The Arabidopsis SOS2 protein kinase physically interacts with and is activated by the calcium-binding protein SOS3

Hydrogen sulfide induces systemic tolerance to salinity and non-ionic osmotic stress in strawberry plants through modification of reactive species biosynthesis and transcriptional regulation of multiple defence pathways

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been recently found to act as a potent priming agent. This study explored the hypothesis that hydroponic pretreatment of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Camarosa) roots with a H2S donor, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS; 100 μM for 48 h), could induce long-lasting priming effects and tolerance to subsequent exposure to 100mM NaCI or 10% (w/v) PEG-6000 for 7 d. Hydrogen sulfide pretreatment of roots resulted in increased leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, stomatal conductance and leaf relative water content as well as lower lipid peroxidation levels in comparison with plants directly subjected to salt and non-ionic osmotic stress, thus suggesting a systemic mitigating effect of H2S pretreatment to cellular damage derived from abiotic stress factors. In addition, root pretreatment with NaHS resulted in the minimization of oxidative and nitrosative stress in strawberry plants, manifested via lower levels of synthesis of NO and H(2)O(2) in leaves and the maintenance of high ascorbate and glutathione redox states, following subsequent salt and non-ionic osmotic stresses. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR gene expression analysis of key antioxidant (cAPX, CAT, MnSOD, GR), ascorbate and glutathione biosynthesis (GCS, GDH, GS), transcription factor (DREB), and salt overly sensitive (SOS) pathway (SOS2-like, SOS3-like, SOS4) genes suggests that H2S plays a pivotal role in the coordinated regulation of multiple transcriptional pathways. The ameliorative effects of H2S were more pronounced in strawberry plants subjected to both stress conditions immediately after NaHS root pretreatment, rather than in plants subjected to stress conditions 3 d after root pretreatment. Overall, H2S-pretreated plants managed to overcome the deleterious effects of salt and non-ionic osmotic stress by controlling oxidative and nitrosative cellular damage through increased performance of antioxidant mechanisms and the coordinated regulation of the SOS pathway, thus proposing a novel role for H2S in plant priming, and in particular in a fruit crop such as strawberry.

Structural Biology of a Major Signaling Network that Regulates Plant Abiotic Stress: The CBL-CIPK Mediated Pathway

The Arabidopsis SOS2 family of twenty-six protein kinases (CIPKs), their interacting activators, the SOS3 family of ten calcium-binding proteins (CBLs) and protein phosphatases type 2C (PP2C), function together in decoding calcium signals elicited by different environmental stimuli. Biochemical data suggest that stable CBL-CIPK or CIPK-PP2C complexes may be regulating the activity of various substrates controlling ion homeostasis. The available structural information provides a general regulatory mechanism in which calcium perception by CBLs and kinase activation is coupled. The structural basis of this molecular mechanism and the specificity of the network is reviewed and discussed in detail.

Arabidopsis SOS3 plays an important role in salt tolerance by mediating calcium-dependent microfilament reorganization

KEY MESSAGE : SOS3 mediates calcium dependent actin filament reorganization that plays important roles in plant responses to salt stress. Arabidopsis salt overly sensitive 3 (SOS3) plays an important role in plant salt tolerance by regulation of Na(+)/K(+) homeostasis. Plants lacking SOS3 are hypersensitive to salt stress and this phenomenon can be partially rescued by the addition of calcium. However the mechanism underlying remains elusive. We here report that the organization of actin filaments in sos3 mutant differs from that in wild-type plant. Under salt stress abnormal actin assembly and arrangement in sos3 are more pronounced, which can be partially complemented by addition of external calcium or low concentration of latrunculin A, an actin monomer-sequestering agent. The effects of calcium and Lat A on actin filament organization of sos3 mutant are accordant with their effects on sos3 salt sensitivity under salt stress. These findings indicate that the salt-hypersensitivity of sos3 mutant partially results from its disordered actin filaments, and SOS3 mediated actin filament reorganization plays important roles in plant responses to salt stress.

Diversity, classification and function of the plant protein kinase superfamily

Eukaryotic protein kinases belong to a large superfamily with hundreds to thousands of copies and are components of essentially all cellular functions. The goals of this study are to classify protein kinases from 25 plant species and to assess their evolutionary history in conjunction with consideration of their molecular functions. The protein kinase superfamily has expanded in the flowering plant lineage, in part through recent duplications. As a result, the flowering plant protein kinase repertoire, or kinome, is in general significantly larger than other eukaryotes, ranging in size from 600 to 2500 members. This large variation in kinome size is mainly due to the expansion and contraction of a few families, particularly the receptor-like kinase/Pelle family. A number of protein kinases reside in highly conserved, low copy number families and often play broadly conserved regulatory roles in metabolism and cell division, although functions of plant homologues have often diverged from their metazoan counterparts. Members of expanded plant kinase families often have roles in plant-specific processes and some may have contributed to adaptive evolution. Nonetheless, non-adaptive explanations, such as kinase duplicate subfunctionalization and insufficient time for pseudogenization, may also contribute to the large number of seemingly functional protein kinases in plants.

Salinity tolerance mechanisms in glycophytes: An overview with the central focus on rice plants

Elevated Na(+) levels in agricultural lands are increasingly becoming a serious threat to the world agriculture. Plants suffer osmotic and ionic stress under high salinity due to the salts accumulated at the outside of roots and those accumulated at the inside of the plant cells, respectively. Mechanisms of salinity tolerance in plants have been extensively studied and in the recent years these studies focus on the function of key enzymes and plant morphological traits. Here, we provide an updated overview of salt tolerant mechanisms in glycophytes with a particular interest in rice (Oryza sativa) plants. Protective mechanisms that prevent water loss due to the increased osmotic pressure, the development of Na(+) toxicity on essential cellular metabolisms, and the movement of ions via the apoplastic pathway (i.e. apoplastic barriers) are described here in detail.

Proteomic studies of the abiotic stresses response in model moss - Physcomitrella patens

Moss species Physcomitrella patens has been used as a model system in plant science for several years, because it has a short life cycle and is easy to be handled. With the completion of its genome sequencing, more and more proteomic analyses were conducted to study the mechanisms of P. patens abiotic stress resistance. It can be concluded from these studies that abiotic stresses could lead to the repression of photosynthesis and enhancement of respiration in P. patens, although different stresses could also result in specific responses. Comparative analysis showed that the responses to drought and salinity were very similar to that of abscisic acid, while the response to cold was quite different from these three. Based on previous studies, it is proposed that sub-proteomic studies on organelles or protein modifications, as well as functional characterization of those candidate proteins identified from proteomic studies will help us to further understand the mechanisms of abiotic stress resistance in P. patens.

A tobacco CBL-interacting protein kinase homolog is involved in phosphorylation of the N-terminal domain of the cucumber mosaic virus polymerase 2a protein

The replication and transcription of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) are catalyzed by multi-protein complex RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is composed of the viral-encoded 1a and 2a proteins with host factors. We have reported that the N-terminal region of the polymerase 2a protein, composed of 126 amino acids, is required for interaction with the helicase 1a protein, and that the phosphorylation of the region abrogated interaction with the 1a protein, suggesting a mechanism of resistance in host plants against viral infection. Here, we found that three protein 2a kinases, of 60, 55, and 38 kDa, co-purified with the tobacco membrane fraction in an in-gel kinase assay. By yeast two-hybrid library screening using the N-terminal 126 amino acids of 2a as a bait, we identified CBL-interacting protein kinase 12 (NtCIPK12) corresponding to 55 kDa protein 2a kinase. The bacterially expressed protein kinase showed protein 2a kinase (t2aK) activity in vitro. We found that NtCIPK12 stabilized upon CMV infection at the post-translational level, and accumulated more heavily to the membrane than in the cytosol.

Molecular cloning and functional characterization of a novel apple MdCIPK6L gene reveals its involvement in multiple abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic plants

CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) are involved in many aspects of plant responses to abiotic stresses. However, their functions are poorly understood in fruit trees. In this study, a salt-induced MdCIPK6L gene was isolated from apple. Its expression was positively induced by abiotic stresses, stress-related hormones and exogenous Ca(2+). MdCIPK6L was not homologous to AtSOS2, however, its ectopic expression functionally complemented Arabidopsis sos2 mutant. Furthermore, yeast two-hybrid assay showed that MdCIPK6L protein interacted with AtSOS3, indicating that it functions in salt tolerance partially like AtSOS2 through SOS pathway. As a result, the overexpression of both MdCIPK6L and MdCIPK6LT175D remarkably enhanced the tolerance to salt, osmotic/drought and chilling stresses, but did not affect root growth, in transgenic Arabidopsis and apple. Also, T-to-D mutation to MdCIPK6L at Thr175 did not affect its function. These differences between MdCIPK6L and other CIPKs, especially CIPK6s, indicate that MdCIPK6L encodes a novel CIPK in apple. Finally, MdCIPK6L overexpression also conferred tolerance to salt, drought and chilling stresses in transgenic tomatoes. Therefore, MdCIPK6L functions in stress tolerance crossing the species barriers, and is supposed to be a potential candidate gene to improve stress tolerance by genetic manipulation in apple and other crops.

Molecular cloning and functional characterization of MdSOS2 reveals its involvement in salt tolerance in apple callus and Arabidopsis

Plants respond to various environmental stresses by activating "stress genes". CIPKs (CBL-interacting protein kinases) family genes play an important role in the process of stress response. In this study, a CIPK gene MdSOS2 was isolated from apple (Malus × Domestica). Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that it is highly similar with Arabidopsis AtSOS2 and contained the conserved domains and motifs. Expression analysis demonstrated that MdSOS2 expressed in all tested organs at different levels, and positively in response to salt stress. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of MdSOS2 complemented the function of Arabidopsis sos2 mutant, and conferred enhanced salt tolerance to the transgenic Arabidopsis. Yeast two-hybrid assay indicated that the N-terminal of MdSOS2 protein physically interacted with MdSOS3 and AtSOS3, respectively, suggesting that SOS pathway operates in apple tree. Finally, MdSOS2 overexpression enhanced, while its suppression reduced the tolerance to salt in transgenic apple calluses, indicating that MdSOS2 acts as a positive regulator in response to salt stress in apple.

GsAPK, an ABA-activated and calcium-independent SnRK2-type kinase from G. soja, mediates the regulation of plant tolerance to salinity and ABA stress

Plant Snf1 (sucrose non-fermenting-1) related protein kinase (SnRK), a subfamily of serine/threonine kinases, has been implicated as a crucial upstream regulator of ABA and osmotic signaling as in many other signaling cascades. In this paper, we have isolated a novel plant specific ABA activated calcium independent protein kinase (GsAPK) from a highly salt tolerant plant, Glycine soja (50109), which is a member of the SnRK2 family. Subcellular localization studies using GFP fusion protein indicated that GsAPK is localized in the plasma membrane. We found that autophosphorylation and Myelin Basis Protein phosphorylation activity of GsAPK is only activated by ABA and the kinase activity also was observed when calcium was replaced by EGTA, suggesting its independence of calcium in enzyme activity. We also found that cold, salinity, drought, and ABA stress alter GsAPK gene transcripts and heterogonous overexpression of GsAPK in Arabidopsis alters plant tolerance to high salinity and ABA stress. In summary, we demonstrated that GsAPK is a Glycine soja ABA activated calcium independent SnRK-type kinase presumably involved in ABA mediated stress signal transduction.

Effects of non-uniform root zone salinity on water use, Na+ recirculation, and Na+ and H+ flux in cotton

A new split-root system was established through grafting to study cotton response to non-uniform salinity. Each root half was treated with either uniform (100/100 mM) or non-uniform NaCl concentrations (0/200 and 50/150 mM). In contrast to uniform control, non-uniform salinity treatment improved plant growth and water use, with more water absorbed from the non- and low salinity side. Non-uniform treatments decreased Na(+) concentrations in leaves. The [Na(+)] in the '0' side roots of the 0/200 treatment was significantly higher than that in either side of the 0/0 control, but greatly decreased when the '0' side phloem was girdled, suggesting that the increased [Na(+)] in the '0' side roots was possibly due to transportation of foliar Na(+) to roots through phloem. Plants under non-uniform salinity extruded more Na(+) from the root than those under uniform salinity. Root Na(+) efflux in the low salinity side was greatly enhanced by the higher salinity side. NaCl-induced Na(+) efflux and H(+) influx were inhibited by amiloride and sodium orthovanadate, suggesting that root Na(+) extrusion was probably due to active Na(+)/H(+) antiport across the plasma membrane. Improved plant growth under non-uniform salinity was thus attributed to increased water use, reduced leaf Na(+) concentration, transport of excessive foliar Na(+) to the low salinity side, and enhanced Na(+) efflux from the low salinity root.

Isolation and characterization of maize PMP3 genes involved in salt stress tolerance

Plasma membrane protein 3 (PMP3), a class of small hydrophobic polypeptides with high sequence similarity, is responsible for salt, drought, cold, and abscisic acid. These small hydrophobic ploypeptides play important roles in maintenance of ion homeostasis. In this study, eight ZmPMP3 genes were cloned from maize and responsive to salt, drought, cold and abscisic acid. The eight ZmPMP3s were membrane proteins and their sequences in trans-membrane regions were highly conserved. Phylogenetic analysis showed that they were categorized into three groups. All members of group II were responsive to ABA. Functional complementation showed that with the exception of ZmPMP3-6, all were capable of maintaining membrane potential, which in turn allows for regulation of intracellular ion homeostasis. This process was independent of the presence of Ca(2+). Lastly, over-expression of ZmPMP3-1 enhanced growth of transgenic Arabidopsis under salt condition. Through expression analysis of deduced downstream genes in transgenic plants, expression levels of three ion transporter genes and four important antioxidant genes in ROS scavenging system were increased significantly in transgenic plants during salt stress. This tolerance was likely achieved through diminishing oxidative stress due to the possibility of ZmPMP3-1's involvement in regulation of ion homeostasis, and suggests that the modulation of these conserved small hydrophobic polypeptides could be an effective way to improve salt tolerance in plants.

Differential expression of salt overly sensitive pathway genes determines salinity stress tolerance in Brassica genotypes

The objective of the present study was to examine the role of SOS pathway in salinity stress tolerance in Brassica spp. An experiment was conducted in pot culture with 4 Brassica genotypes, i.e., CS 52 and CS 54, Varuna and T 9 subjected to two levels of salinity treatments along with a control, viz., 1.65 (S(0)), 4.50 (S(1)) and 6.76 (S(2)) dS m(-1). Salinity treatment significantly decreased relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI) and chlorophyll (Chl) content in leaves and potassium (K) content in leaf, stem and root of all the genotypes. The decline in RWC, MSI, Chl and K content was significantly less in CS 52 and CS 54 as compared to Varuna and T 9. In contrast, the sodium (Na) content increased under salinity stress in all the plant parts in all the genotypes, however, the increase was less in CS 52 and CS 54, which also showed higher K/Na ratio, and thus more favourable cellular environment. Gene expression studies revealed the existence of a more efficient salt overly sensitive pathway composed of SOS1, SOS2, SOS3 and vacuolar Na(+)/H(+) antiporter in CS 52 and CS 54 compared to Varuna and T 9. Sequence analyses of partial cDNAs showed the conserved nature of these genes, and their intra and intergenic relatedness. It is thus concluded that existence of an efficient SOS pathway, resulting in higher K/Na ratio, could be one of the major factor determining salinity stress tolerance of Brassica juncea genotypes CS 52 and CS 54.

Phosphorylation of calcineurin B-like (CBL) calcium sensor proteins by their CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) is required for full activity of CBL-CIPK complexes toward their target proteins

Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) represent a family of calcium sensor proteins that interact with a group of serine/threonine kinases designated as CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs). CBL-CIPK complexes are crucially involved in relaying plant responses to many environmental signals and in regulating ion fluxes. However, the biochemical characterization of CBL-CIPK complexes has so far been hampered by low activities of recombinant CIPKs. Here, we report on an efficient wheat germ extract-based in vitro transcription/translation protocol that yields active full-length wild-type CIPK proteins. We identified a conserved serine residue within the C terminus of CBLs as being phosphorylated by their interacting CIPKs. Remarkably, our studies revealed that CIPK-dependent CBL phosphorylation is strictly dependent on CBL-CIPK interaction via the CIPK NAF domain. The phosphorylation status of CBLs does not appear to influence the stability, localization, or CIPK interaction of these calcium sensor proteins in general. However, proper phosphorylation of CBL1 is absolutely required for the in vivo activation of the AKT1 K(+) channel by CBL1-CIPK23 and CBL9-CIPK23 complexes in oocytes. Moreover, we show that by combining CBL1, CIPK23, and AKT1, we can faithfully reconstitute CBL-dependent enhancement of phosphorylation of target proteins by CIPKs in vitro. In addition, we report that phosphorylation of CBL1 by CIPK23 is also required for the CBL1-dependent enhancement of CIPK23 activity toward its substrate. Together, these data identify a novel general regulatory mechanism of CBL-CIPK complexes in that CBL phosphorylation at their flexible C terminus likely provokes conformational changes that enhance specificity and activity of CBL-CIPK complexes toward their target proteins.

SnRK2 protein kinases--key regulators of plant response to abiotic stresses

The SnRK2 family members are plant-specific serine/threonine kinases involved in plant response to abiotic stresses and abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent plant development. SnRK2s have been classed into three groups; group 1 comprises kinases not activated by ABA, group 2 comprises kinases not activated or activated very weakly by ABA, and group 3 comprises kinases strongly activated by ABA. So far, the ABA-dependent kinases belonging to group 3 have been studied most thoroughly. They are considered major regulators of plant response to ABA. The regulation of the plant response to ABA via SnRK2s pathways occurs by direct phosphorylation of various downstream targets, for example, SLAC1, KAT1, AtRbohF, and transcription factors required for the expression of numerous stress response genes. Members of group 2 share some cellular functions with group 3 kinases; however, their contribution to ABA-related responses is not clear. There are strong indications that they are positive regulators of plant responses to water deficit. Most probably they complement the ABA-dependent kinases in plant defense against environmental stress. So far, data concerning the physiological role of ABA-independent SnRK2s are very limited; it is to be expected they will be studied extensively in the nearest future.

Analysis of calcium signaling pathways in plants

BACKGROUND

Calcium serves as a versatile messenger in many adaptation and developmental processes in plants. Ca2+ signals are represented by stimulus-specific spatially and temporally defined Ca2+ signatures. These Ca2+ signatures are detected, decoded and transmitted to downstream responses by a complex toolkit of Ca2+ binding proteins that function as Ca2+ sensors.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

This review will reflect on advancements in monitoring Ca2+ dynamics in plants. Moreover, it will provide insights in the extensive and complex toolkit of plant Ca2+ sensor proteins that relay the information presented in the Ca2+ signatures into phosphorylation events, changes in protein-protein interaction or regulation of gene expression.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Plants' response to signals is encoded by different Ca2+ signatures. The plant decoding Ca2+ toolkit encompasses different families of Ca2+ sensors like Calmodulins (CaM), Calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs), Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) and their interacting kinases (CIPKs). These Ca2+ sensors are encoded by complex gene families and form intricate signaling networks in plants that enable specific, robust and flexible information processing.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

This review provides new insights about the biochemical regulation, physiological functions and of newly identified target proteins of the major plant Ca2+ sensor families. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biochemical, biophysical and genetic approaches to intracellular calcium signaling.

The structure of Arabidopsis thaliana OST1 provides insights into the kinase regulation mechanism in response to osmotic stress

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.

Cloning and characterization of a maize SnRK2 protein kinase gene confers enhanced salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

SnRK2 (sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinases 2) represents a unique family of protein kinase in regulating signaling transduction in plants. Although the regulatory mechanisms of SnRK2 have been well demonstrated in Arabidopsis thaliana, their functions in maize are still unknown. In our study, we cloned an SnRK2 gene from maize, ZmSAPK8, which encoded a putative homolog of the rice SAPK8 protein. ZmSAPK8 had two copies in the maize genome and harbored eight introns in its coding region. We demonstrated that ZmSAPK8 expressed differentially in various organs of maize plants and was up-regulated by high-salinity and drought treatment. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged ZmSAPK8 showed subcellular localization in the cell membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus. In vitro kinase assays indicated that ZmSAPK8 preferred Mn(2+) to Mg(2+) as cofactor for phosphorylation, and Ser-182 and Thr-183 in activation loop was important for its activity. Heterologous overexpression of ZmSAPK8 in Arabidopsis could significantly strengthen tolerance to salt stress. Under salt treatment, ZmSAPK8-overexpressed transgenic plants exhibited higher germination rate and proline content, low electrolyte leakage and higher survival rate than wild type. Further analysis indicated that transgenic plants showed increased transcription of the stress-related genes, RD29A, RD29B, RAB18, ABI1, DREB2A and P5CS1, under high-salinity conditions. The results demonstrated that ZmSAPK8 was involved in diverse stress signal transduction. Moreover, no obvious adverse effects on growth and development in the ZmSAPK8-overexpressed transgenic plants implied that ZmSAPK8 was potentially useful in transgenic breeding to improve salt tolerance in crops.

Phosphorylation of SOS3-like calcium-binding proteins by their interacting SOS2-like protein kinases is a common regulatory mechanism in Arabidopsis

The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome encodes nine Salt Overly Sensitive3 (SOS3)-like calcium-binding proteins (SCaBPs; also named calcineurin B-like protein [CBL]) and 24 SOS2-like protein kinases (PKSs; also named as CBL-interacting protein kinases [CIPKs]). A general regulatory mechanism between these two families is that SCaBP calcium sensors activate PKS kinases by interacting with their FISL motif. In this study, we demonstrated that phosphorylation of SCaBPs by their functional interacting PKSs is another common regulatory mechanism. The phosphorylation site serine-216 at the C terminus of SCaBP1 by PKS24 was identified by liquid chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry analysis. This serine residue is conserved within the PFPF motif at the C terminus of SCaBP proteins. Phosphorylation of this site of SCaBP8 by SOS2 has been determined previously. We further showed that CIPK23/PKS17 phosphorylated CBL1/SCaBP5 and CBL9/SCaBP7 and PKS5 phosphorylated SCaBP1 at the same site in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the phosphorylation stabilized the interaction between SCaBP and PKS proteins. This tight interaction neutralized the inhibitory effect of PKS5 on plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity. These data indicate that SCaBP phosphorylation by their interacting PKS kinases is a critical component of the SCaBP-PKS regulatory pathway in Arabidopsis.

Regulation of durum wheat Na+/H + exchanger TdSOS1 by phosphorylation

We have identified a plasma membrane Na(+)/H(+) exchanger from durum wheat, designated TdSOS1. Heterologous expression of TdSOS1 in a yeast strain lacking endogenous Na(+) efflux proteins showed complementation of the Na(+)- and Li(+)-sensitive phenotype by a mechanism involving cation efflux. Salt tolerance conferred by TdSOS1 was maximal when co-expressed with the Arabidopsis protein kinase complex SOS2/SOS3. In vitro phosphorylation of TdSOS1 with a hyperactive form of the Arabidopsis SOS2 kinase (T/DSOS2∆308) showed the importance of two essential serine residues at the C-terminal hydrophilic tail (S1126, S1128). Mutation of these two serine residues to alanine decreased the phosphorylation of TdSOS1 by T/DSOS2∆308 and prevented the activation of TdSOS1. In addition, deletion of the C-terminal domain of TdSOS1 encompassing serine residues at position 1126 and 1128 generated a hyperactive form that had maximal sodium exclusion activity independent from the regulatory SOS2/SOS3 complex. These results are consistent with the presence of an auto-inhibitory domain at the C-terminus of TdSOS1 that mediates the activation of TdSOS1 by the protein kinase SOS2. Expression of TdSOS1 mRNA in young seedlings of the durum wheat variety Om Rabia3, using different abiotic stresses (ionic and oxidative stress) at different times of exposure, was monitored by RT-PCR.

CIPK7 is involved in cold response by interacting with CBL1 in Arabidopsis thaliana

The family of calcineurin B-like (CBL) proteins is a unique group of Ca(2+) sensors in plants. CBLs relay the calcium signal by interacting with and regulating the family of CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs). Extensive studies have demonstrated that the CBL-CIPK complexes mediate plant responses to a variety of external stresses. However, there are few reports on the CBL-CIPK involved in cold stress responses. In this study, we analyzed expression of CIPK7 and CBL1 in Arabidopsis during cold treatments. Expression of CIPK7 was induced by cold, and CIPK7 interacted with CBL1 in vitro. Moreover, affinity chromatography purification of CIPK7 from Arabidopsis plants using CBL1 suggested that CIPK7 may associate with CBL1 in vivo. Expression of CBL1 was cold inducible, and CBL1 had a role in regulating cold response. By comparing expression patterns of CIPK7 between wild-type and cbl1 mutant plants, we found the induction of CIPK7 by cold stress was influenced by CBL1. This is the first report to demonstrate that CIPK7 may play a role in cold response via its interaction with CBL1.

Calcium decoding mechanisms in plants

Ca(2+) is a crucial second messenger that is involved in mediating responses to various biotic and abiotic environmental cues and in the regulation of many developmental processes in plants. Intracellular Ca(2+) signals are realized by spatially and temporally defined changes in Ca(2+) concentration that represent stimulus-specific Ca(2+) signatures. These Ca(2+) signatures are sensed, decoded and transmitted to downstream responses by a complex tool kit of Ca(2+) binding proteins that function as Ca(2+) sensors. Plants possess an extensive and complex array of such Ca(2+) sensors that convey the information presented in the Ca(2+) signatures into phosphorylation events, changes in protein-protein interactions or regulation of gene expression. Prominent Ca(2+) sensors like, Calmodulins (CaM), Calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs), calcium dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) and their interacting kinases (CIPKs) exist in complex gene families and form intricate signaling networks in plants that are capable of robust and flexible information processing. In this review we reflect on the recently gained knowledge about the mechanistic principles of these Ca(2+) sensors, their biochemical properties, physiological functions and newly identified targets proteins. These aspects will be discussed in the context of emerging functional principles that govern the information processing via these signaling modules.

Signal transduction during cold, salt, and drought stresses in plants

Abiotic stresses, especially cold, salinity and drought, are the primary causes of crop loss worldwide. Plant adaptation to environmental stresses is dependent upon the activation of cascades of molecular networks involved in stress perception, signal transduction, and the expression of specific stress-related genes and metabolites. Plants have stress-specific adaptive responses as well as responses which protect the plants from more than one environmental stress. There are multiple stress perception and signaling pathways, some of which are specific, but others may cross-talk at various steps. In this review article, we first expound the general stress signal transduction pathways, and then highlight various aspects of biotic stresses signal transduction networks. On the genetic analysis, many cold induced pathways are activated to protect plants from deleterious effects of cold stress, but till date, most studied pathway is ICE-CBF-COR signaling pathway. The Salt-Overly-Sensitive (SOS) pathway, identified through isolation and study of the sos1, sos2, and sos3 mutants, is essential for maintaining favorable ion ratios in the cytoplasm and for tolerance of salt stress. Both ABA-dependent and -independent signaling pathways appear to be involved in osmotic stress tolerance. ROS play a dual role in the response of plants to abiotic stresses functioning as toxic by-products of stress metabolism, as well as important signal transduction molecules and the ROS signaling networks can control growth, development, and stress response. Finally, we talk about the common regulatory system and cross-talk among biotic stresses, with particular emphasis on the MAPK cascades and the cross-talk between ABA signaling and biotic signaling.

A SOS3 homologue maps to HvNax4, a barley locus controlling an environmentally sensitive Na+ exclusion trait

Genes that enable crops to limit Na(+) accumulation in shoot tissues represent potential sources of salinity tolerance for breeding. In barley, the HvNax4 locus lowered shoot Na(+) content by between 12% and 59% (g(-1) DW), or not at all, depending on the growth conditions in hydroponics and a range of soil types, indicating a strong influence of environment on expression. HvNax4 was fine-mapped on the long arm of barley chromosome 1H. Corresponding intervals of ∼200 kb, containing a total of 34 predicted genes, were defined in the sequenced rice and Brachypodium genomes. HvCBL4, a close barley homologue of the SOS3 salinity tolerance gene of Arabidopsis, co-segregated with HvNax4. No difference in HvCBL4 mRNA expression was detected between the mapping parents. However, genomic and cDNA sequences of the HvCBL4 alleles were obtained, revealing a single Ala111Thr amino acid substitution difference in the encoded proteins. The known crystal structure of SOS3 was used as a template to obtain molecular models of the barley proteins, resulting in structures very similar to that of SOS3. The position in SOS3 corresponding to the barley substitution does not participate directly in Ca(2+) binding, post-translational modifications or interaction with the SOS2 signalling partner. However, Thr111 but not Ala111 forms a predicted hydrogen bond with a neighbouring α-helix, which has potential implications for the overall structure and function of the barley protein. HvCBL4 therefore represents a candidate for HvNax4 that warrants further investigation.

Characterization of a common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) TaSnRK2.7 gene involved in abiotic stress responses

Sucrose non-fermenting-1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) plays a key role in the plant stress signalling transduction pathway via phosphorylation. Here, a SnRK2 member of common wheat, TaSnRK2.7, was cloned and characterized. Southern blot analysis suggested that the common wheat genome contains three copies of TaSnRK2.7. Subcellular localization showed the presence of TaSnRK2.7 in the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. Expression patterns revealed that TaSnRK2.7 is expressed strongly in roots, and responds to polyethylene glycol, NaCl, and cold stress, but not to abscisic acid (ABA) application, suggesting that TaSnRK2.7 might participate in non-ABA-dependent signal transduction pathways. TaSnRK2.7 was transferred to Arabidopsis under the control of the CaMV-35S promoter. Function analysis showed that TaSnRK2.7 is involved in carbohydrate metabolism, decreasing osmotic potential, enhancing photosystem II activity, and promoting root growth. Its overexpression results in enhanced tolerance to multi-abiotic stress. Therefore, TaSnRK2.7 is a multifunctional regulatory factor in plants, and has the potential to be utilized in transgenic breeding to improve abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of a calcineurin B-like protein 1 (CBL1) mutant from Ammopiptanthus mongolicus

Calcineurin B-like protein 1 (CBL1) is a calcium sensor in plants. It transmits the calcium signal through the downstream protein CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK). CBL1 and CIPK play crucial roles in the response to environmental stresses such as low K+, osmotic shock, high salt, cold and drought. Recombinant CBL1 from Ammopiptanthus mongolicus (AmCBL1) was overexpressed, purified and crystallized. However, the crystal did not diffract well. A mutant prepared using the surface-entropy method and crystallized using the hanging-drop method at 298 K with PEG 2000 MME as a precipitant diffracted to 2.90 Å resolution. The crystal belonged to space group P2(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a=99.87, b=114.42, c=63.80 Å, α=β=γ=90.00° and three molecules per asymmetric unit.

The woody plant poplar has a functionally conserved salt overly sensitive pathway in response to salinity stress

In Arabidopsis thaliana, the salt overly sensitive (SOS) pathway plays an essential role in maintaining ion homeostasis and conferring salt tolerance. Here we identified three SOS components in the woody plant Populus trichocarpa, designated as PtSOS1, PtSOS2 and PtSOS3. These putative SOS genes exhibited an overlapping but distinct expression pattern in poplar plants and the transcript levels of SOS1 and SOS2 were responsive to salinity stress. In poplar mesophyll protoplasts, PtSOS1 was specifically localized in the plasma membrane, whereas PtSOS2 was distributed throughout the cell, and PtSOS3 was predominantly targeted to the plasma membrane. Heterologous expression of PtSOS1, PtSOS2 and PtSOS3 could rescue salt-sensitive phenotypes of the corresponding Arabidopsis sos mutants, demonstrating that the Populus SOS proteins are functional homologues of their Arabidopsis counterpart. In addition, PtSOS3 interacted with, and recruited PtSOS2 to the plasma membrane in yeast and in planta. Reconstitution of poplar SOS pathway in yeast cells revealed that PtSOS2 and PtSOS3 acted coordinately to activate PtSOS1. Moreover, expression of the constitutively activated form of PtSOS2 partially complemented the sos3 mutant but not sos1, suggesting that PtSOS2 functions genetically downstream of SOS3 and upstream of SOS1. These results indicate a strong functional conservation of SOS pathway responsible for salt stress signaling from herbaceous to woody plants.

Genome structures and halophyte-specific gene expression of the extremophile Thellungiella parvula in comparison with Thellungiella salsuginea (Thellungiella halophila) and Arabidopsis

The genome of Thellungiella parvula, a halophytic relative of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), is being assembled using Roche-454 sequencing. Analyses of a 10-Mb scaffold revealed synteny with Arabidopsis, with recombination and inversion and an uneven distribution of repeat sequences. T. parvula genome structure and DNA sequences were compared with orthologous regions from Arabidopsis and publicly available bacterial artificial chromosome sequences from Thellungiella salsuginea (previously Thellungiella halophila). The three-way comparison of sequences, from one abiotic stress-sensitive species and two tolerant species, revealed extensive sequence conservation and microcolinearity, but grouping Thellungiella species separately from Arabidopsis. However, the T. parvula segments are distinguished from their T. salsuginea counterparts by a pronounced paucity of repeat sequences, resulting in a 30% shorter DNA segment with essentially the same gene content in T. parvula. Among the genes is SALT OVERLY SENSITIVE1 (SOS1), a sodium/proton antiporter, which represents an essential component of plant salinity stress tolerance. Although the SOS1 coding region is highly conserved among all three species, the promoter regions show conservation only between the two Thellungiella species. Comparative transcript analyses revealed higher levels of basal as well as salt-induced SOS1 expression in both Thellungiella species as compared with Arabidopsis. The Thellungiella species and other halophytes share conserved pyrimidine-rich 5' untranslated region proximal regions of SOS1 that are missing in Arabidopsis. Completion of the genome structure of T. parvula is expected to highlight distinctive genetic elements underlying the extremophile lifestyle of this species.

A cellulose synthase-like protein is required for osmotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis

Osmotic stress imposed by soil salinity and drought stress significantly affects plant growth and development, but osmotic stress sensing and tolerance mechanisms are not well understood. Forward genetic screens using a root-bending assay have previously identified salt overly sensitive (sos) mutants of Arabidopsis that fall into five loci, SOS1 to SOS5. These loci are required for the regulation of ion homeostasis or cell expansion under salt stress, but do not play a major role in plant tolerance to the osmotic stress component of soil salinity or drought. Here we report an additional sos mutant, sos6-1, which defines a locus essential for osmotic stress tolerance. sos6-1 plants are hypersensitive to salt stress and osmotic stress imposed by mannitol or polyethylene glycol in culture media or by water deficit in the soil. SOS6 encodes a cellulose synthase-like protein, AtCSLD5. Only modest differences in cell wall chemical composition could be detected, but we found that sos6-1 mutant plants accumulate high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under osmotic stress and are hypersensitive to the oxidative stress reagent methyl viologen. The results suggest that SOS6/AtCSLD5 is not required for normal plant growth and development but has a critical role in osmotic stress tolerance and this function likely involves its regulation of ROS under stress.

Regulation of microbe-associated molecular pattern-induced hypersensitive cell death, phytoalexin production, and defense gene expression by calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinases, OsCIPK14/15, in rice cultured cells

Although cytosolic free Ca(2+) mobilization induced by microbe/pathogen-associated molecular patterns is postulated to play a pivotal role in innate immunity in plants, the molecular links between Ca(2+) and downstream defense responses still remain largely unknown. Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) act as Ca(2+) sensors to activate specific protein kinases, CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs). We here identified two CIPKs, OsCIPK14 and OsCIPK15, rapidly induced by microbe-associated molecular patterns, including chitooligosaccharides and xylanase (Trichoderma viride/ethylene-inducing xylanase [TvX/EIX]), in rice (Oryza sativa). Although they are located on different chromosomes, they have over 95% nucleotide sequence identity, including the surrounding genomic region, suggesting that they are duplicated genes. OsCIPK14/15 interacted with several OsCBLs through the FISL/NAF motif in yeast cells and showed the strongest interaction with OsCBL4. The recombinant OsCIPK14/15 proteins showed Mn(2+)-dependent protein kinase activity, which was enhanced both by deletion of their FISL/NAF motifs and by combination with OsCBL4. OsCIPK14/15-RNAi transgenic cell lines showed reduced sensitivity to TvX/EIX for the induction of a wide range of defense responses, including hypersensitive cell death, mitochondrial dysfunction, phytoalexin biosynthesis, and pathogenesis-related gene expression. On the other hand, TvX/EIX-induced cell death was enhanced in OsCIPK15-overexpressing lines. Our results suggest that OsCIPK14/15 play a crucial role in the microbe-associated molecular pattern-induced defense signaling pathway in rice cultured cells.

The Arabidopsis chaperone J3 regulates the plasma membrane H+-ATPase through interaction with the PKS5 kinase

The plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase (PM H(+)-ATPase) plays an important role in the regulation of ion and metabolite transport and is involved in physiological processes that include cell growth, intracellular pH, and stomatal regulation. PM H(+)-ATPase activity is controlled by many factors, including hormones, calcium, light, and environmental stresses like increased soil salinity. We have previously shown that the Arabidopsis thaliana Salt Overly Sensitive2-Like Protein Kinase5 (PKS5) negatively regulates the PM H(+)-ATPase. Here, we report that a chaperone, J3 (DnaJ homolog 3; heat shock protein 40-like), activates PM H(+)-ATPase activity by physically interacting with and repressing PKS5 kinase activity. Plants lacking J3 are hypersensitive to salt at high external pH and exhibit decreased PM H(+)-ATPase activity. J3 functions upstream of PKS5 as double mutants generated using j3-1 and several pks5 mutant alleles with altered kinase activity have levels of PM H(+)-ATPase activity and responses to salt at alkaline pH similar to their corresponding pks5 mutant. Taken together, our results demonstrate that regulation of PM H(+)-ATPase activity by J3 takes place via inactivation of the PKS5 kinase.

Cytosolic calcium and pH signaling in plants under salinity stress

Calcium is one of the essential nutrients for growth and development of plants. It is an important component of various structures in cell wall and membranes. Besides some fundamental roles under normal condition, calcium functions as a major secondary-messenger molecule in plants under different developmental cues and various stress conditions including salinity stress. Also changes in cytosolic pH, pH(cyt), either individually, or in coordination with changes in cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration, [Ca(2+)](cyt), evoke a wide range of cellular functions in plants including signal transduction in plant-defense responses against stresses. It is believed that salinity stress, like other stresses, is perceived at cell membrane, either extra cellular or intracellular, which then triggers an intracellular-signaling cascade including the generation of secondary messenger molecules like Ca(2+) and protons. The variety and complexity of Ca(2+) and pH signaling result from the nature of the stresses as well as the tolerance level of the plant species against that specific stress. The nature of changes in [Ca(2+)](cyt) concentration, in terms of amplitude, frequency and duration, is likely very important for decoding the specific downstream responses for salinity stress tolerance in planta. It has been observed that the signatures of [Ca(2+)](cyt) and pH differ in various studies reported so far depending on the techniques used to measure them, and also depending on the plant organs where they are measured, such as root, shoot tissues or cells. This review describes the recent advances about the changes in [Ca(2+)](cyt) and pH(cyt) at both cellular and whole-plant levels under salinity stress condition, and in various salinity-tolerant and -sensitive plant species.

Expressional analysis and role of calcium regulated kinases in abiotic stress signaling

Perception of stimuli and activation of a signaling cascade is an intrinsic characteristic feature of all living organisms. Till date, several signaling pathways have been elucidated that are involved in multiple facets of growth and development of an organism. Exposure to unfavorable stimuli or stress condition activates different signaling cascades in both plants and animal. Being sessile, plants cannot move away from an unfavorable condition, and hence activate the molecular machinery to cope up or adjust against that particular stress condition. In plants, role of calcium as second messenger has been studied in detail in both abiotic and biotic stress signaling. Several calcium sensor proteins such as calmodulin (CaM), calcium dependent protein kinases (CDPK) and calcinuerin B-like (CBL) were discovered to play a crucial role in abiotic stress signaling in plants. Unlike CDPK, CBL and CaM are calcium-binding proteins, which do not have any protein kinase enzyme activity and interact with a target protein kinase termed as CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK) and CaM kinases respectively. Genome sequence analysis of Arabidopsis and rice has led to the identification of multigene familes of these calcium signaling protein kinases. Individual and global gene expression analysis of these protein kinase family members has been analyzed under several developmental and different abiotic stress conditions. In this review, we are trying to overview and emphasize the expressional analysis of calcium signaling protein kinases under different abiotic stress and developmental stages, and linking the expression to possible function for these kinases.

Calcium signals: the lead currency of plant information processing

Ca(2+) signals are core transducers and regulators in many adaptation and developmental processes of plants. Ca(2+) signals are represented by stimulus-specific signatures that result from the concerted action of channels, pumps, and carriers that shape temporally and spatially defined Ca(2+) elevations. Cellular Ca(2+) signals are decoded and transmitted by a toolkit of Ca(2+) binding proteins that relay this information into downstream responses. Major transduction routes of Ca(2+) signaling involve Ca(2+)-regulated kinases mediating phosphorylation events that orchestrate downstream responses or comprise regulation of gene expression via Ca(2+)-regulated transcription factors and Ca(2+)-responsive promoter elements. Here, we review some of the remarkable progress that has been made in recent years, especially in identifying critical components functioning in Ca(2+) signal transduction, both at the single-cell and multicellular level. Despite impressive progress in our understanding of the processing of Ca(2+) signals during the past years, the elucidation of the exact mechanistic principles that underlie the specific recognition and conversion of the cellular Ca(2+) currency into defined changes in protein-protein interaction, protein phosphorylation, and gene expression and thereby establish the specificity in stimulus response coupling remain to be explored.

Intracellular consequences of SOS1 deficiency during salt stress

A mutation of AtSOS1 (Salt Overly Sensitive 1), a plasma membrane Na(+)/H(+)-antiporter in Arabidopsis thaliana, leads to a salt-sensitive phenotype accompanied by the death of root cells under salt stress. Intracellular events and changes in gene expression were compared during a non-lethal salt stress between the wild type and a representative SOS1 mutant, atsos1-1, by confocal microscopy using ion-specific fluorophores and by quantitative RT-PCR. In addition to the higher accumulation of sodium ions, atsos1-1 showed inhibition of endocytosis, abnormalities in vacuolar shape and function, and changes in intracellular pH compared to the wild type in root tip cells under stress. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed a dramatically faster and higher induction of root-specific Ca(2+) transporters, including several CAXs and CNGCs, and the drastic down-regulation of genes involved in pH-homeostasis and membrane potential maintenance. Differential regulation of genes for functions in intracellular protein trafficking in atsos1-1 was also observed. The results suggested roles of the SOS1 protein, in addition to its function as a Na(+)/H(+) antiporter, whose disruption affected membrane traffic and vacuolar functions possibly by controlling pH homeostasis in root cells.

The language of calcium signaling

Ca(2+) signals are a core regulator of plant cell physiology and cellular responses to the environment. The channels, pumps, and carriers that underlie Ca(2+) homeostasis provide the mechanistic basis for generation of Ca(2+) signals by regulating movement of Ca(2+) ions between subcellular compartments and between the cell and its extracellular environment. The information encoded within the Ca(2+) transients is decoded and transmitted by a toolkit of Ca(2+)-binding proteins that regulate transcription via Ca(2+)-responsive promoter elements and that regulate protein phosphorylation. Ca(2+)-signaling networks have architectural structures comparable to scale-free networks and bow tie networks in computing, and these similarities help explain such properties of Ca(2+)-signaling networks as robustness, evolvability, and the ability to process multiple signals simultaneously.

SOS1 and halophytism

Much is already known about the function and functioning of the three genes that make up the SOS (Salt-Overly-Sensitive) pathway in plants, but recent studies indicate that the linkage between external increases in salinity and stress protection provided by genes SOS1, SOS2 and SOS3 is more complex than previously appreciated. It has recently been shown that the engineered reduced expression of the sodium/proton antiporter SOS1 affected several pathways indicating a role for SOS1 that exceeds its known function as an antiporter. Interference with expression of SOS1, characterized as a sodium/proton antiporter in the halophyte Thellungiella salsuginea converted Thellungiella into an essentially glycophytic species.

The Na(+)/H(+) exchanger SOS1 controls extrusion and distribution of Na(+) in tomato plants under salinity conditions

Maintaining a high K(+)/Na(+) ratio in the cell cytosol, along with the transport processes implicated in the xylem and phloem loading/unloading of Na(+) in plants (long-distance transport) are key aspects in plant salt tolerance. The Ca(2+)-dependent SOS pathway regulating Na(+) and K(+) homeostasis and long-distance Na(+) transport has been reported in Arabidopsis. However, Arabidopsis might not be the best model to analyze the involvement of the SOS pathway in long-distance Na(+) transport due to the very short stem of these plants which do not allow a precise dissection of the relative content of Na(+) in stem versus leaf. This separation would be critical to assess the role of SOS1 in xylem loading/unloading, Na(+) export by roots, retention in stems and the differential distribution/accumulation in old leaves. Towards this goal, tomato might represent a superior model due to its anatomical structure and agricultural significance. We recently demonstrated the key role played by the plasma membrane Na(+)/H(+) antiporter SlSOS1 in salt tolerance in tomato by maintaining ion homeostasis under salinity stress and in the partitioning of Na(+) in plant organs.

Grapevine cell early activation of specific responses to DIMEB, a resveratrol elicitor

BACKGROUND

In response to pathogen attack, grapevine synthesizes phytoalexins belonging to the family of stilbenes. Grapevine cell cultures represent a good model system for studying the basic mechanisms of plant response to biotic and abiotic elicitors. Among these, modified beta-cyclodextrins seem to act as true elicitors inducing strong production of the stilbene resveratrol.

RESULTS

The transcriptome changes of Vitis riparia x Vitis berlandieri grapevine cells in response to the modified beta-cyclodextrin, DIMEB, were analyzed 2 and 6 h after treatment using a suppression subtractive hybridization experiment and a microarray analysis respectively. At both time points, we identified a specific set of induced genes belonging to the general phenylpropanoid metabolism, including stilbenes and hydroxycinnamates, and to defence proteins such as PR proteins and chitinases. At 6 h we also observed a down-regulation of the genes involved in cell division and cell-wall loosening.

CONCLUSIONS

We report the first large-scale study of the molecular effects of DIMEB, a resveratrol inducer, on grapevine cell cultures. This molecule seems to mimic a defence elicitor which enhances the physical barriers of the cell, stops cell division and induces phytoalexin synthesis.

Characterization of full-length enriched expressed sequence tags of dehydration-treated white fibrous roots of sweetpotato

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L). Lam.) is relatively tolerant to unfavorable growth conditions such as drought, yet has not been exploited to provide a better understanding of the molecular basis of drought stress tolerance. We obtained 983 high-quality expressed sequence tags of 100 bp or longer (average length of 700 bp) from cDNA libraries of detached white fibrous root tissues by subjecting them to dehydration for 6 h. The 431 cDNAs were each assigned a function by alignment using the BLASTX algorithm. Among them, three genes associated with various abiotic stresses and nine genes not previously associated with drought stress were selected for expression pattern analysis through detailed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The direct and indirect relationships of the 12 genes with drought tolerance mechanisms were ascertained at different developmental stages and under various stress conditions.

Phosphorylation of SOS3-LIKE CALCIUM BINDING PROTEIN8 by SOS2 protein kinase stabilizes their protein complex and regulates salt tolerance in Arabidopsis

The Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway plays an important role in the regulation of Na+/K+ ion homeostasis and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Previously, we reported that the calcium binding proteins SOS3 and SOS3-LIKE CALCIUM BINDING PROTEIN8 (SCaBP8) nonredundantly activate the protein kinase SOS2. Here, we show that SOS2 phosphorylates SCaBP8 at its C terminus but does not phosphorylate SOS3. In vitro, SOS2 phosphorylation of SCaBP8 was enhanced by the bimolecular interaction of SOS2 and SCaBP8 and did not require calcium ions. In vivo, this phosphorylation was induced by salt stress, occurred at the membrane, stabilized the SCaBP8-SOS2 interaction, and enhanced plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchange activity. When a Ser at position 237 in the SCaBP8 protein (the SOS2 phosphorylation target) was mutated to Ala, SCaBP8 was no longer phosphorylated by SOS2 and the mutant protein could not fully rescue the salt-sensitive phenotype of the scabp8 mutant. By contrast, when Ser-237 was mutated to Asp to mimic the charge of a phosphorylated Ser residue, the mutant protein rescued the scabp8 salt sensitivity. These data demonstrate that calcium sensor phosphorylation is a critical component of SOS pathway regulation of salt tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Cloning and characterization of a novel CBL-interacting protein kinase from maize

A novel CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK) gene, ZmCIPK16, was isolated from maize (Zea mays), which has been certified to have two copies in the genome. The ZmCIPK16 is strongly induced in maize seedlings by PEG, NaCl, ABA, dehydration, heat and drought, but not by cold. A yeast two-hybrid assay demonstrated that ZmCIPK16 interacted with ZmCBL3, ZmCBL4, ZmCBL5, and ZmCBL8. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays prove that ZmCIPK16 can interact with ZmCBL3, ZmCBL4, ZmCBL5, and ZmCBL8 in vivo. Subcellular localization showed that ZmCIPK16 is distributed in the nucleus, plasma membrane and cytoplasm; this is different from the specific localization of ZmCBL3, ZmCBL4, and ZmCBL5, which are found in the plasma membrane. The results also showed that overexpression of ZmCIPK16 in the Arabidopsis sos2 mutant induced the expression of the SOS1 gene and enhanced salt tolerance. These findings indicate that ZmCIPK16 may be involved in the CBL-CIPK signaling network in maize responses to salt stress.

Physiological responses among Brassica species under salinity stress show strong correlation with transcript abundance for SOS pathway-related genes

Significant inter- and intra-specific variation for salt tolerance exists within the family Brassicaceae, which may be explored for dissecting genetic determinants of the salinity response in crops belonging to this family. Availability of contrasting cultivars for salinity response in crop species, such as Brassica, is highly advantageous for obvious reasons. Our analysis has indicated usefulness of available local germplasm (diploid and amphidiploid) in this endeavor. Assessments carried out employing suitable morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters in these cultivars reconfirm established fact related to 'in-general' better adaptability of amphidiploid species over diploid ones. In our study, the salinity-tolerant amphidiploid Brassica juncea cv CS52 (AB genome) exhibited sharp contrast in salinity response as compared to the sensitive diploid species Brassica nigra (B genome). The differences included effects of salinity on overall growth, electrolyte leakage, proline accumulation and the K(+)/Na(+) ratio (P0.01). Correlating well with relative stress tolerance of these Brassica cultivars, our studies on relative transcript abundance for salt overly sensitive (SOS) pathway orthologues also exhibited contrasting patterns of transcript accumulation. Transcript accumulation pattern for various SOS members after 24h of salinity stress in various cultivars showed strong positive correlation with these parameters (r0.4). Clearly, there is a need to carry out in-depth analysis to explore the suitability of these contrasting cultivars to search for genetic determinant(s) of salt tolerance among Brassica species. We propose that these contrasting Brassica cultivars can serve as suitable dicot crop models for elucidating stress-relevant genetic determinants in genome-level analysis.

A rice kinase-protein interaction map

Plants uniquely contain large numbers of protein kinases, and for the vast majority of the 1,429 kinases predicted in the rice (Oryza sativa) genome, little is known of their functions. Genetic approaches often fail to produce observable phenotypes; thus, new strategies are needed to delineate kinase function. We previously developed a cost-effective high-throughput yeast two-hybrid system. Using this system, we have generated a protein interaction map of 116 representative rice kinases and 254 of their interacting proteins. Overall, the resulting interaction map supports a large number of known or predicted kinase-protein interactions from both plants and animals and reveals many new functional insights. Notably, we found a potential widespread role for E3 ubiquitin ligases in pathogen defense signaling mediated by receptor-like kinases, particularly by the kinases that may have evolved from recently expanded kinase subfamilies in rice. We anticipate that the data provided here will serve as a foundation for targeted functional studies in rice and other plants. The application of yeast two-hybrid and TAPtag analyses for large-scale plant protein interaction studies is also discussed.

SIK1/SOS2 networks: decoding sodium signals via calcium-responsive protein kinase pathways

Changes in cellular ion levels can modulate distinct signaling networks aimed at correcting major disruptions in ion balances that might otherwise threaten cell growth and development. Salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) and salt overly sensitive 2 (SOS2) are key protein kinases within such networks in mammalian and plant cells, respectively. In animals, SIK1 expression and activity are regulated in response to the salt content of the diet, and in plants SOS2 activity is controlled by the salinity of the soil. The specific ionic stress (elevated intracellular sodium) is followed by changes in intracellular calcium; the calcium signals are sensed by calcium-binding proteins and lead to activation of SIK1 or SOS2. These kinases target major plasma membrane transporters such as the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase in mammalian cells, and Na⁺/H⁺ exchangers in the plasma membrane and membranes of intracellular vacuoles of plant cells. Activation of these networks prevents abnormal increases in intracellular sodium concentration.

An autophosphorylation site of the protein kinase SOS2 is important for salt tolerance in Arabidopsis

The protein kinase SOS2 (Salt Overly Sensitive 2) is essential for salt-stress signaling and tolerance in Arabidopsis. SOS2 is known to be activated by calcium-SOS3 and by phosphorylation at its activation loop. SOS2 is autophosphorylated in vitro, but the autophosphorylation site and its role in salt tolerance are not known. In this study, we identified an autophosphorylation site in SOS2 and analyzed its role in the responses of Arabidopsis to salt stress. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that Ser 228 of SOS2 is autophosphorylated. When this site was mutated to Ala, the autophosphorylation rate of SOS2 decreased. The substrate phosphorylation by the mutated SOS2 was also less than that by the wild-type SOS2. In contrast, changing Ser228 to Asp to mimic the autophosphorylation enhanced substrate phosphorylation by SOS2. Complementation tests in a sos2 mutant showed that the S228A but not the S228D mutation partially disrupted the function of SOS2 in salt tolerance. We also show that activation loop phosphorylation at Thr168 and autophosphorylation at Ser228 cannot substitute for each other, suggesting that both are required for salt tolerance. Our results indicate that Ser 228 of SOS2 is autophosphorylated and that this autophosphorylation is important for SOS2 function under salt stress.

Overexpression of SOS (Salt Overly Sensitive) genes increases salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that decreases plant growth and productivity. Recently, it was reported that plants overexpressing AtNHX1 or SOS1 have significantly increased salt tolerance. To test whether overexpression of multiple genes can improve plant salt tolerance even more, we produced six different transgenic Arabidopsis plants that overexpress AtNHX1, SOS3, AtNHX1+SOS3, SOS1, SOS2+SOS3, or SOS1+SOS2+SOS3. Northern blot analyses confirmed the presence of high levels of the relevant gene transcripts in transgenic plants. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing AtNHX1 alone did not present any significant increase in salt tolerance, contrary to earlier reports. We found that transgenic plants overexpressing SOS3 exhibit increased salt tolerance similar to plants overexpressing SOS1. Moreover, salt tolerance of transgenic plants overexpressing AtNHX1+SOS3, SOS2+SOS3, or SOS1+SOS2+SOS3, respectively, appeared similar to the tolerance of transgenic plants overexpressing either SOS1 or SOS3 alone.

The Arabidopsis calcium sensor calcineurin B-like 3 inhibits the 5'-methylthioadenosine nucleosidase in a calcium-dependent manner

Calcineurin B-like (CBL) proteins represent a unique family of calcium sensors in plant cells. Sensing the calcium signals elicited by a variety of abiotic stresses, CBLs transmit the information to a group of serine/threonine protein kinases (CBL-interacting protein kinases [CIPKs]), which are currently known as the sole targets of the CBL family. Here, we report that the CBL3 member of this family has a novel interaction partner in addition to the CIPK proteins. Extensive yeast two-hybrid screenings with CBL3 as bait identified an interesting Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) cDNA clone (named AtMTAN, for 5'-methylthioadenosine nucleosidase), which encodes a polypeptide similar to EcMTAN from Escherichia coli. Deletion analyses showed that CBL3 utilizes the different structural modules to interact with its distinct target proteins, CIPKs and AtMTAN. In vitro and in vivo analyses verified that CBL3 and AtMTAN physically associate only in the presence of Ca(2+). In addition, we empirically demonstrated that the AtMTAN protein indeed possesses the MTAN activity, which can be inhibited specifically by Ca(2+)-bound CBL3. Overall, these findings suggest that the CBL family members can relay the calcium signals in more diverse ways than previously thought. We also discuss a possible mechanism by which the CBL3-mediated calcium signaling regulates the biosynthesis of ethylene and polyamines, which are involved in plant growth and development as well as various stress responses.

Co-expression and preferential interaction between two calcineurin B-like proteins and a CBL-interacting protein kinase from cotton

The CBL/CIPK signaling system mediates a variety of responses to environmental stimuli in plants. In this work, we identified four CBL genes from Gossypium hirsutum, two of which (designated GhCBL2 and GhCBL3) showed preferential expression in the elongating fiber cells. Moreover, the expression patterns of these two CBL genes coincided with that of a putative CBL-interacting protein kinase gene (GhCIPK1) that we isolated in a previous study. Yeast two-hybrid assay indicated that among the four CBLs, GhCIPK1 interacted selectively with GhCBL2 and GhCBL3. The co-expression and interactions of these proteins suggest that they are components of the same signaling pathway. These findings strengthen our previous prediction that CBL/CIPK signaling plays a critical role in the regulation of cotton fiber elongation.