Glycolate oxidase is an alternative source for H2O2 production during plant defense responses and functions independently from NADPH oxidase

The photorespiratory enzyme glycolate oxidase (GOX) was found to be involved in nonhost resistance by regulating plant defense responses through the production of H₂O₂. Silencing of a gene encoding NADPH oxidase (AtRBOHD) in the gox mutants did not further increase susceptibility to a nonhost pathogen, P. syringae pv tabaci, although it caused an increase in bacterial growth in the Atgox1 and Atgox3 mutant backgrounds. In order to confirm this finding, we created double homozygous knockouts AtrbohD x Atgox1 and AtrbohD x Atgox3 to evaluate symptom development and bacterial growth. Here we show that there is no additive effect of disease symptoms or bacterial growth in the AtrbohD x Atgox1 and AtrbohD x Atgox3 double mutants when compared with individual mutants. Slight additive effect observed previously upon silencing of AtRBOHD in Atgox1 and Atgox3 mutants was most likely due to cross-silencing of AtRBOHF. These results further prove that GOX plays a role in nonhost resistance independent of NADPH oxidase.