Characterization of a Novel Plantain Asr Gene, MpAsr, that is Regulated in Response to Infection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense and Abiotic Stresses

Asr (abscisic acid, stress, ripening induced) genes are typically upregulated by a wide range of factors, including drought, cold, salt, abscisic acid (ABA) and injury; in addition to plant responses to developmental and environmental signals. We isolated an Asr gene, MpAsr, from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library of cold induced plantain (Musa paradisiaca) leaves. MpAsr expression was upregulated in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense infected plantain leaves, peels and roots, suggest...     

Global switches and fine-tuning-ABA modulates plant pathogen defense

Plants are obliged to defend themselves against a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. Complex regulatory signaling networks mount an appropriate defense response depending on the type of stress that is perceived. In response to abiotic stresses such as drought, cold, and salinity, the function of abscisic acid (ABA) is well documented: elevation of plant ABA levels and activation of ABA-responsive signaling result in regulation of stomatal aperture and expression of stress-responsive genes. In response to pathogens, the role of ABA is more obscure and is a research topic that has long been overlooked. This article aims to evaluate and review the reported modes of ABA action on pathogen defense and highlight recent advances in deciphering the complex role of ABA in plant-pathogen interactions. The proposed mechanisms responsible for positive or negative effects of ABA on pathogen defense are discussed, as well as the regulation of ABA signaling and in planta ABA concentrations by beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, the fast-growing number of reports that characterize antagonistic and synergistic interactions between abiotic and biotic stress responses point to ABA as an essential component in integrating and fine-tuning abiotic and biotic stress-response signaling networks.     

A Role for Arabidopsis miR399f in Salt,Drought, and ABA Signaling

MiR399f plays a crucial role in maintaining phosphate homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under phosphate starvation conditions, AtMYB2, which plays a role in plant salt and drought stress responses, directly regulates the expression of miR399f. In this study, we found that miR399f also participates in plant responses to abscisic acid (ABA), and to abiotic stresses including salt and drought. Salt and ABA treatment induced the expression of miR399f, as confirmed by histochemical analysis of promoter-GUS fusions. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing miR399f (miR399f-OE) exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt stress and exogenous ABA, but hypersensitivity to drought. Our in silico analysis identified ABF3 and CSP41b as putative target genes of miR399f, and expression analysis revealed that mRNA levels of ABF3 and CSP41b decreased remarkably in miR399f-OE plants under salt stress and in response to treatment with ABA. Moreover, we showed that activation of stress-responsive gene expression in response to salt stress and ABA treatment was impaired in miR399f-OE plants. Thus, these results suggested that in addition to phosphate starvation signaling, miR399f might also modulates plant responses to salt, ABA, and drought, by regulating the expression of newly discovered target genes such as ABF3 and CSP41b.     

CIPK3, a calcium sensor-associated protein kinase that regulates abscisic acid and cold signal transduction in Arabidopsis

Plants respond to environmental stress by activating "stress genes." The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in stress-responsive gene expression. Although Ca(2+) serves as a common second messenger in signaling stress and ABA, little is known about the molecular basis of Ca(2+) action in these pathways. Here, we show that CIPK3, a Ser/Thr protein kinase that associates with a calcineurin B-like calcium sensor, regulates ABA response during seed germination and ABA- and stress-induced gene expression in Arabidopsis. The expression of the CIPK3 gene itself is responsive to ABA and stress conditions, including cold, high salt, wounding, and drought. Disruption of CIPK3 altered the expression pattern of a number of stress gene markers in response to ABA, cold, and high salt. However, drought-induced gene expression was not altered in the cipk3 mutant plants, suggesting that CIPK3 regulates select pathways in response to abiotic stress and ABA. These results identify CIPK3 as a molecular link between stress- and ABA-induced calcium signal and gene expression in plant cells. Because the cold signaling pathway is largely independent of endogenous ABA production, CIPK3 represents a cross-talk "node" between the ABA-dependent and ABA-independent pathways in stress responses.     

The catecholamine biosynthesis route in potato is affected by stress.

The catecholamine compounds in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) leaves and tubers have been identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) measurements. The finding that the catecholamine level is dramatically increased upon tyrosine decarboxylase (TD) overexpression potentiates the investigation on their physiological significance in plants. It was then evidenced that catecholamines play an important role in regulation of starch-sucrose conversion in plants. In this paper we investigated catecholamine biosynthetic pathway in potato plants exposed to the different stress conditions. The activation of TD (EC 4.1.1.25), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, EC 1.14.18.1) and l-Dopa decarboxylase (DD, EC 4.1.1.25) was a characteristic feature of the potato leaves treated with abscisic acid (ABA). In high salt condition only TD activity was increased and in drought both TH and DD were activated. UV light activated predominantly DD activity. Leaves of plants grown in the dark and in red light circumstances were characterized by significantly decreased activities of all the three enzymes whereas those grown in cold were characterized by the decreased activity of DD only. In all, stress conditions the normetanephrine level and thus catecholamine catabolism was significantly decreased. Increased catecholamine level in TD-overexpressing potato resulted in enhanced pathogen resistance. Our data suggest that plant catecholamines are involved in plant responses towards biotic and abiotic stresses. It has to be pointed out that this is the first report proposing catecholamine as new stress agent compounds in plants.     

番茄低温响应转录因子SlNAC41克隆及表达分析

NAC转录因子在调控植物生长发育、生物及非生物逆境应答中发挥着重要作用。前期,我们通过对番茄幼苗在低温胁迫下的基因表达谱进行分析,发现Unigene SGN-U212711受低温诱导表达强烈。本研究从番茄中克隆了该基因,命名为Sl NAC41,其开放阅读框（ORF）1 173 bp,编码390个氨基酸,蛋白N端具有典型的NAM结构域,属于NAC转录因子家族成员。预测Sl NAC41蛋白分子量为43.5 k Da,等电点为5.2。实时荧光定量PCR分析表明,Sl NAC41在番茄各组织均有表达,在花中的表达量最高,在红熟果中的表达量最低。低温、干旱、高盐、甲基紫精（MV）、脱落酸（ABA）及乙烯利（ETH）处理均能诱导该基因的表达,其中,以低温和干旱诱导表达最为强烈。利用PLACE和Plant CARE对启动子序列进行预测分析发现,Sl NAC41启动子区含有大量响应光、病原菌侵染、激素、低温、脱水及盐胁迫的顺式作用元件。这些结果表明,Sl NAC41可能在番茄生物及非生物胁迫应答中发挥重要调控作用。     

Abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid and mineral–nutrient changes induced by drought and salinity in longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) plants

Longan species (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) exhibit a high agronomic potential in many subtropical regions worldwide; however, little is known about its responses to abiotic stress conditions. Drought and salinity are the most environmental factors inducing negative effects on plant growth and development. In order to elucidate the responses of longan to drought and salinity, seedlings were grown under conditions of drought and salt stresses. Drought was imposed by suspending water supply leading to progressive soil dehydration, and salinity was induced using two concentrations of NaCl, 100 and 150 mM in water solution, for 64 days. Data showed that salt concentrations increased foliar abscisic acid (ABA) and only 150 mM NaCl reduced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and increased proline levels. NaCl treatments also increased Na⁺ and Cl^? content in plant organs proportionally to salt concentration. Drought increased leaf ABA but did not change IAA concentrations, and also increased proline synthesis. In addition, drought and salt stresses reduced the photosynthesis performance; however, only drought decreased leaf growth and relative leaf water content. Overall, data indicate that under severe salt stress, high ABA accumulation was accompanied by a reduction of IAA levels; however, drought strongly increased ABA but did not change IAA concentrations. Moreover, drought and high salinity similarly increased (or maintained) ion levels and proline synthesis. Data also suggest that ABA accumulation may mitigate the impact of salt stress through inducing stomatal closure and delaying water loss, but did not mediate the effects of long-term drought conditions probably because leaves reached a strong dehydration and the role of ABA at this stage was not effective to detain leaf injuries.     

NADK3, a novel cytoplasmic source of NADPH, is required under conditions of oxidative stress and modulates abscisic acid responses in Arabidopsis

In plants, excess reactive oxygen species are toxic molecules induced under environmental stresses, including pathogen invasions and abiotic stresses. Many anti-oxidant defense systems have been reported to require NADPH as an important reducing energy equivalent. However, the sources of NADPH and the molecular mechanisms of maintaining cytoplasmic redox balance are unclear. Here, we report the biological function of a putative cytoplasmic NADH kinase (NADK3) in several abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis. We found that cytoplasmic NADPH is provided mostly by the product of the NADK3 gene in Arabidopsis. Expression of he NADK3 gene is responsive to abscisic acid (ABA) and abiotic stress conditions, including methyl violgen (MV), high salinity and osmotic shock. An NADK3 null mutant showed hypersensitivity to oxidative stress in both seed germination and seedling growth. Seed germination of the mutant plants also showed increased sensitivity to ABA, salt and mannitol. Furthermore, stress-related target genes were identified as upregulated in the mutant by mannitol and MV. Our study indicates that this cytoplasmic NADH kinase, a key source of the cellular reductant NADPH, is required for various abiotic stress responses.