BRI1-Associated Receptor Kinase 1 Regulates Guard Cell ABA Signaling Mediated by Open Stomata 1 in Arabidopsis

Decoding ABA and osmostress signalling in plants from an evolutionary point of view

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is fundamental for land plant adaptation to water-limited conditions. Osmostress, such as drought, induces ABA accumulation in angiosperms, triggering physiological responses such as stomata closure. The core components of angiosperm ABA signalling are soluble ABA receptors, group A protein phosphatase type 2C and SNF1-related protein kinase2 (SnRK2). ABA also has various functions in non-angiosperms, however, suggesting that its role in adaptation to land may not have been angiosperm-specific. Indeed, among land plants, the core ABA signalling components are evolutionarily conserved, implying their presence in a common ancestor. Results of ongoing functional genomics studies of ABA signalling components in bryophytes and algae have expanded our understanding of the evolutionary role of ABA signalling, with genome sequencing uncovering the ABA core module even in algae. In this review, we describe recent discoveries involving the ABA core module in non-angiosperms, tracing the footprints of how ABA evolved as a phytohormone. We also cover the latest findings on Raf-like kinases as upstream regulators of the core ABA module component SnRK2. Finally, we discuss the origin of ABA signalling from an evolutionary perspective.

Histone Demethylases Coordinate the Antagonistic Interaction Between Abscisic Acid and Brassinosteroid Signaling in Arabidopsis

Abscisic acid (ABA) interacts antagonistically with brassinosteroids (BRs) to control plant growth and development in response to stress. The response to environmental cues includes hormonal control via epigenetic regulation of gene expression. However, the details of the ABA-BR crosstalk remain largely unknown. Here, we show that JUMONJI-C domain containing histone demethylases (JMJs) coordinate the antagonistic interaction between ABA and BR signaling pathways during the post-germination stage in Arabidopsis. BR blocks ABA-mediated seedling arrest through repression of JMJ30. JMJs remove the repressive histone marks from the BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1 (BZR1) locus for its activation to balance ABA and BR signaling pathways. JMJs and BZR1 co-regulate genes encoding three membrane proteins, a regulator of vacuole morphology, and two lipid-transfer proteins, each of which play a different role in transport. BZR1 also regulates stimuli-related target genes in a JMJ-independent pathway. Our findings suggest that the histone demethylases integrate ABA and BR signals, leading to changes in growth program after germination.

Balancing growth and adaptation to stress: Crosstalk between brassinosteroid and abscisic acid signaling

Plant growth and development are plastic and canadapt to environmental changes. In this process different plant hormones coordinate to modulate plant growth and environmental interactions. In this article, we describe the individual brassinosteroid (BR) and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathways, emphasize the specific regulatory mechanisms between ABA and BR responses and discuss how both phytohormones coordinate growth, development and stress responses in plants. BR signaling is essential for plant development, while ABA signaling is activated to ensure plants survive stress. The crosstalk between BR and ABA, especially protein phosphorylation, protein stability control and downstream transcription control of key components of both pathways are discussed in terms of modulating plant development and stress adaptation.

HDAC inhibitor affects soybean miRNA482bd expression under salt and osmotic stress

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding molecules that modulate gene expression through targeting mRNA by specific-sequence cleavage, translation inhibition, or transcriptional regulation. miRNAs are key molecules in regulatory networks in abiotic stresses such as salt stress and water deficit in plants. Throughout the world, soybean is a critical crop, the production of which is affected by environmental stress conditions. In this study, RNA-Seq libraries from leaves of soybean under salt treatment were analyzed. 17 miRNAs and 31 putative target genes were identified with inverse differential expression patterns, indicating miRNA-target interaction. The differential expression of six miRNAs, including miR482bd-5p, and their potential targets, were confirmed by RT-qPCR. The miR482bd-5p expression was repressed, while its potential HEC1 and BAK1 targets were increased. Polyethylene glycol experiment was used to simulate drought stress, and miR482bd-5p, HEC1, and BAK1 presented a similar expression pattern, as found in salt stress. Histone modifications occur in response to abiotic stress, where histone deacetylases (HDACs) can lead to gene repression and silencing. The miR482bd-5p epigenetic regulation by histone deacetylation was evaluated by using the SAHA-HDAC inhibitor. The miR482bd-5p was up-regulated, and HEC1 was down-regulated under SAHA-salt treatment. It suggests an epigenetic regulation, where the miRNA gene is repressed by HDAC under salt stress, reducing its transcription, with an associated increase in the HEC1 target expression.

Plant tissue succulence engineering improves water-use efficiency, water-deficit stress attenuation and salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis

Tissue succulence (ratio of tissue water/leaf area or dry mass) or the ability to store water within living tissues is among the most successful adaptations to drought in the plant kingdom. This taxonomically widespread adaptation helps plants avoid the damaging effects of drought, and is often associated with the occupancy of epiphytic, epilithic, semi-arid and arid environments. Tissue succulence was engineered in Arabidopsis thaliana by overexpression of a codon-optimized helix-loop-helix transcription factor (VvCEB1_opt ) from wine grape involved in the cell expansion phase of berry development. VvCEB1_opt -overexpressing lines displayed significant increases in cell size, succulence and decreased intercellular air space. VvCEB1_opt -overexpressing lines showed increased instantaneous and integrated water-use efficiency (WUE) due to reduced stomatal conductance caused by reduced stomatal aperture and density resulting in increased attenuation of water-deficit stress. VvCEB1_opt -overexpressing lines also showed increased salinity tolerance due to reduced salinity uptake and dilution of internal Na⁺ and Cl^- as well as other ions. Alterations in transporter activities were further suggested by media and apoplastic acidification, hygromycin B tolerance and changes in relative transcript abundance patterns of various transporters with known functions in salinity tolerance. Engineered tissue succulence might provide an effective strategy for improving WUE, drought avoidance or attenuation, salinity tolerance, and for crassulacean acid metabolism biodesign.

Genome-wide analysis and transcript profiling of PSKR gene family members in Oryza sativa

Peptide signalling is an integral part of cell-to-cell communication which helps to relay the information responsible for coordinating cell proliferation and differentiation. Phytosulfokine Receptor (PSKR) is a transmembrane LRR-RLK family protein with a binding site for small signalling peptide, phytosulfokine (PSK). PSK signalling through PSKR promotes normal growth and development and also plays a role in defense responses. Like other RLKs, these PSKRs might have a role in signal transduction pathways related to abiotic stress responses. Genome-wide analysis of phytosulfokine receptor gene family has led to the identification of fifteen putative members in the Oryza sativa genome. The expression analysis of OsPSKR genes done using RNA-seq data, showed that these genes were differentially expressed in different tissues and responded specifically to heat, salt, drought and cold stress. Furthermore, the real-time quantitative PCR for fifteen OsPSKR genes revealed temporally and spatially regulated gene expression corresponding to salinity and drought stress. Our results provide useful information for a better understanding of OsPSKR genes and provide the foundation for additional functional exploration of the rice PSKR gene family in development and stress response.

Arabidopsis Raf-like kinases act as positive regulators of subclass III SnRK2 in osmostress signaling

Given their sessile nature, land plants must use various mechanisms to manage dehydration under water-deficit conditions. Osmostress-induced activation of the SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) family elicits physiological responses such as stomatal closure to protect plants during drought conditions. With the plant hormone ABA receptors [PYR (pyrabactin resistance)/PYL (pyrabactin resistance-like)/RCAR (regulatory component of ABA receptors) proteins] and group A protein phosphatases, subclass III SnRK2 also constitutes a core signaling module for ABA, and osmostress triggers ABA accumulation. How SnRK2 is activated through ABA has been clarified, although its activation through osmostress remains unclear. Here, we show that Arabidopsis ABA and abiotic stress-responsive Raf-like kinases (AtARKs) of the B3 clade of the mitogen-activated kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) family are crucial in SnRK2-mediated osmostress responses. Disruption of AtARKs in Arabidopsis results in increased water loss from detached leaves because of impaired stomatal closure in response to osmostress. Our findings obtained in vitro and in planta have shown that AtARKs interact physically with SRK2E, a core factor for stomatal closure in response to drought. Furthermore, we show that AtARK phosphorylates S171 and S175 in the activation loop of SRK2E in vitro and that Atark mutants have defects in osmostress-induced subclass III SnRK2 activity. Our findings identify a specific type of B3-MAPKKKs as upstream kinases of subclass III SnRK2 in Arabidopsis. Taken together with earlier reports that ARK is an upstream kinase of SnRK2 in moss, an existing member of a basal land plant lineage, we propose that ARK/SnRK2 module is evolutionarily conserved across 400 million years of land plant evolution for conferring protection against drought.

Brassinosteroids regulate root meristem development by mediating BIN2-UPB1 module in Arabidopsis

Plant steroid hormones brassinosteroids (BRs) regulate plant growth and development at many levels. While negative regulatory factors that inhibit development and are counteracted by BRs exist in the root meristem, these factors have not been characterized. The functions of UPB1 transcription factor in BR-regulated root growth have not been established, although its role in regulating root are well documented. Here, we found that BIN2 interacts with and phosphorylates the UPB1 transcription factor consequently promoting UPB1 stability and transcriptional activity. Genetic analysis revealed that UPB1 deficiency could partially recover the short-root phenotype of BR-deficient mutants. Expression of a mutated UPB1^S37AS41A protein lacking a conserved BIN2 phosphorylation sites can rescue shorter root phenotype of bin2-1 mutant. In addition, UPB1 was repressed by BES1 at the transcriptional level. The paclobutrazol-resistant protein family (PRE2/3) interacts with UPB1 and inhibits its transcriptional activity to promote root meristem development, and BIN2-mediated phosphorylation of UPB1 suppresses its interaction with PRE2/3, and subsequently impairing root meristem development. Taken together, our data elucidate a molecular mechanism by which BR promotes root growth via inhibiting BIN2-UPB1 module.

Various physiological and genetic researches have provided ample evidence in support of the role of plant hormones in root development. Brasinosteroids (BR) play important roles in controlling root growth and development, but the mechanism of negatively regulating factors in this process is less well studied. Here, we found BIN2 kinase, a negative component in BR signaling, interacted with and phosphorylated UPB1 to stabilize and promote its binding ability. The upb1-1 mutant was hypersensitive phenotype, while UPB1-overexpression lines showed opposite effects on BR regulated root meristem development, and defect of UPB1 partially suppressed the short-root phenotype in BR-deficient mutants. Moreover, the paclobutrazol-resistant protein family (PRE2/3) interacted with UPB1 and inhibited its transcriptional activity, and this interaction was also inhibited by BIN2 phosphorylation, thus impairing root meristem development. Our findings provide significant insights into BR signaling through BIN2-UPB1 in regulating root meristem.

Expression profiles of four BES1/BZR1 homologous genes encoding bHLH transcription factors in Arabidopsis

Arabidopsis bHLH-type transcription factors-BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-EMS-SUPPRESSOR 1 (BES1) and BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 1 (BZR1)-play key roles in brassinosteroid (BR) signaling. By contrast, the functions of the other four BES1/BZR1 homologs (BEH1-4) remain unknown. Here, we describe the detailed expression profiles of the BES1/BZR1 family genes. Their expressions were distinct regarding growth-stage dependence and organ specificity but exhibited some overlaps as well. Furthermore, their mRNA levels mostly remained unchanged responding to seven non-BR phytohormones. However, BEH1 and BEH2 were downregulated by brassinolide, suggesting a close association with the BR function. Additionally, BEH4 was ubiquitously expressed throughout the life of the plant but displayed some expression preference. For instance, BEH4 expression was limited to guard cells and the adjacent pavement cells in the leaf epidermis and was induced during growth progression in very young seedlings, suggesting that BEH4 is specifically regulated in certain contexts, although it is almost constitutively controlled.

Molecular Mechanisms of Brassinosteroid-Mediated Responses to Changing Environments in Arabidopsis

Plant adaptations to changing environments rely on integrating external stimuli into internal responses. Brassinosteroids (BRs), a group of growth-promoting phytohormones, have been reported to act as signal molecules mediating these processes. BRs are perceived by cell surface receptor complex including receptor BRI1 and coreceptor BAK1, which subsequently triggers a signaling cascade that leads to inhibition of BIN2 and activation of BES1/BZR1 transcription factors. BES1/BZR1 can directly regulate the expression of thousands of downstream responsive genes. Recent studies in the model plant Arabidopsis demonstrated that BR biosynthesis and signal transduction, especially the regulatory components BIN2 and BES1/BZR1, are finely tuned by various environmental cues. Here, we summarize these research updates and give a comprehensive review of how BR biosynthesis and signaling are modulated by changing environments and how these changes regulate plant adaptive growth or stress tolerance.

Transcriptional analyses of two soybean cultivars under salt stress

Soybean is an economically important plant, and its production is affected in soils with high salinity levels. It is important to understand the adaptive mechanisms through which plants overcome this kind of stress and to identify potential genes for improving abiotic stress tolerance. RNA-Seq data of two Glycine max cultivars, a drought-sensitive (C08) and a tolerant (Conquista), subjected to different periods of salt stress were analyzed. The transcript expression profile was obtained using a transcriptogram approach, comparing both cultivars and different times of treatment. After 4 h of salt stress, Conquista cultivar had 1400 differentially expressed genes, 647 induced and 753 repressed. Comparative expression revealed that 719 genes share the same pattern of induction or repression between both cultivars. Among them, 393 genes were up- and 326 down-regulated. Salt stress also modified the expression of 54 isoforms of miRNAs in Conquista, by the maturation of 39 different pre-miRNAs. The predicted targets for 12 of those mature miRNAs also have matches with 15 differentially expressed genes from our analyses. We found genes involved in important pathways related to stress adaptation. Genes from both ABA and BR signaling pathways were modulated, with possible crosstalk between them, and with a likely post-transcriptional regulation by miRNAs. Genes related to ethylene biosynthesis, DNA repair, and plastid translation process were those that could be regulated by miRNA.

PP2A and microtubules function in 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated H2 O2 signaling in Arabidopsis guard cells

5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a plant growth regulator with great application potential in agriculture and horticulture, induces stomatal opening and inhibits stomatal closure by decreasing guard cell H₂ O₂ . However, the mechanisms behind ALA-decreased H₂ O₂ in guard cells are not fully understood. Here, using type 2A protein phosphatase (PP2A) inhibitors, microtubule-stabilizing/disrupting drugs and green fluorescent protein-tagged α-tubulin 6 transgenic Arabidopsis (GFP-TUA6), we find that PP2A and cortical microtubules (MTs) are involved in ALA-regulated stomatal movement. Then, we analyze stomatal responses of Arabidopsis overexpressing C2 catalytic subunit of PP2A (PP2A-C2) and pp2a-c2 mutant to ALA and abscisic acid (ABA) under both light and dark conditions, and show that PP2A-C2 participates in ALA-induced stomatal movement. Furthermore, using pharmacological methods and confocal studies, we reveal that PP2A and MTs function upstream and downstream, respectively, of H₂ O₂ in guard cell signaling. Finally, we demonstrate the role of H₂ O₂ -mediated microtubule arrangement in ALA inhibiting ABA-induced stomatal closure. Our findings indicate that MTs regulated by PP2A-mediated H₂ O₂ decreasing play an important role in ALA guard cell signaling, revealing new insights into stomatal movement regulation.

The Sucrose Non-Fermenting 1-Related Protein Kinase 2 (SnRK2) Genes Are Multifaceted Players in Plant Growth, Development and Response to Environmental Stimuli

Reversible protein phosphorylation orchestrated by protein kinases and phosphatases is a major regulatory event in plants and animals. The SnRK2 subfamily consists of plant-specific protein kinases in the Ser/Thr protein kinase superfamily. Early observations indicated that SnRK2s are mainly involved in response to abiotic stress. Recent evidence shows that SnRK2s are multifarious players in a variety of biological processes. Here, we summarize the considerable knowledge of SnRK2s, including evolution, classification, biological functions and regulatory mechanisms at the epigenetic, post-transcriptional and post-translation levels.

PRR Cross-Talk Jump Starts Plant Immunity

Plants remember information related to previous pathogen infection as immunological memory, leading to a primed state of enhanced immune responses. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Gong et al. (2019) discover that immune priming is established through crosstalk between cell-surface co-receptors upon MAMP perception.

Secreted Peptide PIP1 Induces Stomatal Closure by Activation of Guard Cell Anion Channels in Arabidopsis

Plant stomata which consist of a pair of guard cells, are not only finely controlled to balance water loss as transpiration and CO₂ absorption for photosynthesis, but also serve as the major sites to defend against pathogen attack, thus allowing plants to respond appropriately to abiotic and biotic stress conditions. The regulatory signaling network for stomatal movement is complex in nature, and plant peptides have been shown to be involved in signaling processes. Arabidopsis secreted peptide PIP1 was previously identified as an endogenous elicitor, which induced immune response through its receptor, RLK7. PIP1-RLK7 can activate stomatal immunity against the bacterial strain Pst DC3118. However, the molecular mechanism of PIP1 in stomatal regulation is still unclear and additional new factors need to be discovered. In this study, we further clarified that PIP1 could function as an important regulator in the induction of stomatal closure. The results showed that PIP1 could promote stomata to close in a certain range of concentrations and response time. In addition, we uncovered that PIP1-RLK7 signaling regulated stomatal response by activating S-type anion channel SLAC1. PIP1-induced stomatal closure was impaired in bak1, mpk3, and mpk6 mutants, indicating that BAK1 and MPK3/MPK6 were required for PIP1-regulated stomatal movement. Our research further deciphered that OST1 which acts as an essential ABA-signaling component, also played a role in PIP1-induced stomatal closure. In addition, ROS participated in PIP1-induced stomatal closure and PIP1 could activate Ca²⁺ permeable channels. In conclusion, we reveal the role of peptide PIP1 in triggering stomatal closure and the possible mechanism of PIP1 in the regulation of stomatal apertures. Our findings improve the understanding of the role of PIP1 in stomatal regulation and immune response.

Pepper Novel Serine-Threonine Kinase CaDIK1 Regulates Drought Tolerance via Modulating ABA Sensitivity

Adaptation to drought stress is essential for plant growth and development. Plants often adapt to water deficit conditions by activating the ABA signaling. Here, we report that the pepper CaDIK1 (Capsicum annuum Drought Induced Kinase 1) gene is essential for plant tolerance to drought stress. CaDIK1 contains a serine-threonine kinase domain, which plays a role for attachment of phosphate to the target protein. The expression levels of CaDIK1 are upregulated in pepper leaves by ABA, drought, NaCl and H₂O₂ treatments suggesting its role in abiotic stress response. We used CaDIK1-silenced pepper and CaDIK1-overexpressing (OX) transgenic Arabidopsis plants to evaluate their responses to ABA and drought. CaDIK1-silenced pepper plants conferred a reduced ABA sensitivity and drought hypersensitivity, which was accompanied by high levels of transpirational water loss. CaDIK1-OX plants displayed opposite phenotypes to CaDIK1-silenced peppers. In contrast, substitution of Lys350 to Asn in the kinase domain of CaDIK1 did not lead to alteration of drought sensitivity. Collectively, these data indicate that CaDIK1 is a positive regulator of the ABA-mediated drought-stress tolerance.

GSK3-like kinase BIN2 phosphorylates RD26 to potentiate drought signaling in Arabidopsis

Plant steroid hormones brassinosteroids (BRs) regulate plant growth and development at many different levels. Recent research has revealed that stress-responsive NAC (petunia NAM and Arabidopsis ATAF1, ATAF2, and CUC2) transcription factor RD26 is regulated by BR signaling and antagonizes BES1 in the interaction between growth and drought stress signaling. However, the upstream signaling transduction components that activate RD26 during drought are still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the function of RD26 is modulated by GSK3-like kinase BIN2 and protein phosphatase 2C ABI1. We show that ABI1, a negative regulator in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, dephosphorylates and destabilizes BIN2 to inhibit BIN2 kinase activity. RD26 protein is stabilized by ABA and dehydration in a BIN2-dependent manner. BIN2 directly interacts and phosphorylates RD26 in vitro and in vivo. BIN2 phosphorylation of RD26 is required for RD26 transcriptional activation on drought-responsive genes. RD26 overexpression suppressed the brassinazole (BRZ)  insensitivity of BIN2 triple mutant bin2 bil1 bil2, and BIN2 function is required for the drought tolerance of RD26 overexpression plants. Taken together, our data suggest a drought signaling mechanism in which drought stress relieves ABI1 inhibition of BIN2, allowing BIN2 activation. Sequentially, BIN2 phosphorylates and stabilizes RD26 to promote drought stress response.

Exogenous application of β-sitosterol mediated growth and yield improvement in water-stressed wheat (Triticum aestivum) involves up-regulated antioxidant system

Water stress reduces crop production significantly, and climate change has further aggravated the problem mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. This was the first study on the possible effects of β-sitosterol application in ameliorating the deleterious changes in wheat induced by water stress under field condition and drip irrigation regimes. A field experiment with the split-plot design was conducted, and wheat plants were foliar sprayed with four β-sitosterol (BBS) concentrations (0, 25, 75, and 100 mg L^-1) and two irrigation regimes [50 and 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ET_c)]. Water stress without BBS treatment reduced biological yield, grain yield, harvest index, and photosynthetic efficiency significantly by 28.9%, 42.8%, 19.6%, and 20.5% compared with the well-watered plants, respectively. Proline content increased in water-stressed and BSS-treated plants, owing to a significant role in cellular osmotic adjustment. Application of BSS was effective in reducing the generation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hence the malondialdehyde content significantly in water-stressed and well-watered wheat plants. Application of BSS up-regulated the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD, and APX) significantly and increased the content of tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and carotene thereby reducing the levels of reactive oxygen species. The increased antioxidant system in BSS treated plants was further supported by the expression level of SOD and dehydrin genes in both water-stressed and well-watered plants. In the present study, the application of BBS at 100 mg L^-1 was beneficial and can be recommended for improving the growth and yield of the wheat crop under water stress.

Abscisic Acid Represses Rice Lamina Joint Inclination by Antagonizing Brassinosteroid Biosynthesis and Signaling

Leaf angle is a key parameter that determines plant architecture and crop yield. Hormonal crosstalk involving brassinosteroid (BR) plays an essential role in leaf angle regulation in cereals. In this study, we investigated whether abscisic acid (ABA), an important stress-responsive hormone, co-regulates lamina joint inclination together with BR, and, if so, what the underlying mechanism is. Therefore, lamina joint inclination assay and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis were performed here. ABA antagonizes the promotive effect of BR on leaf angle. Hundreds of genes responsive to both hormones that are involved in leaf-angle determination were identified by RNA-Seq and the expression of a gene subset was confirmed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results from analysis of rice mutants or transgenic lines affected in BR biosynthesis and signaling indicated that ABA antagonizes the effect of BR on lamina joint inclination by targeting the BR biosynthesis gene D11 and BR signaling genes GSK2 and DLT, thus forming a multi-level regulatory module that controls leaf angle in rice. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that BR and ABA antagonistically regulate lamina joint inclination in rice, thus contributing to the elucidation of the complex hormonal interaction network that optimizes leaf angle in rice.

Differential Function of Endogenous and Exogenous Abscisic Acid during Bacterial Pattern-Induced Production of Reactive Oxygen Species in Arabidopsis

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays important roles in positively or negatively regulating plant disease resistance to pathogens. Here, we reassess the role of endogenous and exogenous ABA by using: 35S::ABA2, a previously reported transgenic Arabidopsis line with increased endogenous ABA levels; aba2-1, a previously reported ABA2 mutant with reduced endogenous ABA levels; and exogenous application of ABA. We found that bacterial susceptibility promoted by exogenous ABA was suppressed in 35S::ABA2 plants. The 35S::ABA2 and aba2-1 plants displayed elevated and reduced levels, respectively, of bacterial flagellin peptide (flg22)-induced H₂O₂. Surprisingly, ABA pre-treatment reduced flg22-induced H₂O₂ generation. Exogenous, but not endogenous ABA, increased catalase activity. Loss of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase genes, RBOHD and RBOHF, restored exogenous ABA-promoted bacterial susceptibility of 35S::ABA2 transgenic plants. In addition, endogenous and exogenous ABA had similar effects on callose deposition and salicylic acid (SA) signaling. These results reveal an underlying difference between endogenous and exogenous ABA in regulating plant defense responses. Given that some plant pathogens are able to synthesize ABA and affect endogenous ABA levels in plants, our results highlight the importance of reactive oxygen species in the dual function of ABA during plant-pathogen interactions.

phyB Interacts with BES1 to Regulate Brassinosteroid Signaling in Arabidopsis

Light is an important environmental factor, which mainly inhibits hypocotyl elongation through various photoreceptors. In contrast, brassinosteroids (BRs) are major hypocotyl elongation-promoting hormones in plants, which could optimize photomorphogenesis concurrent with external light. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the antagonism of light and BR signaling remain largely unknown. Here we show that the Arabidopsis red light receptor phyB is involved in inhibition of BR signaling via its direct interaction with the BR transcription factor BES1. In our study, the phyB mutant displays BR hypersensitivity, which is repressed in transgenic plants overexpressing phyB, suggesting that phyB negatively regulates the BR signaling pathway. In addition, protein interaction results show that phyB directly interacts with dephosphorylated BES1, the physiologically active form of BES1 induced by BR, in a red light-dependent manner. Genetic analyses suggest that phyB may act partially through BES1 to regulate BR signaling. Transcriptomic data and quantitative real-time PCR assay further show that phyB-mediated red light inhibits BR signaling by repressing expression of BES1 target genes, including the BR biosynthesis genes DWF4, the SAUR family and the PRE family genes required for promoting cell elongation. Finally, we found that red light treatment inhibits the DNA-binding activity of BES1 and photoactivated phyB represses the transcriptional activity of BES1 under red light. Taken together, we suggest that the interaction of phyB with dephosphorylated BES1 may allow plants to balance light and BR signaling by repressing transcriptional activity of BES1 to regulate expression of its target genes.

Vacuum/Compression Infiltration-mediated Permeation Pathway of a Peptide-pDNA Complex as a Non-Viral Carrier for Gene Delivery in Planta

Non-viral gene carriers have been extensively investigated as alternatives to viral vectors for gene delivery systems into animal and plant cells. A non-viral gene carrier containing a cell-penetrating peptide and a cationic sequence was previously developed for use in intact plants and plant cells; however, the permeation pathway of the gene carrier into plant cells is yet to be elucidated, which would facilitate the improvement of the gene delivery efficiency. Here, we identified the vacuum/compression infiltration-mediated permeation pathway of a non-viral gene carrier into plant tissues and cells using a complex of plasmid DNA and a peptide-based gene carrier. This complex was taken up via the hydathodes in Arabidopsis thaliana, and from root hairs in Nicotiana benthamiana. Remarkably, these structurally weak tissues are also routes of bacterial invasion in nature, suggesting that peptide-pDNA complexes invade intact plants through similar pathways as bacterial pathogens.

Brassinosteroids, the Sixth Class of Phytohormones: A Molecular View from the Discovery to Hormonal Interactions in Plant Development and Stress Adaptation

Phytohormones are natural chemical messengers that play critical roles in the regulation of plant growth and development as well as responses to biotic and abiotic stress factors, maintaining plant homeostasis, and allowing adaptation to environmental changes. The discovery of a new class of phytohormones, the brassinosteroids (BRs), almost 40 years ago opened a new era for the studies of plant growth and development and introduced new perspectives in the regulation of agronomic traits through their use in agriculture. BRs are a group of hormones with significant growth regulatory activity that act independently and in conjunction with other phytohormones to control different BR-regulated activities. Genetic and molecular research has increased our understanding of how BRs and their cross-talk with other phytohormones control several physiological and developmental processes. The present article provides an overview of BRs' discovery as well as recent findings on their interactions with other phytohormones at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, in addition to clarifying how their network works to modulate plant growth, development, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses.

The use of quantitative imaging to investigate regulators of membrane trafficking in Arabidopsis stomatal closure

Expansion of gene families facilitates robustness and evolvability of biological processes but impedes functional genetic dissection of signalling pathways. To address this, quantitative analysis of single cell responses can help characterize the redundancy within gene families. We developed high-throughput quantitative imaging of stomatal closure, a response of plant guard cells, and performed a reverse genetic screen in a group of Arabidopsis mutants to five stimuli. Focussing on the intersection between guard cell signalling and the endomembrane system, we identified eight clusters based on the mutant stomatal responses. Mutants generally affected in stomatal closure were mostly in genes encoding SNARE and SCAMP membrane regulators. By contrast, mutants in RAB5 GTPase genes played specific roles in stomatal closure to microbial but not drought stress. Together with timed quantitative imaging of endosomes revealing sequential patterns in FLS2 trafficking, our imaging pipeline can resolve non-redundant functions of the RAB5 GTPase gene family. Finally, we provide a valuable image-based tool to dissect guard cell responses and outline a genetic framework of stomatal closure.

Guard Cell Membrane Anion Transport Systems and Their Regulatory Components: An Elaborate Mechanism Controlling Stress-Induced Stomatal Closure

When plants are exposed to drastic environmental changes such as drought, salt or bacterial invasion, rapid stomatal movement confers tolerance to these stresses. This process involves a variety of guard cell expressed ion channels and their complex regulation network. Inward K⁺ channels mainly function in stomatal opening. On the other hand, guard cell anion channels play a crucial role in the closing of stomata, which is vital in terms of preventing water loss and bacterial entrance. Massive progress has been made on the research of these anion channels in the last decade. In this review, we focus on the function and regulation of Arabidopsis guard cell anion channels. Starting from SLAC1, a main contributor of stomatal closure, members of SLAHs (SLAC1 homologues), AtNRTs (Nitrate transporters), AtALMTs (Aluminum-activated malate transporters), ABC transporters, AtCLCs (Chloride channels), DTXs (Detoxification efflux carriers), SULTRs (Sulfate transporters), and their regulator components are reviewed. These membrane transport systems are the keys to maintaining cellular ion homeostasis against fluctuating external circumstances.

AtPR5K2, a PR5-Like Receptor Kinase, Modulates Plant Responses to Drought Stress by Phosphorylating Protein Phosphatase 2Cs

Cell surface receptors perceive signals from the environment and transfer them to the interior of the cell. The Arabidopsis thaliana PR5 receptor-like kinase (AtPR5K) subfamily consists of three members with extracellular domains that share sequence similarity with the PR5 proteins. In this study, we characterized the role of AtPR5K2 in plant drought-stress signaling. AtPR5K2 is predominantly expressed in leaves and localized to the plasma membrane. The atpr5k2-1 mutant showed tolerance to dehydration stress, while AtPR5K2-overexpressing plants was hypersensitive to drought. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays showed that AtPR5K2 physically interacted with the type 2C protein phosphatases ABA-insensitive 1 (ABI1) and ABI2 and the SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2.6) proteins, all of which are involved in the initiation of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling; however, these interactions were inhibited by treatments of exogenous ABA. Moreover, AtPR5K2 was found to phosphorylate ABI1 and ABI2, but not SnRK2.6. Taken together, these results suggest that AtPR5K2 participates in ABA-dependent drought-stress signaling through the phosphorylation of ABI1 and ABI2.

Plant immune responses - from guard cells and local responses to systemic defense against bacterial pathogens

When plants are infected by pathogens two distinct responses can occur, the early being a local response in the infected area, and later a systemic response in non-infected tissues. Closure of stomata has recently been found to be a local response to bacterial pathogens. Stomata closure is linked to both salicylic acid (SA), an essential hormone in local responses and systemic acquired resistance (SAR), and absisic acid (ABA) a key regulator of drought and other abiotic stresses. SAR reduces the effects of later infections. In this review we discuss recent research elucidating the role of guard cells in local and systemic immune responses, guard cell interactions with abiotic and hormone signals, as well as putative functions and interactions between long-distance SAR signals.

Crosstalk of the Brassinosteroid Signalosome with Phytohormonal and Stress Signaling Components Maintains a Balance between the Processes of Growth and Stress Tolerance

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of phytohormones, which regulate various processes during plant life cycle. Intensive studies conducted with genetic, physiological and molecular approaches allowed identification of various components participating in the BR signaling—from the ligand perception, through cytoplasmic signal transduction, up to the BR-dependent gene expression, which is regulated by transcription factors and chromatin modifying enzymes. The identification of new components of the BR signaling is an ongoing process, however an emerging view of the BR signalosome indicates that this process is interconnected at various stages with other metabolic pathways. The signaling crosstalk is mediated by the BR signaling proteins, which function as components of the transmembrane BR receptor, by a cytoplasmic kinase playing a role of the major negative regulator of the BR signaling, and by the transcription factors, which regulate the BR-dependent gene expression and form a complicated regulatory system. This molecular network of interdependencies allows a balance in homeostasis of various phytohormones to be maintained. Moreover, the components of the BR signalosome interact with factors regulating plant reactions to environmental cues and stress conditions. This intricate network of interactions enables a rapid adaptation of plant metabolism to constantly changing environmental conditions.

Reactive oxygen species signaling and stomatal movement in plant responses to drought stress and pathogen attack

Stomata, the pores formed by a pair of guard cells, are the main gateways for water transpiration and photosynthetic CO₂ exchange, as well as pathogen invasion in land plants. Guard cell movement is regulated by a combination of environmental factors, including water status, light, CO₂ levels and pathogen attack, as well as endogenous signals, such as abscisic acid and apoplastic reactive oxygen species (ROS). Under abiotic and biotic stress conditions, extracellular ROS are mainly produced by plasma membrane-localized NADPH oxidases, whereas intracellular ROS are produced in multiple organelles. These ROS form a sophisticated cellular signaling network, with the accumulation of apoplastic ROS an early hallmark of stomatal movement. Here, we review recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of the ROS signaling network, primarily during drought stress and pathogen attack. We summarize the roles of apoplastic ROS in regulating stomatal movement, ABA and CO₂ signaling, and immunity responses. Finally, we discuss ROS accumulation and communication between organelles and cells. This information provides a conceptual framework for understanding how ROS signaling is integrated with various signaling pathways during plant responses to abiotic and biotic stress stimuli.

Brassinosteroid reduces ABA accumulation leading to the inhibition of ABA-induced stomatal closure

Proper regulation of stomatal movement in response to various environmental stresses or developmental status is critical for the adaptation of many plant species to land. In plants, abscisic acid (ABA)-induced stomatal closure is a well-adapted method of regulating water status. In addition to ABA, we previously showed that plant-specific steroidal hormone, brassinosteroid (BR), also induces stomatal closure; however, BR modulates ABA-induced stomatal closure negatively at high concentrations. In this study, we further investigated the cross-talk between ABA and BR in relation to stomatal movement. In contrast to previous reports that ABA-induced stomatal closure was inhibited by brassinolide (BL), the most active BR, we showed that BL-induced stomatal closure was enhanced by ABA, indicating that the sequence of ABA or BL treatments led to different results. We found that this phenomenon occurred because the guard cells still had the capacity to be closed further by ABA, as the degree of stomatal closure by BL was always less than that by ABA. We also found that BL-induced stomatal closure required Open Stomata 1 (OST1) activity and the induced expression of OST1 was indifferent to the sequence of ABA and/or BL treatments. In addition, we examined the underlying mechanism by which inhibition of ABA-induced stomatal closure by BL occurred. We revealed that the downregulation of ABA-biosynthetic genes by BL resulted in a lower accumulation of ABA. These results suggested that the regulation of stomatal movement is finely controlled by the combined effects of plant hormones, ABA and BR.

Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of BR-deficient Micro-Tom reveals correlations between drought stress tolerance and brassinosteroid signaling in tomato

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant steroid hormones that play crucial roles in a range of growth and developmental processes. Although BR signal transduction and biosynthetic pathways have been well characterized in model plants, their biological roles in an important crop, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), remain unknown. Here, cultivated tomato (WT) and a BR synthesis mutant, Micro-Tom (MT), were compared using physiological and transcriptomic approaches. The cultivated tomato showed higher tolerance to drought and osmotic stresses than the MT tomato. However, BR-defective phenotypes of MT, including plant growth and stomatal closure defects, were completely recovered by application of exogenous BR or complementation with a SlDWARF gene. Using genome-wide transcriptome analysis, 619 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between WT and MT plants. Several DEGs were linked to known signaling networks, including those related to biotic/abiotic stress responses, lignification, cell wall development, and hormone responses. Consistent with the higher susceptibility of MT to drought stress, several gene sets involved in responses to drought and osmotic stress were differentially regulated between the WT and MT tomato plants. Our data suggest that BR signaling pathways are involved in mediating the response to abiotic stress via fine-tuning of abiotic stress-related gene networks in tomato plants.

Nonredundant functions of Arabidopsis LecRK-V.2 and LecRK-VII.1 in controlling stomatal immunity and jasmonate-mediated stomatal closure

Stomatal immunity restricts bacterial entry to leaves through the recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) by pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) and downstream abscisic acid and salicylic acid signaling. Through a reverse genetics approach, we characterized the function of the L-type lectin receptor kinase-V.2 (LecRK-V.2) and -VII.1 (LecRK-VII.1). Analyses of interactions with the PRR FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (FLS2) were performed by co-immunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation and whole-cell patch-clamp analyses were used to evaluate guard cell Ca²⁺ -permeable cation channels. The Arabidopsis thaliana LecRK-V.2 and LecRK-VII.1 and notably their kinase activities were required for full activation of stomatal immunity. Knockout lecrk-V.2 and lecrk-VII.1 mutants were hyper-susceptible to Pseudomonas syringae infection and showed defective stomatal closure in response to bacteria or to the MAMPs flagellin and EF-Tu. By contrast, Arabidopsis over-expressing LecRK-V.2 or LecRK-VII.1 demonstrated a potentiated stomatal immunity. LecRK-V.2 and LecRK-VII.1 are shown to be part of the FLS2 PRR complex. In addition, LecRK-V.2 and LecRK-VII.1 were critical for methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-mediated stomatal closure, notably for MeJA-induced activation of guard cell Ca²⁺ -permeable cation channels. This study highlights the role of LecRK-V.2 and LecRK-VII.1 in stomatal immunity at the FLS2 PRR complex and in MeJA-mediated stomatal closure.

Abscisic Acid Signaling Inhibits Brassinosteroid Signaling through Dampening the Dephosphorylation of BIN2 by ABI1 and ABI2

Abscisic acid (ABA) and brassinosteroid (BR) antagonistically regulate many aspects of plant growth and development. Previous physiological studies have revealed that the inhibition of BR signaling by ABA is largely dependent on ABI1 and ABI2. However, the genetic and molecular basis of how ABI1 and ABI2 are involved in inhibiting BR signaling remains unclear. Although it is known that in the BR signaling pathway the ABA-BR crosstalk occurs in the downstream of BR receptor complex but upstream of BIN2 kinase, a negative regulator of BR signaling, the component that acts as the hub to directly mediate their crosstalk remains a big mystery. Here, we found that ABI1 and ABI2 interact with and dephosphorylate BIN2 to regulate its activity toward the phosphorylation of BES1. By in vitro mimicking ABA signal transduction, we found that ABA can promote BIN2 phosphorylation by inhibiting ABI2 through ABA receptors. RNA-sequencing analysis further demonstrated that ABA inhibits BR signaling through the ABA primary signaling components, including its receptors and ABI2, and that ABA and GSK3s co-regulate a common set of stress-responsive genes. Because BIN2 can interact with and phosphorylate SnRK2s to activate its kinase activity, our study also reveals there is a module of PP2Cs-BIN2-SnRK2s in the ABA signaling pathway. Collectively, these findings provide significant insights into how plants balance growth and survival by coordinately regulating the growth-promoting signaling pathway and stress responses under abiotic stresses.

Biochemical Analysis of the Role of Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinases and the Carboxy-Terminus of Receptor Kinases in Regulating Kinase Activity in Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica oleracea

Protein post-translational modification by phosphorylation is essential for the activity and stability of proteins in higher plants and underlies their responses to diverse stimuli. There are more than 300 leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs), a major group of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) that plays an important role in growth, development, and biotic stress responses in higher plants. To analyze auto- and transphosphorylation patterns and kinase activities in vitro, 43 full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) sequences were cloned from genes encoding LRR-RLKs. Autophosphorylation activity was found in the cytoplasmic domains (CDs) of 18 LRR-RLKs; 13 of these LRR-RLKs with autophosphorylation activity showed transphosphorylation in Escherichia coli. BRI1-Associated Receptor Kinase (BAK1), which is critically involved in the brassinosteroid and plant innate immunity signal transduction pathways, showed strong auto- and transphosphorylation with multi-specific kinase activity within 2 h of induction of Brassica oleraceae BAK1-CD (BoBAK1-CD) in E. coli; moreover, the carboxy-terminus of LRR-RLKs regulated phosphorylation and kinase activity in Arabidopsis thaliana and vegetative crops.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cascades in Plant Hormone Signaling

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) modules play key roles in the transduction of environmental and developmental signals through phosphorylation of downstream signaling targets, including other kinases, enzymes, cytoskeletal proteins or transcription factors, in all eukaryotic cells. A typical MAPK cascade consists of at least three sequentially acting serine/threonine kinases, a MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK), a MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK) and finally, the MAP kinase (MAPK) itself, with each phosphorylating, and hence activating, the next kinase in the cascade. Recent advances in our understanding of hormone signaling pathways have led to the discovery of new regulatory systems. In particular, this research has revealed the emerging role of crosstalk between the protein components of various signaling pathways and the involvement of this crosstalk in multiple cellular processes. Here we provide an overview of current models and mechanisms of hormone signaling with a special emphasis on the role of MAPKs in cell signaling networks. One-sentence summary: In this review we highlight the mechanisms of crosstalk between MAPK cascades and plant hormone signaling pathways and summarize recent findings on MAPK regulation and function in various cellular processes.

Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 mediates abscisic acid-regulated stomatal closure and the drought response by affecting cellular pyruvate content in Arabidopsis thaliana

BACKGROUND

Stomata are micropores surrounded by pairs of guard cells, and their opening is finely controlled to balance water vapor loss as transpiration and CO₂ absorption for photosynthesis. The regulatory signaling network for stomatal movement is complicated, and increasing numbers of new genes have been shown to be involved in this process. Our previous study indicated that a member of the plant putative mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) family, NRGA1, is a negative regulator of guard cell abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. In this study, we identified novel physiological roles of pyruvate and MPC1, another member of the MPC family, in the regulation of stomatal closure in Arabidopsis.

RESULTS

Loss-of-function mutants of MPC1 (mpc1) were hypersensitive to ABA-induced stomatal closure and ABA-activated guard cell slow-type anion currents, and showed a reduced rate of water loss upon drought treatment compared with wild-type plants. In contrast, plants overexpressing MPC1 showed a hyposensitive ABA response and increased sensitivity to drought stress. In addition, mpc1 mutants accumulated more pyruvate after drought or ABA treatment. The increased pyruvate content also induced stomatal closure and activated the slow-type anion channels of guard cells, and this process was dependent on the function of RbohD/F NADPH oxidases and reactive oxygen species concentrations in guard cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings revealed the essential roles of MPC1 and pyruvate in stomatal movement and plant drought resistance.

SlBIR3 Negatively Regulates PAMP Responses and Cell Death in Tomato

Bri1-associated kinase 1 (BAK1)-interacting receptor-like kinase (BIR) proteins have been shown to play important roles in regulating growth and development, pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI) responses, and cell death in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified four BIR family members in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), including SlBIR3, an ortholog of AtBIR3 from A. thaliana. SlBIR3 is predicted to encode a membrane localized non-arginine-aspartate (non-RD) kinase that, based on protein sequence, does not have autophosphorylation activity but that can be phosphorylated in vivo. We established that SlBIR3 interacts with SlBAK1 and AtBAK1 using yeast two-hybrid assays and co-immunoprecipitation and maltose-binding protein pull down assays. We observed that SlBIR3 overexpression in tomato (cv. micro-tom) and A. thaliana has weak effect on growth and development through brassinosteroid (BR) signaling. SlBIR3 overexpression in A. thaliana suppressed flg22-induced defense responses, but did not affect infection with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae (PstDC3000). This result was confirmed using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in tomato in conjunction with PstDC3000 infection. Overexpression of SlBIR3 in tomato (cv. micro-tom) and A. thaliana resulted in enhanced susceptibility to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. In addition, co-silencing SlBIR3 with SlSERK3A or SlSERK3B using VIGS and the tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-RNA2 vector containing fragments of both the SlSERK3 and SlBIR3 genes induced spontaneous cell death, indicating a cooperation between the two proteins in this process. In conclusion, our study revealed that SlBIR3 is the ortholog of AtBIR3 and that it participates in BR, PTI, and cell death signaling pathways.

Aquaporins facilitate hydrogen peroxide entry into guard cells to mediate ABA- and pathogen-triggered stomatal closure

Stomatal movements are crucial for the control of plant water status and protection against pathogens. Assays on epidermal peels revealed that, similar to abscisic acid (ABA), pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) flg22 requires the AtPIP2;1 aquaporin to induce stomatal closure. Flg22 also induced an increase in osmotic water permeability (P_f) of guard cell protoplasts through activation of AtPIP2;1. The use of HyPer, a genetic probe for intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), revealed that both ABA and flg22 triggered an accumulation of H₂O₂ in wild-type but not pip2;1 guard cells. Pretreatment of guard cells with flg22 or ABA facilitated the influx of exogenous H₂O₂ Brassinosteroid insensitive 1-associated receptor kinase 1 (BAK1) and open stomata 1 (OST1)/Snf1-related protein kinase 2.6 (SnRK2.6) were both necessary to flg22-induced P_f and both phosphorylated AtPIP2;1 on Ser121 in vitro. Accumulation of H₂O₂ and stomatal closure as induced by flg22 was restored in pip2;1 guard cells by a phosphomimetic form (Ser121Asp) but not by a phosphodeficient form (Ser121Ala) of AtPIP2;1. We propose a mechanism whereby phosphorylation of AtPIP2;1 Ser121 by BAK1 and/or OST1 is triggered in response to flg22 to activate its water and H₂O₂ transport activities. This work establishes a signaling role of plasma membrane aquaporins in guard cells and potentially in other cellular context involving H₂O₂ signaling.

Apoplastic ROS signaling in plant immunity

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are widely produced in different cellular compartments under both biotic and abiotic stress conditions. ROS play a central role in plant signaling and regulate diverse cellular processes. Recent advances are shedding new light on sophisticated mechanisms controlling ROS biogenesis and signaling in plant immunity. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the regulation of apoplastic ROS production in response to microbial molecular patterns and draw comparison with abscisic acid (ABA)-induced apoplastic ROS. We also discuss how ROS act as signal molecules to regulate cellular activities using stomatal movement as an example.

Cross-talk of Brassinosteroid signaling in controlling growth and stress responses

Plants are faced with a barrage of stresses in their environment and must constantly balance their growth and survival. As such, plants have evolved complex control systems that perceive and respond to external and internal stimuli in order to optimize these responses, many of which are mediated by signaling molecules such as phytohormones. One such class of molecules called Brassinosteroids (BRs) are an important group of plant steroid hormones involved in numerous aspects of plant life including growth, development and response to various stresses. The molecular determinants of the BR signaling pathway have been extensively defined, starting with the membrane-localized receptor BRI1 and co-receptor BAK1 and ultimately culminating in the activation of BES1/BZR1 family transcription factors, which direct a transcriptional network controlling the expression of thousands of genes enabling BRs to influence growth and stress programs. Here, we highlight recent progress in understanding the relationship between the BR pathway and plant stress responses and provide an integrated view of the mechanisms mediating cross-talk between BR and stress signaling.

Brassinosteroid/Abscisic Acid Antagonism in Balancing Growth and Stress

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Gui et al. (2016) show that an abscisic acid-inducible remorin protein in rice directly interacts with critical brassinosteroid signaling components to attenuate the brassinosteroid response, thus illuminating one aspect of the brassinosteroid/abscisic acid antagonism.

Mutation in HvCBP20 (Cap Binding Protein 20) Adapts Barley to Drought Stress at Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Levels

CBP20 (Cap-Binding Protein 20) encodes a small subunit of the cap-binding complex (CBC), which is involved in the conserved cell processes related to RNA metabolism in plants and, simultaneously, engaged in the signaling network of drought response, which is dependent on ABA. Here, we report the enhanced tolerance to drought stress of barley mutant in the HvCBP20 gene manifested at the morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic levels. Physiological analyses revealed differences between the hvcbp20.ab mutant and its WT in response to a water deficiency. The mutant exhibited a higher relative water content (RWC), a lower stomatal conductance and changed epidermal pattern compared to the WT after drought stress. Transcriptome analysis using the Agilent Barley Microarray integrated with observed phenotypic traits allowed to conclude that the hvcbp20.ab mutant exhibited better fitness to stress conditions by its much more efficient and earlier activation of stress-preventing mechanisms. The network hubs involved in the adjustment of hvcbp20.ab mutant to the drought conditions were proposed. These results enabled to make a significant progress in understanding the role of CBP20 in the drought stress response.

Arabidopsis thaliana RECEPTOR DEAD KINASE1 Functions as a Positive Regulator in Plant Responses to ABA

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a major phytohormone involved in important stress-related and developmental plant processes. Membrane-delimited ABA signal transduction plays an important role in early ABA signaling, but the molecular mechanisms connecting core signaling components to the plasma membrane remain unclear. Plants have evolved a large number of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) to modulate diverse biological processes by perceiving extracellular stimuli and activating downstream signaling responses. In this study, a putative leucine-rich repeat-RLK gene named RECEPTOR DEAD KINASE1 (AtRDK1) was identified and characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana. RDK1 promoter-GUS analysis revealed that RDK1 is expressed ubiquitously in the various tissues in Arabidopsis, and its expression is mainly induced by ABA. In the presence of ABA, RDK1-deficient rdk1-1 and rdk1-2 lines showed significant resistance in cotyledon greening and root growth, whereas RDK1-overexpressing lines showed enhanced sensitivity. Consistently, the expression of ABA-responsive genes was significantly downregulated in rdk1 mutant seedlings, which were also hypersensitive to drought stress with increased water loss. Interestingly, RDK1 was found to be an atypical kinase localized to the plasma membrane and did not require its kinase activity during ABA-mediated inhibition of seedling development. Accordingly, RDK1 interacted in the plasma membrane with type 2C protein phosphatase ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE1 (ABI1); this interaction was further enhanced by exogenous application of ABA, suggesting that RDK1-mediated recruitment of ABI1 onto the plasma membrane is important for ABA signaling. Taken together, these results reveal an important role for RDK1 in plant responses to abiotic stress conditions in an ABA-dependent manner.

Overexpression of BAK1 causes salicylic acid accumulation and deregulation of cell death control genes

Since the BRI1-Associated Receptor Kinase 1 (BAK1) was firstly identified as a co-receptor of BRI1 that mediates brassinosteroids (BR) signaling, the functional roles of BAK1, as a versatile co-receptor for various ligand-binding leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-containing receptor-like kinase (RLKs), are being extended to involvement with plant immunity, cell death, stomatal development and ABA signaling in plants. During more than a decade of research on the BAK1, it has been known that transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing BAK1 tagged with various reporters do not fully represent its natural functions. Therefore, in this study, we characterized the transgenic plants in which native BAK1 is overexpressed driven by its own promoter. We found that those transgenic plants were more sensitive to BR signaling but showed reduced growth patterns accompanied with spontaneous cell death features that are different from those seen in BR-related mutants. We demonstrated that more salicylic acid (SA) and hydrogen peroxide were accumulated and that expressions of the genes that are known to regulate cell death, such as BONs, BIRs, and SOBIR, were increased in the BAK1-overexpressing transgenic plants. These results suggest that pleiotropic phenotypic alterations shown in the BAK1- overexpressing transgenic plants result from the constitutive activation of SA-mediated defense responses.

CML20, an Arabidopsis Calmodulin-like Protein, Negatively Regulates Guard Cell ABA Signaling and Drought Stress Tolerance

Guard cells shrink in response to drought and abscisic acid (ABA), which is caused by efflux of ions that in turn reduces stomatal aperture and improves the plant's ability to retain moisture. Cytosolic free calcium is an essential secondary messenger in guard cell ABA signaling, but the details of this regulatory pathway remain sketchy. Here, the calmodulin-like protein CML20, which has four EF-hand domains and calcium-binding activity in vitro, was found to be a negative regulator of ABA-induced stomatal movement in Arabidopsis. The guard cells of cml20 loss-of-function mutant plants were hypersensitive to both ABA-activated S-type anion currents, and ABA inhibited inward K⁺ currents than those of wild type. Additional, due to smaller stomatal aperture, cml20 showed less water loss from the leaves than wild type. These phenotypes of CML20 overexpressing plants contrasted with wild type in the opposite direction. In the cml20 mutant, the transcripts of stress responsive genes, such as MYB2, RAB18, ERD10, COR47, and RD29A were up-regulated in response to drought and ABA, while down-regulated of APX2 transcription and higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. These observations support the CML20, a functional Ca²⁺ sensor, is a negative regulator in guard cell ABA signaling.

Brassinosteroids modulate ABA-induced stomatal closure in Arabidopsis

Stomatal movement in response to water availability is an important physiological process in the survival of land plants. The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and brassinosteroids (BRs) regulate stomatal closure. The physiological functions of ABA and BRs, including germination, cell elongation and stomatal movement, are generally known to be antagonistic. Here, we investigated how BRs affect stomatal movement alone and in combination with ABA. We demonstrate that brassinoslide (BL), the most active BR, promotes stomatal closure in an ABA-independent manner. Interestingly, BL also inhibited ABA-induced stomatal closure when a high concentration of BL was added to ABA. Furthermore, we found that the induction of some genes for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by ABA (AtrbohD, NIA1 and NIA2) and subsequent ROS production were repressed by BL treatment. The BR signaling mutant bri1-301 failed to inhibit ABA-induced stomatal closure upon BL treatment. However, BRI1-overexpressing transgenic plants were hypersensitive to ABA during stomatal closure, and BL reversed ABA-induced stomatal closure more completely than in wild type plants. Taken together, these results suggest that BRs can positively and negatively modulate ABA-induced stomatal closure. Therefore, interactions between ABA and BR signaling are important for the regulation of stomatal closure.

ALA-Induced Flavonols Accumulation in Guard Cells Is Involved in Scavenging H2O2 and Inhibiting Stomatal Closure in Arabidopsis Cotyledons

5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a new plant growth regulator, can inhibit stomatal closure by reducing H2O2 accumulation in guard cells. Flavonols are a main kind of flavonoids and have been proposed as H2O2 scavengers in guard cells. 5-aminolevulinic acid can significantly improve flavonoids accumulation in plants. However, whether ALA increases flavonols content in guard cells and the role of flavonols in ALA-regulated stomatal movement remains unclear. In this study, we first demonstrated that ALA pretreatment inhibited ABA-induced stomatal closure by reducing H2O2 accumulation in guard cells of Arabidopsis seedlings. This result confirms the inhibitory effect of ALA on stomatal closure and the important role of decreased H2O2 accumulation in this process. We also found that ALA significantly improved flavonols accumulation in guard cells using a flavonol-specific dye. Furthermore, using exogenous quercetin and kaempferol, two major components of flavonols in Arabidopsis leaves, we showed that flavonols accumulation inhibited ABA-induced stomatal movement by suppressing H2O2 in guard cells. Finally, we showed that the inhibitory effect of ALA on ABA-induced stomatal closure was largely impaired in flavonoid-deficient transparent testa4 (tt4) mutant. In addition, exogenous flavonols recovered stomatal responses of tt4 to the wild-type levels. Taken together, we conclude that ALA-induced flavonol accumulation in guard cells is partially involved in the inhibitory effect of ALA on ABA-induced H2O2 accumulation and stomatal closure. Our data provide direct evidence that ALA can regulate stomatal movement by improving flavonols accumulation, revealing new insights into guard cell signaling.

Comparative Transcriptional Analysis of Loquat Fruit Identifies Major Signal Networks Involved in Fruit Development and Ripening Process

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) is an important non-climacteric fruit and rich in essential nutrients such as minerals and carotenoids. During fruit development and ripening, thousands of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from various metabolic pathways cause a series of physiological and biochemical changes. To better understand the underlying mechanism of fruit development, the Solexa/Illumina RNA-seq high-throughput sequencing was used to evaluate the global changes of gene transcription levels. More than 51,610,234 high quality reads from ten runs of fruit development were sequenced and assembled into 48,838 unigenes. Among 3256 DEGs, 2304 unigenes could be annotated to the Gene Ontology database. These DEGs were distributed into 119 pathways described in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. A large number of DEGs were involved in carbohydrate metabolism, hormone signaling, and cell-wall degradation. The real-time reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR analyses revealed that several genes related to cell expansion, auxin signaling and ethylene response were differentially expressed during fruit development. Other members of transcription factor families were also identified. There were 952 DEGs considered as novel genes with no annotation in any databases. These unigenes will serve as an invaluable genetic resource for loquat molecular breeding and postharvest storage.

The Difference of Physiological and Proteomic Changes in Maize Leaves Adaptation to Drought, Heat, and Combined Both Stresses

At the eight-leaf stage, maize is highly sensitive to stresses such as drought, heat, and their combination, which greatly affect its yield. At present, few studies have analyzed maize response to combined drought and heat stress at the eight-leaf stage. In this study, we measured certain physical parameters of maize at the eight-leaf stage when it was exposed to drought, heat, and their combination. The results showed an increase in the content of H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA), and in the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR), but a decrease in the quantum efficiency of photosystem II (ΦPSII). The most obvious increase or decrease in physical parameters was found under the combined stress condition. Moreover, to identify proteins differentially regulated by the three stress conditions at the eight-leaf stage, total proteins from the maize leaves were identified and quantified using multiplex iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic and LC-MS/MS methods. In summary, the expression levels of 135, 65, and 201 proteins were significantly changed under the heat, drought and combined stress conditions, respectively. Of the 135, 65, and 201 differentially expressed proteins, 61, 28, and 16 responded exclusively to drought stress, heat stress, and combined stress, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis implied that chaperone proteins and proteases play important roles in the adaptive response of maize to heat stress and combined stress, and that the leaf senescence promoted by ethylene-responsive protein and ripening-related protein may play active roles in maize tolerance to combined drought and heat stress. The signaling pathways related to differentially expressed proteins were obviously different under all three stress conditions. Thus, the functional characterization of these differentially expressed proteins will be helpful for discovering new targets to enhance maize tolerance to stress.