Hydrogen peroxide is a regulator of ABI1, a protein phosphatase 2C from Arabidopsis.

Protein phosphatases 2C (PP2Cs) exhibit diverse regulatory functions in signalling pathways of animals, yeast and plants. ABI1 is a PP2C of Arabidopsis that exerts negative control on signalling of the phytohormone abscissic acid (ABA). Characterisation of the redox sensitivity of ABI1 revealed a strong enzymatic inactivation by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) which has recently been implicated as a secondary messenger of ABA signalling. H2O2 reversibly inhibited ABI1 activity in vitro with an IC(50) of approximately 140 microM in the presence of physiological concentrations of glutathione. In addition, ABI1 was highly susceptible to inactivation by phenylarsine oxide (IC(50)=3-4 microM) indicative for the facile oxidation of vicinal cysteine residues. Thus, H2O2 generated during ABA signalling seems to inactivate the negative regulator of the ABA response.     

Transient accumulation of Mg-protoporphyrin IX regulates expression of PhANGs - New evidence for the signaling role of tetrapyrroles in mature Arabidopsis plants

Genetic and physiological studies have revealed evidence for multiple signaling pathways by which the plastid exerts retrograde control over photosynthesis associated nuclear genes (PhANGs). It has been proposed that the tetrapyrrole pathway intermediate Mg-protoporphyrin IX (Mg-proto IX) acts as the signaling molecule in the pathways and accumulates in the chloroplasts and cytosol of the cell after treatment with the herbicide Norflurazon (NF). However, the role of Mg-Proto IX in plastid signaling has been challenged by two recent reports. In this paper, new evidence is presented supporting Mg-Proto IX as a plastid-signaling molecule in mature Arabidopsis seedlings. Fluorescence HPLC and confocal microscope observation verified that a short-term (<96 h) NF treatment resulted in a large accumulation of Mg-Proto IX accompanying with Lhcb repression, whereas the long-term NF treatments caused marked changes of tetrapyrrole pools, while Lhcb expression was continuously repressed. These results may explain the discrepancies among different reports. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) eliminator treatments only partly reversed the NF-induced repression of Lhcb. Therefore, the NF generates both ROS signals and Mg-Proto IX signals. Furthermore, our data suggested that plastid signal transduction through plastid GUN1 protein is independent of tetrapyrrole export from the plastid.     

New cross talk between ROS,ABA and auxin controlling seed maturation and germination unraveled in APX6 deficient Arabidopsis seeds

Successful execution of germination program greatly depends on the seeds’ oxidative homeostasis. We recently identified new roles for the H₂O₂-reducing enzyme ascorbate peroxidase 6 (APX6) in germination control and seeds’ stress tolerance. APX6 replaces APX1 as the dominant APX in dry seeds, and its loss-of-function results in reduced germination due to over accumulation of ROS and oxidative damage. Metabolic analyses in dry apx6 seeds, revealed altered homeostasis of primary metabolites including accumulation of TCA cycle metabolites, ABA and auxin, supporting a novel role for APX6 in regulating cellular metabolism. Increased sensitivity of apx6 mutants to ABA or IAA in germination assays indicated impaired perception of these signals. Relative suppression of ABI3 and ABI5 expression, and induction of ABI4, suggested the activation of a signaling route inhibiting germination in apx6 seeds that is independent of ABI3. Here we provide additional evidence linking ABI4 with ABA- and auxin-controlled inhibition of germination and suggest a hypothetical model for the role of APX6 in the regulation of the crosstalk between these hormones and ROS.