condition. It seems likely that β-glucosidase genes are important for this regulation process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

In vivo characterization of the effects of abscisic acid and drying protocols associated with the acquisition of desiccation tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) somatic embryos.

PubMed

Sreedhar, Lekha; Wolkers, Willem F; Hoekstra, Folkert A; Bewley, J Derek

2002-04-01

Although somatic embryos of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) had acquired some tolerance to desiccation at the cotyledonary stage of development (22 d after plating), additional culturing in 20 microm abscisic acid (ABA) for 8 d induced greater desiccation tolerance, as determined by increased germination. Compared with fast drying, slow drying of the ABA-treated embryos improved desiccation tolerance. However, slow drying of non-ABA-treated embryos led to the complete loss of germination capacity, while some fast-dried embryos survived. An electron paramagnetic resonance spin probe technique and in vivo Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy revealed that cellular membrane integrity and a-helical protein secondary structure were maintained during drying in embryos cultured in media enriched with 20 microM ABA, but not in embryos cultured in the absence of ABA. Slow-dried, non-ABA-treated embryos had low oligosaccharide to sucrose ratios, an increased proportion of beta-sheet protein secondary structures and broad membrane phase transitions extending over a temperature range of more than 60 degrees C, suggestive of irreversible phase separations. The spin probe study showed evidence of imbibitional damage, which could be alleviated by prehydration in humid air. These observations emphasize the importance of appropriate drying and prehydration protocols for the survival and storage of somatic embryos. It is suggested that ABA also plays a role in suppressing metabolism, thus increasing the level of desiccation tolerance; this is particularly evident under stressful conditions such as slow drying.

The influence of abscisic acid on the ethylene biosynthesis pathway in the functioning of the flower abscission zone in Lupinus luteus.

PubMed

Wilmowicz, Emilia; Frankowski, Kamil; Kućko, Agata; Świdziński, Michał; de Dios Alché, Juan; Nowakowska, Anna; Kopcewicz, Jan

2016-11-01

Flower abscission is a highly regulated developmental process activated in response to exogenous (e.g. changing environmental conditions) and endogenous stimuli (e.g. phytohormones). Ethylene (ET) and abscisic acid (ABA) are very effective stimulators of flower abortion in Lupinus luteus, which is a widely cultivated species in Poland, Australia and Mediterranean countries. In this paper, we show that artificial activation of abscission by flower removal caused an accumulation of ABA in the abscission zone (AZ). Moreover, the blocking of that phytohormone's biosynthesis by NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid) decreased the number of abscised flowers. However, the application of NBD - an inhibitor of ET action - reversed the stimulatory effect of ABA on flower abscission, indicating that ABA itself is not sufficient to turn on the organ separation. Our analysis revealed that exogenous ABA significantly accelerated the transcriptional activity of the ET biosynthesis genes ACC synthase (LlACS) and oxidase (LlACO), and moreover, strongly increased the level of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) - ET precursor, which was specifically localized within AZ cells. We cannot exclude the possibility that ABA mediates flower abscission processes by enhancing the ET biosynthesis rate. The findings of our study will contribute to the overall basic knowledge on the phytohormone-regulated generative organs abscission in L. luteus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Accumulation of 19-kDa plasma membrane polypeptide during induction of freezing tolerance in wheat suspension-cultured cells by abscisic acid.

PubMed

Koike, M; Takezawa, D; Arakawa, K; Yoshida, S

1997-06-01

Suspension-cultured cells derived from immature embryos of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Chihoku) were used in experiments designed to obtain clues to the mechanism of the ABA-induced development of freezing tolerance. Cultured cells treated with 50 microM ABA for 5 d at 23 degrees C acquired the maximum level of freezing tolerance (LT50; -21.6 degrees C). The increased freezing tolerance of ABA-treated cells was closely associated with the remarkable accumulation of 19-kDa polypeptides in the plasma membrane. The 19-kDa polypeptide components were isolated by preparative gel electrophoresis and were further separated into one major (AWPM-19) and other minor polypeptide components by Tricine-SDS-PAGE. N-terminal amino acid sequence of AWPM-19 was determined, and a cDNA clone encoding AWPM-19 was isolated by PCR from the library prepared from the ABA-treated cultured cells. The cDNA clone (WPM-1) encoded a 18.9 kDa hydrophobic polypeptide with four putative membrane spanning domains and with a high pI value (10.2). Expression of WPM-1 mRNA was dramatically induced by 50 microM ABA within a few hours. These results suggest that the AWPM-19 might be closely associated with the ABA-induced increase in freezing tolerance in wheat cultured cells.

Abscisic acid and ethephon regulation of cellulase in the endosperm cap and radicle during lettuce seed germination.

PubMed

Chen, Bingxian; Ma, Jun; Xu, Zhenjiang; Wang, Xiaofeng

2016-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of cellulase in endosperm cap weakening and radicle elongation during lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seed germination. The application of abscisic acid (ABA) or ethephon inhibits or promotes germination, respectively, by affecting endosperm cap weakening and radicle elongation. Cellulase activities, and related protein and transcript abundances of two lettuce cellulase genes, LsCEL1 and LsCEL2, increase in the endosperm cap and radicle prior to radicle protrusion following imbibition in water. ABA or ethephon reduce or elevate, respectively, cellulase activity, and related protein and transcript abundances in the endosperm cap. Taken together, these observations suggest that cellulase plays a role in endosperm cap weakening and radicle elongation during lettuce seed germination, and that the regulation of cellulase in the endosperm cap by ABA and ethephon play a role in endosperm cap weakening. However, the influence of ABA and ethephon on radicle elongation may not be through their effects on cellulase. © 2016 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Diversity and Evolution of AbaR Genomic Resistance Islands in Acinetobacter baumannii Strains of European Clone I▿†

PubMed Central

Krizova, Lenka; Dijkshoorn, Lenie; Nemec, Alexandr

2011-01-01

To assess the diversity of AbaR genomic resistance islands in Acinetobacter baumannii European clone I (MLST clonal complex 1), we investigated 26 multidrug-resistant strains of this major clone isolated from hospitals in 21 cities of 10 European countries between 1984 and 2005. Each strain harbored an AbaR structure integrated at the same position in the chromosomal ATPase gene. AbaR3, including four subtypes based on variations in class 1 integron cassettes, and AbaR10 were found in 15 and 2 strains, respectively, whereas a new, unique AbaR variant was discovered in each of the other 9 strains. These new variants, designated AbaR11 to AbaR19 (19.8 kb to 57.5 kb), seem to be truncated derivatives of AbaR3, likely resulting from the deletions of its internal parts mediated by either IS26 elements (AbaR12 to AbaR19) or homologous recombination (AbaR11). AbaR3 was detected in all 10 strains isolated in 1984 to 1991, while AbaR11 to AbaR19 were carried only by strains isolated since 1997. Our results and those from previous publications suggest that AbaR3 is the original form of AbaR in European clone I, which may have provided strains of the lineage with a selective advantage facilitating their spread in European hospitals in the 1980s or before. PMID:21537009

Agrochemical control of plant water use using engineered abscisic acid receptors.

PubMed

Park, Sang-Youl; Peterson, Francis C; Mosquna, Assaf; Yao, Jin; Volkman, Brian F; Cutler, Sean R

2015-04-23

Rising temperatures and lessening fresh water supplies are threatening agricultural productivity and have motivated efforts to improve plant water use and drought tolerance. During water deficit, plants produce elevated levels of abscisic acid (ABA), which improves water consumption and stress tolerance by controlling guard cell aperture and other protective responses. One attractive strategy for controlling water use is to develop compounds that activate ABA receptors, but agonists approved for use have yet to be developed. In principle, an engineered ABA receptor that can be activated by an existing agrochemical could achieve this goal. Here we describe a variant of the ABA receptor PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE 1 (PYR1) that possesses nanomolar sensitivity to the agrochemical mandipropamid and demonstrate its efficacy for controlling ABA responses and drought tolerance in transgenic plants. Furthermore, crystallographic studies provide a mechanistic basis for its activity and demonstrate the relative ease with which the PYR1 ligand-binding pocket can be altered to accommodate new ligands. Thus, we have successfully repurposed an agrochemical for a new application using receptor engineering. We anticipate that this strategy will be applied to other plant receptors and represents a new avenue for crop improvement.

Mesophyll conductance decreases in the wild type but not in an ABA-deficient mutant (aba1) of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia under drought conditions.

PubMed

Mizokami, Yusuke; Noguchi, Ko; Kojima, Mikiko; Sakakibara, Hitoshi; Terashima, Ichiro

2015-03-01

Under drought conditions, leaf photosynthesis is limited by the supply of CO2 . Drought induces production of abscisic acid (ABA), and ABA decreases stomatal conductance (gs ). Previous papers reported that the drought stress also causes the decrease in mesophyll conductance (gm ). However, the relationships between ABA content and gm are unclear. We investigated the responses of gm to the leaf ABA content [(ABA)L ] using an ABA-deficient mutant, aba1, and the wild type (WT) of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. We also measured leaf water potential (ΨL ) because leaf hydraulics may be related to gm . Under drought conditions, gm decreased with the increase in (ABA)L in WT, whereas both (ABA)L and gm were unchanged by the drought treatment in aba1. Exogenously applied ABA decreased gm in both WT and aba1 in a dose-dependent manner. ΨL in WT was decreased by the drought treatment to -0.7 MPa, whereas ΨL in aba1 was around -0.8 MPa even under the well-watered conditions and unchanged by the drought treatment. From these results, we conclude that the increase in (ABA)L is crucial for the decrease in gm under drought conditions. We discuss possible relationships between the decrease in gm and changes in the leaf hydraulics. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Physiological and Genetic Characterization of End-of-Day Far-Red Light Response in Maize Seedlings1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Dubois, Patrice G.; Olsefski, Gregory T.; Flint-Garcia, Sherry; Setter, Tim L.; Hoekenga, Owen A.; Brutnell, Thomas P.

2010-01-01

Developmental responses associated with end-of-day far-red light (EOD-FR) signaling were investigated in maize (Zea mays subspecies mays) seedlings. A survey of genetically diverse inbreds of temperate and tropical/semitropical origins, together with teosinte (Zea mays subspecies parviglumis) and a modern hybrid, revealed distinct elongation responses. A mesocotyl elongation response to the EOD-FR treatment was largely absent in the tropical/semitropical lines, but both hybrid and temperate inbred responses were of the same magnitude as in teosinte, suggesting that EOD-FR-mediated mesocotyl responses were not lost during the domestication or breeding process. The genetic architecture underlying seedling responses to EOD-FR was investigated using the intermated B73 × Mo17 mapping population. Among the different quantitative trait loci identified, two were consistently detected for elongation and responsiveness under EOD-FR, but none were associated with known light signaling loci. The central role of phytochromes in mediating EOD-FR responses was shown using a phytochromeB1 phytochromeB2 (phyB1 phyB2) mutant series. Unlike the coleoptile and first leaf sheath, EOD-FR-mediated elongation of the mesocotyl appears predominantly controlled by gibberellin. EOD-FR also reduced abscisic acid (ABA) levels in the mesocotyl for both the wild type and phyB1 phyB2 double mutants, suggesting a FR-mediated but PHYB-independent control of ABA accumulation. EOD-FR elongation responses were attenuated in both the wild type and phyB1 phyB2 double mutants when a chilling stress was applied during the dark period, concomitant with an increase in ABA levels. We present a model for the EOD-FR response that integrates light and hormonal control of seedling elongation. PMID:20668057

Overexpression of an Arabidopsis heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein gene, AtRNP1, affects plant growth and reduces plant tolerance to drought and salt stresses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Zhenyu, E-mail: wzy72609@163.com; Zhao, Xiuyang, E-mail: xiuzh@psb.vib-ugent.be; Wang, Bing, E-mail: wangbing@ibcas.ac.cn

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) participate in diverse regulations of plant growth and environmental stress responses. In this work, an Arabidopsis hnRNP of unknown function, AtRNP1, was investigated. We found that AtRNP1 gene is highly expressed in rosette and cauline leaves, and slightly induced under drought, salt, osmotic and ABA stresses. AtRNP1 protein is localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. We performed homologous overexpression of AtRNP1 and found that the transgenic plants showed shortened root length and plant height, and accelerated flowering. In addition, the transgenic plants also showed reduced tolerance to drought, salt, osmotic and ABA stresses. Further studiesmore » revealed that under both normal and stress conditions, the proline contents in the transgenic plants are markedly decreased, associated with reduced expression levels of a proline synthase gene and several stress-responsive genes. These results suggested that the overexpression of AtRNP1 negatively affects plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance. - Highlights: • AtRNP1 is a widely expressed gene and its expression is slightly induced under abiotic stresses. • AtRNP1 protein is localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. • Overexpression of AtRNP1 affects plant growth. • Overexpression of AtRNP1 reduces plant tolerance to drought and salt stresses. • AtRNP1 overexpression plants show decreased proline accumulation and stress-responsive gene expressions.« less

ABA signaling in stress-response and seed development.

PubMed

Nakashima, Kazuo; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko

2013-07-01

KEY MESSAGE : We review the recent progress on ABA signaling, especially ABA signaling for ABA-dependent gene expression, including the AREB/ABF regulon, SnRK2 protein kinase, 2C-type protein phosphatases and ABA receptors. Drought negatively impacts plant growth and the productivity of crops. Drought causes osmotic stress to organisms, and the osmotic stress causes dehydration in plant cells. Abscisic acid (ABA) is produced under osmotic stress conditions, and it plays an important role in the stress response and tolerance of plants. ABA regulates many genes under osmotic stress conditions. It also regulates gene expression during seed development and germination. The ABA-responsive element (ABRE) is the major cis-element for ABA-responsive gene expression. ABRE-binding protein (AREB)/ABRE-binding factor (ABF) transcription factors (TFs) regulate ABRE-dependent gene expression. Other TFs are also involved in ABA-responsive gene expression. SNF1-related protein kinases 2 are the key regulators of ABA signaling including the AREB/ABF regulon. Recently, ABA receptors and group A 2C-type protein phosphatases were shown to govern the ABA signaling pathway. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that there are interactions between the major ABA signaling pathway and other signaling factors in stress-response and seed development. The control of the expression of ABA signaling factors may improve tolerance to environmental stresses.

Molecular identification of zeaxanthin epoxidase of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia, a gene involved in abscisic acid biosynthesis and corresponding to the ABA locus of Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed Central

Marin, E; Nussaume, L; Quesada, A; Gonneau, M; Sotta, B; Hugueney, P; Frey, A; Marion-Poll, A

1996-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone which plays an important role in seed development and dormancy and in plant response to environmental stresses. An ABA-deficient mutant of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia, aba2, was isolated by transposon tagging using the maize Activator transposon. The aba2 mutant exhibits precocious seed germination and a severe wilty phenotype. The mutant is impaired in the first step of the ABA biosynthesis pathway, the zeaxanthin epoxidation reaction. ABA2 cDNA is able to complement N.plumbaginifolia aba2 and Arabidopsis thaliana aba mutations indicating that these mutants are homologous. ABA2 cDNA encodes a chloroplast-imported protein of 72.5 kDa, sharing similarities with different mono-oxigenases and oxidases of bacterial origin and having an ADP-binding fold and an FAD-binding domain. ABA2 protein, produced in Escherichia coli, exhibits in vitro zeaxanthin epoxidase activity. This is the first report of the isolation of a gene of the ABA biosynthetic pathway. The molecular identification of ABA2 opens the possibility to study the regulation of ABA biosynthesis and its cellular location. Images PMID:8665840

Molecular identification of zeaxanthin epoxidase of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia, a gene involved in abscisic acid biosynthesis and corresponding to the ABA locus of Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Marin, E; Nussaume, L; Quesada, A; Gonneau, M; Sotta, B; Hugueney, P; Frey, A; Marion-Poll, A

1996-05-15

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone which plays an important role in seed development and dormancy and in plant response to environmental stresses. An ABA-deficient mutant of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia, aba2, was isolated by transposon tagging using the maize Activator transposon. The aba2 mutant exhibits precocious seed germination and a severe wilty phenotype. The mutant is impaired in the first step of the ABA biosynthesis pathway, the zeaxanthin epoxidation reaction. ABA2 cDNA is able to complement N.plumbaginifolia aba2 and Arabidopsis thaliana aba mutations indicating that these mutants are homologous. ABA2 cDNA encodes a chloroplast-imported protein of 72.5 kDa, sharing similarities with different mono-oxigenases and oxidases of bacterial origin and having an ADP-binding fold and an FAD-binding domain. ABA2 protein, produced in Escherichia coli, exhibits in vitro zeaxanthin epoxidase activity. This is the first report of the isolation of a gene of the ABA biosynthetic pathway. The molecular identification of ABA2 opens the possibility to study the regulation of ABA biosynthesis and its cellular location.

Tetrahydroindazolone substituted 2-aminobenzamides as fluorescent probes: switching metal ion selectivity from zinc to cadmium by interchanging the amino and carbamoyl groups on the fluorophore.

PubMed

Jia, Jia; Xu, Qin-Chao; Li, Ri-chen; Tang, Xi; He, Ying-Fang; Zhang, Meng-Yu; Zhang, Yuan; Xing, Guo-Wen

2012-08-21

Three fluorescent probes CdABA', CdABA and ZnABA', which are structural isomers of ZnABA, have been designed with N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (BPEA) as chelator and 2-aminobenzamide as fluorophore. These probes can be divided into two groups: CdABA, CdABA' for Cd(2+) and ZnABA, ZnABA' for Zn(2+). Although there is little difference in their chemical structures, the two groups of probes exhibit totally different fluorescence properties for preference of Zn(2+) or Cd(2+). In the group of Zn(2+) probes, ZnABA/ZnABA' distinguish Zn(2+) from Cd(2+) with F(Zn)(2+)-F(Cd)(2+) = 1.87-2.00. Upon interchanging the BPEA and carbamoyl groups on the aromatic ring of the fluorophore, the structures of ZnABA/ZnABA' are converted into CdABA/CdABA'. Interestingly, the metal ions selectivity of CdABA/CdABA' was switched to discriminate Cd(2+) from Zn(2+) with F(Cd)(2+)-F(Zn)(2+) = 2.27-2.36, indicating that a small structural modification could lead to a remarkable change of the metal ion selectivity. (1)H NMR titration and ESI mass experiments demonstrated that these fluorescent probers exhibited different coordination modes for Zn(2+) and Cd(2+). With CdABA' as an example, generally, upon addition of Cd(2+), the fluorescence response possesses PET pathway to display no obvious shift of maximum λ(em) in the absence or presence of Cd(2+). However, an ICT pathway could be employed after adding Zn(2+) into the CdABA' solution, resulting in a distinct red-shift of maximal λ(em).

Synthesis and Biological Activity of 2',3'-iso-Aryl-abscisic Acid Analogs.

PubMed

Wan, Chuan; Wang, Mingan; Yang, Dongyan; Han, Xiaoqiang; Che, Chuanliang; Ding, Shanshan; Xiao, Yumei; Qin, Zhaohai

2017-12-15

2',3'- iso -Benzoabscisic acid ( iso -PhABA), an excellent selective abscisic acid (ABA) analog, was developed in our previous work. In order to find its more structure-activity information, some structural modifications were completed in this paper, including the substitution of phenyl ring and replacing the ring with heterocycles. Thus, 16 novel analogs of iso -PhABA were synthesized and screened with three bioassays, Arabidopsis and lettuce seed germination and rice seedling elongation. Some of them, i.e., 2',3'- iso -pyridoabscisic acid ( iso -PyABA) and 2',3'- iso -franoabscisic acid ( iso -FrABA), displayed good bioactivities that closed to iso -PhABA and natural (+)-ABA. Some others, for instance, substituted- iso -PhABA, exhibited certain selectivity to different physiological process when compared to iso -PhABA or (+)-ABA. These analogs not only provided new candidates of ABA-like synthetic plant growth regulators (PGRs) for practical application, but also new potential selective agonist/antagonist for probing the specific function of ABA receptors.

Photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, light-harvesting system and photoinhibition resistance of a zeaxanthin-accumulating mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Tardy, F; Havaux, M

1996-06-01

The abscisic-acid-deficient aba-1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana is unable to epoxidize zeaxanthin. As a consequence, it contains large amounts of this carotenoid and lacks epoxy-xanthophylls. HPLC analysis of pigment contents in leaves, isolated thylakoids and preparations of the major light-harvesting complex of photosystem II (PSII) (LHC-II) indicated that zeaxanthin replaced neoxanthin, violaxanthin and antheraxanthin in the light-harvesting system of PSII in aba-1. Non-denaturing electrophoretic fractionation of solubilized thylakoids showed that the xanthophyll imbalance in aba-1 was associated with a pronounced decrease in trimeric LHC-II in favour of monomeric complexes, with a substantial increase in free pigments (mainly zeaxanthin and chlorophyll b), suggesting a decreased stability of LHC-II. The reduced thermostability of PSII in aba-1 was also deduced from in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. Wild-type and aba-1 leaves could not be distinguished on the basis of their photosynthetic performance: no significant difference was observed between the two types of leaves for light-limited and light-saturated photosynthetic oxygen evolution, PSII photochemistry and PSII to PSI electron flow. When dark-adapted leaves (grown in white light of 80 mumol m-2s-1) were suddenly exposed to red light of 150 mumol m-2s-1, there was a strong nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, the amplitude of which was virtually identical (at steady state) in aba-1 and wild-type leaves, despite the fact that the xanthophyll cycle pigment pool was completely in the form of zeaxanthin in aba-1 and almost exclusively in the form of violaxanthin in the wild type. A high concentration of zeaxanthin in aba-1 thylakoids did not, in itself, provide any particular protection against the photoinhibition of PSII. Taken together, the presented results indicate the following: (1) zeaxanthin can replace epoxy-xanthophylls in LHC-II without significantly affecting the photochemical efficiency of PSII; (2) zeaxanthin does not play any specific role in direct (thermal) energy dissipation in PSII; (3) the photoprotective action of the xanthophyll cycle (rapid photoconversion of violaxanthin to zeaxanthin) is not based on the mere substitution of violaxanthin by zeaxanthin in the chlorophyll antennae.

Pre-steady-state kinetic investigation of bypass of a bulky guanine lesion by human Y-family DNA polymerases.

PubMed

Tokarsky, E John; Gadkari, Varun V; Zahurancik, Walter J; Malik, Chanchal K; Basu, Ashis K; Suo, Zucai

2016-10-01

3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA), a byproduct of diesel exhaust, is highly present in the environment and poses a significant health risk. Exposure to 3-NBA results in formation of N-(2'-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-3-aminobenzanthrone (dG C8- N -ABA ), a bulky DNA lesion that is of particular importance due to its mutagenic and carcinogenic potential. If not repaired or bypassed during genomic replication, dG C8- N -ABA can stall replication forks, leading to senescence and cell death. Here we used pre-steady-state kinetic methods to determine which of the four human Y-family DNA polymerases (hPolη, hPolκ, hPolι, or hRev1) are able to catalyze translesion synthesis of dG C8- N -ABA in vitro. Our studies demonstrated that hPolη and hPolκ most efficiently bypassed a site-specifically placed dG C8- N- ABA lesion, making them good candidates for catalyzing translesion synthesis (TLS) of this bulky lesion in vivo. Consistently, our publication (Biochemistry 53, 5323-31) in 2014 has shown that small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of hPolη and hPolκ in HEK293T cells significantly reduces the efficiency of TLS of dG C8- N -ABA . In contrast, hPolι and hRev1 were severely stalled by dG C8- N -ABA and their potential role in vivo was discussed. Subsequently, we determined the kinetic parameters for correct and incorrect nucleotide incorporation catalyzed by hPolη at various positions upstream, opposite, and downstream from dG C8- N- ABA . Notably, nucleotide incorporation efficiency and fidelity both decreased significantly during dG C8- N -ABA bypass and the subsequent extension step, leading to polymerase pausing and error-prone DNA synthesis by hPolη. Furthermore, hPolη displayed nucleotide concentration-dependent biphasic kinetics at the two polymerase pause sites, suggesting that multiple enzyme•DNA complexes likely exist during nucleotide incorporation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An analysis of dormancy, ABA responsiveness, after-ripening and pre-harvest sprouting in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) caryopses.

PubMed

Gerjets, Tanja; Scholefield, Duncan; Foulkes, M John; Lenton, John R; Holdsworth, Michael J

2010-01-01

Embryo and caryopsis dormancy, abscisic acid (ABA) responsiveness, after-ripening (AR), and the disorder pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) were investigated in six genetically related wheat varieties previously characterized as resistant, intermediate, or susceptible to PHS. Timing of caryopsis AR differed between varieties; AR occurred before harvest ripeness in the most PHS-susceptible, whereas AR was slowest in the most PHS-resistant. Whole caryopses of all varieties showed little ABA-responsiveness during AR; PHS-susceptible varieties were responsive at the beginning of the AR period whereas PHS-resistant showed some responsiveness throughout. Isolated embryos showed relatively little dormancy during grain-filling and most varieties exhibited a window of decreased ABA-responsiveness around the period of maximum dry matter accumulation (physiological maturity). Susceptibility to PHS was assessed by overhead misting of either isolated ears or whole plants during AR; varieties were clearly distinguished using both methods. These analyses allowed an investigation of the interactions between the different components of seed development, compartments, and environment for the six varieties. There was no direct relationship between speed of caryopsis AR and embryo dormancy or ABA-responsiveness during seed maturation. However, the velocity of AR of a variety was closely associated with the degree of susceptibility to PHS during AR suggesting that these characters are developmentally linked. Investigation of genetic components of AR may therefore aid breeding approaches to reduce susceptibility to PHS.

Identification and characterization of bZIP-type transcription factors involved in carrot (Daucus carota L.) somatic embryogenesis.

PubMed

Guan, Yucheng; Ren, Haibo; Xie, He; Ma, Zeyang; Chen, Fan

2009-10-01

Seed dormancy is an important adaptive trait that enables seeds of many species to remain quiescent until conditions become favorable for germination. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in these developmental processes. Like dormancy and germination, the elongation of carrot somatic embryo radicles is retarded by sucrose concentrations at or above 6%, and normal growth resumes at sucrose concentrations below 3%. Using a yeast one-hybrid screening system, we isolated two bZIP-type transcription factors, CAREB1 and CAREB2, from a cDNA library prepared from carrot somatic embryos cultured in a high-sucrose medium. Both CAREB1 and CAREB2 were localized to the nucleus, and specifically bound to the ABA response element (ABRE) in the Dc3 promoter. Expression of CAREB2 was induced in seedlings by drought and exogenous ABA application; whereas expression of CAREB1 increased during late embryogenesis, and reduced dramatically when somatic embryos were treated with fluridone, an inhibitor of ABA synthesis. Overexpression of CAREB1 caused somatic embryos to develop slowly when cultured in low-sucrose medium, and retarded the elongation of the radicles. These results indicate that CAREB1 and CAREB2 have similar DNA-binding activities, but play different roles during carrot development. Our results indicate that CAREB1 functions as an important trans-acting factor in the ABA signal transduction pathway during carrot somatic embryogenesis.

Genome-wide analysis of ABA-responsive elements ABRE and CE3 reveals divergent patterns in Arabidopsis and rice

PubMed Central

Gómez-Porras, Judith L; Riaño-Pachón, Diego Mauricio; Dreyer, Ingo; Mayer, Jorge E; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd

2007-01-01

Background In plants, complex regulatory mechanisms are at the core of physiological and developmental processes. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is involved in the regulation of various such processes, including stomatal closure, seed and bud dormancy, and physiological responses to cold, drought and salinity stress. The underlying tissue or plant-wide control circuits often include combinatorial gene regulatory mechanisms and networks that we are only beginning to unravel with the help of new molecular tools. The increasing availability of genomic sequences and gene expression data enables us to dissect ABA regulatory mechanisms at the individual gene expression level. In this paper we used an in-silico-based approach directed towards genome-wide prediction and identification of specific features of ABA-responsive elements. In particular we analysed the genome-wide occurrence and positional arrangements of two well-described ABA-responsive cis-regulatory elements (CREs), ABRE and CE3, in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa). Results Our results show that Arabidopsis and rice use the ABA-responsive elements ABRE and CE3 distinctively. Earlier reports for various monocots have identified CE3 as a coupling element (CE) associated with ABRE. Surprisingly, we found that while ABRE is equally abundant in both species, CE3 is practically absent in Arabidopsis. ABRE-ABRE pairs are common in both genomes, suggesting that these can form functional ABA-responsive complexes (ABRCs) in Arabidopsis and rice. Furthermore, we detected distinct combinations, orientation patterns and DNA strand preferences of ABRE and CE3 motifs in rice gene promoters. Conclusion Our computational analyses revealed distinct recruitment patterns of ABA-responsive CREs in upstream sequences of Arabidopsis and rice. The apparent absence of CE3s in Arabidopsis suggests that another CE pairs with ABRE to establish a functional ABRC capable of interacting with transcription factors. Further studies will be needed to test whether the observed differences are extrapolatable to monocots and dicots in general, and to understand how they contribute to the fine-tuning of the hormonal response. The outcome of our investigation can now be used to direct future experimentation designed to further dissect the ABA-dependent regulatory networks. PMID:17672917

Genome-wide analysis of ABA-responsive elements ABRE and CE3 reveals divergent patterns in Arabidopsis and rice.

PubMed

Gómez-Porras, Judith L; Riaño-Pachón, Diego Mauricio; Dreyer, Ingo; Mayer, Jorge E; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd

2007-08-01

In plants, complex regulatory mechanisms are at the core of physiological and developmental processes. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is involved in the regulation of various such processes, including stomatal closure, seed and bud dormancy, and physiological responses to cold, drought and salinity stress. The underlying tissue or plant-wide control circuits often include combinatorial gene regulatory mechanisms and networks that we are only beginning to unravel with the help of new molecular tools. The increasing availability of genomic sequences and gene expression data enables us to dissect ABA regulatory mechanisms at the individual gene expression level. In this paper we used an in-silico-based approach directed towards genome-wide prediction and identification of specific features of ABA-responsive elements. In particular we analysed the genome-wide occurrence and positional arrangements of two well-described ABA-responsive cis-regulatory elements (CREs), ABRE and CE3, in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa). Our results show that Arabidopsis and rice use the ABA-responsive elements ABRE and CE3 distinctively. Earlier reports for various monocots have identified CE3 as a coupling element (CE) associated with ABRE. Surprisingly, we found that while ABRE is equally abundant in both species, CE3 is practically absent in Arabidopsis. ABRE-ABRE pairs are common in both genomes, suggesting that these can form functional ABA-responsive complexes (ABRCs) in Arabidopsis and rice. Furthermore, we detected distinct combinations, orientation patterns and DNA strand preferences of ABRE and CE3 motifs in rice gene promoters. Our computational analyses revealed distinct recruitment patterns of ABA-responsive CREs in upstream sequences of Arabidopsis and rice. The apparent absence of CE3s in Arabidopsis suggests that another CE pairs with ABRE to establish a functional ABRC capable of interacting with transcription factors. Further studies will be needed to test whether the observed differences are extrapolatable to monocots and dicots in general, and to understand how they contribute to the fine-tuning of the hormonal response. The outcome of our investigation can now be used to direct future experimentation designed to further dissect the ABA-dependent regulatory networks.

Tomato PYR/PYL/RCAR abscisic acid receptors show high expression in root, differential sensitivity to the abscisic acid agonist quinabactin, and the capability to enhance plant drought resistance.

PubMed

González-Guzmán, Miguel; Rodríguez, Lesia; Lorenzo-Orts, Laura; Pons, Clara; Sarrión-Perdigones, Alejandro; Fernández, Maria A; Peirats-Llobet, Marta; Forment, Javier; Moreno-Alvero, Maria; Cutler, Sean R; Albert, Armando; Granell, Antonio; Rodríguez, Pedro L

2014-08-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in the plant's response to both biotic and abiotic stress. Sustainable production of food faces several key challenges, particularly the generation of new varieties with improved water use efficiency and drought tolerance. Different studies have shown the potential applications of Arabidopsis PYR/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors to enhance plant drought resistance. Consequently the functional characterization of orthologous genes in crops holds promise for agriculture. The full set of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) PYR/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors have been identified here. From the 15 putative tomato ABA receptors, 14 of them could be grouped in three subfamilies that correlated well with corresponding Arabidopsis subfamilies. High levels of expression of PYR/PYL/RCAR genes was found in tomato root, and some genes showed predominant expression in leaf and fruit tissues. Functional characterization of tomato receptors was performed through interaction assays with Arabidopsis and tomato clade A protein phosphatase type 2Cs (PP2Cs) as well as phosphatase inhibition studies. Tomato receptors were able to inhibit the activity of clade A PP2Cs differentially in an ABA-dependent manner, and at least three receptors were sensitive to the ABA agonist quinabactin, which inhibited tomato seed germination. Indeed, the chemical activation of ABA signalling induced by quinabactin was able to activate stress-responsive genes. Both dimeric and monomeric tomato receptors were functional in Arabidopsis plant cells, but only overexpression of monomeric-type receptors conferred enhanced drought resistance. In summary, gene expression analyses, and chemical and transgenic approaches revealed distinct properties of tomato PYR/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors that might have biotechnological implications. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

A basic leucine zipper transcription factor, AabZIP1, connects abscisic acid signaling with artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua.

PubMed

Zhang, Fangyuan; Fu, Xueqing; Lv, Zongyou; Lu, Xu; Shen, Qian; Zhang, Ling; Zhu, Mengmeng; Wang, Guofeng; Sun, Xiaofen; Liao, Zhihua; Tang, Kexuan

2015-01-01

Artemisinin is a sesquiterpenoid especially synthesized in the Chinese herbal plant, Artemisia annua, which is widely used in the treatment of malaria. Artemisinin accumulation can be enhanced by exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. However, it is not known how ABA signaling regulates artemisinin biosynthesis. A global expression profile and phylogenetic analysis as well as the dual-LUC screening revealed that a basic leucine zipper family transcription factor from A. annua (namely AabZIP1) was involved in ABA signaling to regulate artemisinin biosynthesis. AabZIP1 had a higher expression level in the inflorescences than in other tissues; ABA treatment, drought, and salt stress strongly induced the expression of AabZIP1. Yeast one-hybrid assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed that AabZIP1 bound to the ABA-responsive elements (ABRE) in the promoter regions of the amorpha-4,11-diene synthase (ADS) gene and CYP71AV1, which are two key structural genes of the artemisinin biosynthetic pathway. A mutagenesis assay showed that the C1 domain in the N-terminus of AabZIP1 was important for its transactivation activity. Furthermore, the activation of ADS and CYP71AV1 promoters by AabZIP1 was enhanced by ABA treatment in transient dual-LUC analysis. The AabZIP1 variant with C1 domain deletion lost the ability to activate ADS and CYP71AV1 promoters regardless of ABA treatment. Notably, overexpression of AabZIP1 in A. annua resulted in significantly increased accumulation of artemisinin. Our results indicate that ABA promotes artemisinin biosynthesis, likely through 1 activation of ADS and CYP71AV1 expression by AabZIP in A. annua. Meanwhile, our findings reveal the potential value of AabZIP1 in genetic engineering of artemisinin production. Copyright © 2015 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

RhHB1 mediates the antagonism of gibberellins to ABA and ethylene during rose (Rosa hybrida) petal senescence.

PubMed

Lü, Peitao; Zhang, Changqing; Liu, Jitao; Liu, Xiaowei; Jiang, Guimei; Jiang, Xinqiang; Khan, Muhammad Ali; Wang, Liangsheng; Hong, Bo; Gao, Junping

2014-05-01

Rose (Rosa hybrida) is one of the most important ornamental plants worldwide; however, senescence of its petals terminates the ornamental value of the flower, resulting in major economic loss. It is known that the hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene promote petal senescence, while gibberellins (GAs) delay the process. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antagonistic effects amongst plant hormones during petal senescence are still unclear. Here we isolated RhHB1, a homeodomain-leucine zipper I transcription factor gene, from rose flowers. Quantitative RT-PCR and GUS reporter analyses showed that RhHB1 was strongly expressed in senescing petals, and its expression was induced by ABA or ethylene in petals. ABA or ethylene treatment clearly accelerated rose petal senescence, while application of the gibberellin GA3 delayed the process. However, silencing of RhHB1 delayed the ABA- or ethylene-mediated senescence, and resulted in higher petal anthocyanin levels and lower expression of RhSAG12. Moreover, treatment with paclobutrazol, an inhibitor of GA biosynthesis, repressed these delays. In addition, silencing of RhHB1 blocked the ABA- or ethylene-induced reduction in expression of the GA20 oxidase encoded by RhGA20ox1, a gene in the GA biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, RhHB1 directly binds to the RhGA20ox1 promoter, and silencing of RhGA20ox1 promoted petal senescence. Eight senescence-related genes showed substantial differences in expression in petals after treatment with GA3 or paclobutrazol. These results suggest that RhHB1 mediates the antagonistic effect of GAs on ABA and ethylene during rose petal senescence, and that the promotion of petal senescence by ABA or ethylene operates through an RhHB1-RhGA20ox1 regulatory checkpoint. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Suppression of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, which encodes a key enzyme in abscisic acid biosynthesis, alters fruit texture in transgenic tomato.

PubMed

Sun, Liang; Sun, Yufei; Zhang, Mei; Wang, Ling; Ren, Jie; Cui, Mengmeng; Wang, Yanping; Ji, Kai; Li, Ping; Li, Qian; Chen, Pei; Dai, Shengjie; Duan, Chaorui; Wu, Yan; Leng, Ping

2012-01-01

Cell wall catabolism during fruit ripening is under complex control and is key for fruit quality and shelf life. To examine the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit ripening, we suppressed SlNCED1, which encodes 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of ABA. To suppress SlNCED1 specifically in tomato fruits, and thus avoid the pleiotropic phenotypes associated with ABA deficiency, we used an RNA interference construct driven by the fruit-specific E8 promoter. ABA accumulation and SlNCED1 transcript levels in the transgenic fruit were down-regulated to between 20% and 50% of the levels measured in the control fruit. This significant reduction in NCED activity led to a down-regulation in the transcription of genes encoding major cell wall catabolic enzymes, specifically polygalacturonase (SlPG), pectin methyl esterase (SlPME), β-galactosidase precursor mRNA (SlTBG), xyloglucan endotransglycosylase (SlXET), endo-1,4-β-cellulose (SlCels), and expansin (SlExp). This resulted in an increased accumulation of pectin during ripening. In turn, this led to a significant extension of the shelf life to 15 to 29 d compared with a shelf life of only 7 d for the control fruit and an enhancement of fruit firmness at the mature stage by 30% to 45%. In conclusion, ABA affects cell wall catabolism during tomato fruit ripening via down-regulation of the expression of major catabolic genes (SlPG, SlPME, SlTBG, SlXET, SlCels, and SlExp).

Salicylic acid-mediated establishment of the compatibility between Alternaria brassicicola and Brassica juncea is mitigated by abscisic acid in Sinapis alba.

PubMed

Mazumder, Mrinmoy; Das, Srirupa; Saha, Upala; Chatterjee, Madhuvanti; Bannerjee, Kaushik; Basu, Debabrata

2013-09-01

This work addresses the changes in the phytohormonal signature in the recognition of the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicicola by susceptible Brassica juncea and resistant Sinapis alba. Although B. juncea, S. alba and Arabidopsis all belong to the same family, Brassicaceae, the phytohormonal response of susceptible B. juncea towards this pathogen is unique because the latter two species express non-host resistance. The differential expression of the PR1 gene and the increased level of salicylic acid (SA) indicated that an SA-mediated biotrophic mode of defence response was triggered in B. juncea upon challenge with the pathogen. Compared to B. juncea, resistant S. alba initiated enhanced abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA) responses following challenge with this pathogen, as revealed by monitoring the expression of ABA-related genes along with the concentration of ABA and JA. Furthermore, these results were verified by the exogenous application of ABA on B. juncea leaves prior to challenge with A. brassicicola, which resulted in a delayed disease progression, followed by the inhibition of the pathogen-mediated increase in SA response and enhanced JA levels. Therefore, it seems that A. brassicicola is steering the defence response towards a biotrophic mode by mounting an SA response in susceptible B. juncea, whereas the enhanced ABA response of S. alba not only counteracts the SA response but also restores the necrotrophic mode of resistance by enhancing JA biosynthesis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Up-regulation of abscisic acid signaling pathway facilitates aphid xylem absorption and osmoregulation under drought stress

PubMed Central

Guo, Huijuan; Sun, Yucheng; Peng, Xinhong; Wang, Qinyang; Harris, Marvin; Ge, Feng

2016-01-01

The activation of the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway reduces water loss from plants challenged by drought stress. The effect of drought-induced ABA signaling on the defense and nutrition allocation of plants is largely unknown. We postulated that these changes can affect herbivorous insects. We studied the effects of drought on different feeding stages of pea aphids in the wild-type A17 of Medicago truncatula and ABA signaling pathway mutant sta-1. We examined the impact of drought on plant water status, induced plant defense signaling via the abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), and salicylic acid (SA) pathways, and on the host nutritional quality in terms of leaf free amino acid content. During the penetration phase of aphid feeding, drought decreased epidermis/mesophyll resistance but increased mesophyll/phloem resistance of A17 but not sta-1 plants. Quantification of transcripts associated with ABA, JA and SA signaling indicated that the drought-induced up-regulation of ABA signaling decreased the SA-dependent defense but increased the JA-dependent defense in A17 plants. During the phloem-feeding phase, drought had little effect on the amino acid concentrations and the associated aphid phloem-feeding parameters in both plant genotypes. In the xylem absorption stage, drought decreased xylem absorption time of aphids in both genotypes because of decreased water potential. Nevertheless, the activation of the ABA signaling pathway increased water-use efficiency of A17 plants by decreasing the stomatal aperture and transpiration rate. In contrast, the water potential of sta-1 plants (unable to close stomata) was too low to support xylem absorption activity of aphids; the aphids on sta-1 plants had the highest hemolymph osmolarity and lowest abundance under drought conditions. Taken together this study illustrates the significance of cross-talk between biotic-abiotic signaling pathways in plant-aphid interaction, and reveals the mechanisms leading to alter aphid fecundity in water stresses plants. PMID:26546578

Abscisic acid affects transcription of chloroplast genes via protein phosphatase 2C-dependent activation of nuclear genes: repression by guanosine-3'-5'-bisdiphosphate and activation by sigma factor 5.

PubMed

Yamburenko, Maria V; Zubo, Yan O; Börner, Thomas

2015-06-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) represses the transcriptional activity of chloroplast genes (determined by run-on assays), with the exception of psbD and a few other genes in wild-type Arabidopsis seedlings and mature rosette leaves. Abscisic acid does not influence chloroplast transcription in the mutant lines abi1-1 and abi2-1 with constitutive protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) activity, suggesting that ABA affects chloroplast gene activity by binding to the pyrabactin resistance (PYR)/PYR1-like or regulatory component of ABA receptor protein family (PYR/PYL/RCAR) and signaling via PP2Cs and sucrose non-fermenting protein-related kinases 2 (SnRK2s). Further we show by quantitative PCR that ABA enhances the transcript levels of RSH2, RSH3, PTF1 and SIG5. RelA/SpoT homolog 2 (RSH2) and RSH3 are known to synthesize guanosine-3'-5'-bisdiphosphate (ppGpp), an inhibitor of the plastid-gene-encoded chloroplast RNA polymerase. We propose, therefore, that ABA leads to an inhibition of chloroplast gene expression via stimulation of ppGpp synthesis. On the other hand, sigma factor 5 (SIG5) and plastid transcription factor 1 (PTF1) are known to be necessary for the transcription of psbD from a specific light- and stress-induced promoter (the blue light responsive promoter, BLRP). We demonstrate that ABA activates the psbD gene by stimulation of transcription initiation at BLRP. Taken together, our data suggest that ABA affects the transcription of chloroplast genes by a PP2C-dependent activation of nuclear genes encoding proteins involved in chloroplast transcription. © 2015 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Investigating task inhibition in children versus adults: A diffusion model analysis.

PubMed

Schuch, Stefanie; Konrad, Kerstin

2017-04-01

One can take n-2 task repetition costs as a measure of inhibition on the level of task sets. When switching back to a Task A after only one intermediate trial (ABA task sequence), Task A is thought to still be inhibited, leading to performance costs relative to task sequences where switching back to Task A is preceded by at least two intermediary trials (CBA). The current study investigated differences in inhibitory ability between children and adults by comparing n-2 task repetition costs in children (9-11years of age, N=32) and young adults (21-30years of age, N=32). The mean reaction times and error rate differences between ABA and CBA sequences did not differ between the two age groups. However, diffusion model analysis revealed that different cognitive processes contribute to the inhibition effect in the two age groups: The adults, but not the children, showed a smaller drift rate in ABA than in CBA, suggesting that persisting task inhibition is associated with slower response selection in adults. In children, non-decision time was longer in ABA than in CBA, possibly reflecting longer task preparation in ABA than in CBA. In addition, Ex-Gaussian functions were fitted to the distributions of correct reaction times. In adults, the ABA-CBA difference was reflected in the exponential parameter of the distribution; in children, the ABA-CBA difference was found in the Gaussian mu parameter. Hence, Ex-Gaussian analysis, although noisier, was generally in line with diffusion model analysis. Taken together, the data suggest that the task inhibition effect found in mean performance is mediated by different cognitive processes in children versus adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abscisic acid and transpiration rate are involved in the response to boron toxicity in Arabidopsis plants.

PubMed

Macho-Rivero, Miguel Ángel; Camacho-Cristóbal, Juan José; Herrera-Rodríguez, María Begoña; Müller, Maren; Munné-Bosch, Sergi; González-Fontes, Agustín

2017-05-01

Boron (B) is an essential microelement for vascular plant development, but its toxicity is a major problem affecting crop yields in arid and semi-arid areas of the world. In the literature, several genes involved in abscisic acid (ABA) signalling and responses are upregulated in Arabidopsis roots after treatment with excess B. It is known that the AtNCED3 gene, which encodes a crucial enzyme for ABA biosynthesis, plays a key role in the plant response to drought stress. In this study, root AtNCED3 expression and shoot ABA content were rapidly increased in wild-type plants upon B-toxicity treatment. The Arabidopsis ABA-deficient nced3-2 mutant had higher transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and accumulated more B in their shoots than wild-type plants, facts that were associated with the lower levels of ABA in this mutant. However, in wild-type plants, B toxicity caused a significant reduction in stomatal conductance, resulting in a decreased transpiration rate. This response could be a mechanism to limit the transport of excess B from the roots to the leaves under B toxicity. In agreement with the higher transpiration rate of the nced3-2 mutant, this genotype showed an increased leaf B concentration and damage upon exposure to 5 mM B. Under B toxicity, ABA application decreased B accumulation in wild-type and nced3-2 plants. In summary, this work shows that excess B applied to the roots leads to rapid changes in AtNCED3 expression and gas exchange parameters that would contribute to restrain the B entry into the leaves, this effect being mediated by ABA. © 2016 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Overlapping and distinct roles of AKIN10 and FUSCA3 in ABA and sugar signaling during seed germination.

PubMed

Tsai, Allen Yi-Lun; Gazzarrini, Sonia

2012-10-01

The Arabidopsis B3-domain transcription factor FUSCA3 (FUS3) is a master regulator of seed maturation and also a central modulator of hormonal responses during late embryogenesis and germination. Recently, we have identified AKIN10, the Arabidopsis ortholog of Snf1 (Sucrose Non-Fermenting-1)-Related Kinase1 (SnRK1), as a FUS3-interacting protein. We demonstrated that AKIN10 physically interacts with and phosphorylates FUS3 at its N-terminal region, and genetically interacts with FUS3 to regulate developmental phase transition and lateral organ growth. Snf1/AMPK/SnRK1 kinases are important sensors of the cellular energy level, and they are activated in response to starvation and cellular stress. Here we present findings that indicate FUS3 and AKIN10 functionally overlap in ABA signaling, but play different roles in sugar responses during germination. Seeds overexpressing FUS3 and AKIN10 both display ABA-hypersensitivity and delayed germination. The latter is partly dependent on de novo ABA synthesis in both genotypes, as delayed germination can be partially rescued by the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, fluridone. However, seeds and seedlings overexpressing FUS3 and AKIN10 show different sugar responses. AKIN10-overexpressing seeds and seedlings are hypersensitive to glucose, while those overexpressing FUS3 display overall defects in osmotic stress, primarily during seedling growth, as they show increased sensitivity toward sorbitol and glucose. Hypersensitivity to sugar and/or osmotic stress during germination are partly dependent on de novo ABA synthesis for both genotypes, although are likely to act through distinct pathways. This data suggests that AKIN10 and FUS3 both act as positive regulators of seed responses to ABA, and that AKIN10 regulates sugar signaling while FUS3 mediates osmotic stress responses.

PacCYP707A2 negatively regulates cherry fruit ripening while PacCYP707A1 mediates drought tolerance.

PubMed

Li, Qian; Chen, Pei; Dai, Shengjie; Sun, Yufei; Yuan, Bing; Kai, Wenbin; Pei, Yuelin; He, Suihuan; Liang, Bin; Zhang, Yushu; Leng, Ping

2015-07-01

Sweet cherry is a non-climacteric fruit and its ripening is regulated by abscisic acid (ABA) during fruit development. In this study, four cDNAs (PacCYP707A1-4) encoding 8'-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in the oxidative catabolism of ABA, were identified in sweet cherry fruits using tobacco rattle virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and particle bombardment approaches. Quantitative real-time PCR confirmed significant down-regulation of target gene transcripts in VIGS-treated cherry fruits. In PacCYP707A2-RNAi-treated fruits, ripening and fruit colouring were promoted relative to control fruits, and both ABA accumulation and PacNCED1 transcript levels were up-regulated by 140%. Silencing of PacCYP707A2 by VIGS significantly altered the transcripts of both ABA-responsive and ripening-related genes, including the ABA metabolism-associated genes NCED and CYP707A, the anthocyanin synthesis genes PacCHS, PacCHI, PacF3H, PacDFR, PacANS, and PacUFGT, the ethylene biosynthesis gene PacACO1, and the transcription factor PacMYBA. The promoter of PacMYBA responded more strongly to PacCYP707A2-RNAi-treated fruits than to PacCYP707A1-RNAi-treated fruits. By contrast, silencing of PacCYP707A1 stimulated a slight increase in fruit colouring and enhanced resistance to dehydration stress compared with control fruits. These results suggest that PacCYP707A2 is a key regulator of ABA catabolism that functions as a negative regulator of fruit ripening, while PacCYP707A1 regulates ABA content in response to dehydration during fruit development. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

PacCYP707A2 negatively regulates cherry fruit ripening while PacCYP707A1 mediates drought tolerance

PubMed Central

Li, Qian; Chen, Pei; Dai, Shengjie; Sun, Yufei; Yuan, Bing; Kai, Wenbin; Pei, Yuelin; He, Suihuan; Liang, Bin; Zhang, Yushu; Leng, Ping

2015-01-01

Sweet cherry is a non-climacteric fruit and its ripening is regulated by abscisic acid (ABA) during fruit development. In this study, four cDNAs (PacCYP707A1–4) encoding 8′-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in the oxidative catabolism of ABA, were identified in sweet cherry fruits using tobacco rattle virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and particle bombardment approaches. Quantitative real-time PCR confirmed significant down-regulation of target gene transcripts in VIGS-treated cherry fruits. In PacCYP707A2-RNAi-treated fruits, ripening and fruit colouring were promoted relative to control fruits, and both ABA accumulation and PacNCED1 transcript levels were up-regulated by 140%. Silencing of PacCYP707A2 by VIGS significantly altered the transcripts of both ABA-responsive and ripening-related genes, including the ABA metabolism-associated genes NCED and CYP707A, the anthocyanin synthesis genes PacCHS, PacCHI, PacF3H, PacDFR, PacANS, and PacUFGT, the ethylene biosynthesis gene PacACO1, and the transcription factor PacMYBA. The promoter of PacMYBA responded more strongly to PacCYP707A2-RNAi-treated fruits than to PacCYP707A1-RNAi-treated fruits. By contrast, silencing of PacCYP707A1 stimulated a slight increase in fruit colouring and enhanced resistance to dehydration stress compared with control fruits. These results suggest that PacCYP707A2 is a key regulator of ABA catabolism that functions as a negative regulator of fruit ripening, while PacCYP707A1 regulates ABA content in response to dehydration during fruit development. PMID:25956880

Nitric Oxide Mediates the Hormonal Control of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism Expression in Young Pineapple Plants1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Freschi, Luciano; Rodrigues, Maria Aurineide; Domingues, Douglas Silva; Purgatto, Eduardo; Van Sluys, Marie-Anne; Magalhaes, Jose Ronaldo; Kaiser, Werner M.; Mercier, Helenice

2010-01-01

Genotypic, developmental, and environmental factors converge to determine the degree of Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) expression. To characterize the signaling events controlling CAM expression in young pineapple (Ananas comosus) plants, this photosynthetic pathway was modulated through manipulations in water availability. Rapid, intense, and completely reversible up-regulation in CAM expression was triggered by water deficit, as indicated by the rise in nocturnal malate accumulation and in the expression and activity of important CAM enzymes. During both up- and down-regulation of CAM, the degree of CAM expression was positively and negatively correlated with the endogenous levels of abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinins, respectively. When exogenously applied, ABA stimulated and cytokinins repressed the expression of CAM. However, inhibition of water deficit-induced ABA accumulation did not block the up-regulation of CAM, suggesting that a parallel, non-ABA-dependent signaling route was also operating. Moreover, strong evidence revealed that nitric oxide (NO) may fulfill an important role during CAM signaling. Up-regulation of CAM was clearly observed in NO-treated plants, and a conspicuous temporal and spatial correlation was also evident between NO production and CAM expression. Removal of NO from the tissues either by adding NO scavenger or by inhibiting NO production significantly impaired ABA-induced up-regulation of CAM, indicating that NO likely acts as a key downstream component in the ABA-dependent signaling pathway. Finally, tungstate or glutamine inhibition of the NO-generating enzyme nitrate reductase completely blocked NO production during ABA-induced up-regulation of CAM, characterizing this enzyme as responsible for NO synthesis during CAM signaling in pineapple plants. PMID:20147491

Conifer species adapt to low-rainfall climates by following one of two divergent pathways.

PubMed

Brodribb, Timothy J; McAdam, Scott A M; Jordan, Gregory J; Martins, Samuel C V

2014-10-07

Water stress is one of the primary selective forces in plant evolution. There are characters often cited as adaptations to water stress, but links between the function of these traits and adaptation to drying climates are tenuous. Here we combine distributional, climatic, and physiological evidence from 42 species of conifers to show that the evolution of drought resistance follows two distinct pathways, both involving the coordinated evolution of tissues regulating water supply (xylem) and water loss (stomatal pores) in leaves. Only species with very efficient stomatal closure, and hence low minimum rates of water loss, inhabit dry habitats, but species diverged in their apparent mechanism for maintaining closed stomata during drought. An ancestral mechanism found in Pinaceae and Araucariaceae species relies on high levels of the hormone abscisic acid (ABA) to close stomata during water stress. A second mechanism, found in the majority of Cupressaceae species, uses leaf desiccation rather than high ABA levels to close stomata during sustained water stress. Species in the latter group were characterized by xylem tissues with extreme resistance to embolism but low levels of foliar ABA after 30 d without water. The combination of low levels of ABA under stress with cavitation-resistant xylem enables these species to prolong stomatal opening during drought, potentially extending their photosynthetic activity between rainfall events. Our data demonstrate a surprising simplicity in the way conifers evolved to cope with water shortage, indicating a critical interaction between xylem and stomatal tissues during the process of evolution to dry climates.

An ABA-responsive element in the AtSUC1 promoter is involved in the regulation of AtSUC1 expression.

PubMed

Hoth, Stefan; Niedermeier, Matthias; Feuerstein, Andrea; Hornig, Julia; Sauer, Norbert

2010-09-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) and sugars regulate many aspects of plant growth and development, and we are only just beginning to understand the complex interactions between ABA and sugar signaling networks. Here, we show that ABA-dependent transcription factors bind to the promoter of the Arabidopsis thaliana AtSUC1 (At1g71880) sucrose transporter gene in vitro. We present the characterization of a cis-regulatory element by truncation of the AtSUC1 promoter and by electrophoretic mobility shift assays that is identical to a previously characterized ABA-responsive element (ABRE). In yeast 1-hybrid analyses we identified ABI5 (AtbZIP39; At2g36270) and AREB3 (AtbZIP66; At3g56850) as potential interactors. Analyses of plants expressing the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene under the control of ABI5 or AREB3 promoter sequences demonstrated that both transcription factor genes are co-expressed with AtSUC1 in pollen and seedlings, the primary sites of AtSUC1 action. Mutational analyses of the identified cis-regulatory element verified its importance for AtSUC1 expression in young seedlings. In abi5-4 seedlings, we observed an increase of sucrose-dependent anthocyanin accumulation and AtSUC1 mRNA levels. This suggests that ABI5 prevents an overshoot of sucrose-induced AtSUC1 expression and confirmed a novel cross-link between sugar and ABA signaling.

FRET-based reporters for the direct visualization of abscisic acid concentration changes and distribution in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Waadt, Rainer; Hitomi, Kenichi; Nishimura, Noriyuki; Hitomi, Chiharu; Adams, Stephen R; Getzoff, Elizabeth D; Schroeder, Julian I

2014-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone that regulates plant growth and development and mediates abiotic stress responses. Direct cellular monitoring of dynamic ABA concentration changes in response to environmental cues is essential for understanding ABA action. We have developed ABAleons: ABA-specific optogenetic reporters that instantaneously convert the phytohormone-triggered interaction of ABA receptors with PP2C-type phosphatases to send a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) signal in response to ABA. We report the design, engineering and use of ABAleons with ABA affinities in the range of 100–600 nM to map ABA concentration changes in plant tissues with spatial and temporal resolution. High ABAleon expression can partially repress Arabidopsis ABA responses. ABAleons report ABA concentration differences in distinct cell types, ABA concentration increases in response to low humidity and NaCl in guard cells and to NaCl and osmotic stress in roots and ABA transport from the hypocotyl to the shoot and root. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01739.001 PMID:24737861

Abscisic acid negatively regulates post-penetration resistance of Arabidopsis to the biotrophic powdery mildew fungus.

PubMed

Xiao, Xiang; Cheng, Xi; Yin, Kangquan; Li, Huali; Qiu, Jin-Long

2017-08-01

Pytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays important roles in defense responses. Nonetheless, how ABA regulates plant resistance to biotrophic fungi remains largely unknown. Arabidopsis ABA-deficient mutants, aba2-1 and aba3-1, displayed enhanced resistance to the biotrophic powdery mildew fungus Golovinomyces cichoracearum. Moreover, exogenously administered ABA increased the susceptibility of Arabidopsis to G. cichoracearum. Arabidopsis ABA perception components mutants, abi1-1 and abi2-1, also displayed similar phenotypes to ABA-deficient mutants in resistance to G. cichoracearum. However, the resistance to G. cichoracearum is not changed in downstream ABA signaling transduction mutants, abi3-1, abi4-1, and abi5-1. Microscopic examination revealed that hyphal growth and conidiophore production of G. cichoracearum were compromised in the ABA deficient mutants, even though pre-penetration and penetration growth of the fungus were not affected. In addition, salicylic acid (SA) and MPK3 are found to be involved in ABA-regulated resistance to G. cichoracearum. Our work demonstrates that ABA negatively regulates post-penetration resistance of Arabidopsis to powdery mildew fungus G. cichoracearum, probably through antagonizing the function of SA.

Cardiovascular (CV) Risk after Initiation of Abatacept versus TNF Inhibitors in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with and without Baseline CV Disease.

PubMed

Jin, Yinzhu; Kang, Eun Ha; Brill, Gregory; Desai, Rishi J; Kim, Seoyoung C

2018-05-15

To evaluate the cardiovascular safety of abatacept (ABA) versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with and without underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD). We identified RA patients with and without baseline CVD who initiated ABA or TNFi by using data from 2 large US insurance claims databases: Medicare (2008-2013) and Truven MarketScan (2006-2015). After stratifying by baseline CVD, ABA initiators were 1:1 propensity score (PS) matched to TNFi initiators to control for > 60 baseline covariates. Cox proportional hazards regression estimated the HR and 95% CI for a composite endpoint of CVD including myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischemic stroke, or coronary revascularization in the PS-matched cohorts. HR from 2 databases were combined through an inverse variance-weighted fixed-effects model. We included 6102 PS-matched pairs of ABA and TNFi initiators from Medicare and 6934 pairs from MarketScan. Of these, 35.3% in Medicare and 14.0% in MarketScan had baseline CVD. HR (95% CI) for composite CVD in the overall ABA group versus TNFi was 0.67 (0.55-0.81) in Medicare and 1.08 (0.83-1.41) in MarketScan with the combined HR of 0.79 (0.67-0.92). Among patients with baseline CVD, the HR (95% CI) was 0.71 (0.55-0.92) in Medicare and 1.02 (0.68-1.51) in MarketScan, with the combined HR of 0.79 (0.64-0.98). In this large cohort of publicly or privately insured patients with RA in the United States, ABA was associated with a 20% reduced risk of CVD versus TNFi. While this observational study is subject to potential residual confounding, our results were consistent in patients with baseline CVD.