Glutathione deficiency of the Arabidopsis mutant pad2-1 affects oxidative stress-related events, defense gene expression, and the hypersensitive response

Plant Physiol. 2011 Dec;157(4):2000-12. doi: 10.1104/pp.111.182667. Epub 2011 Oct 17.

Abstract

The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) phytoalexin-deficient mutant pad2-1 displays enhanced susceptibility to a broad range of pathogens and herbivorous insects that correlates with deficiencies in the production of camalexin, indole glucosinolates, and salicylic acid (SA). The pad2-1 mutation is localized in the GLUTAMATE-CYSTEINE LIGASE (GCL) gene encoding the first enzyme of glutathione biosynthesis. While pad2-1 glutathione deficiency is not caused by a decrease in GCL transcripts, analysis of GCL protein level revealed that pad2-1 plants contained only 48% of the wild-type protein amount. In contrast to the wild type, the oxidized form of GCL was dominant in pad2-1, suggesting a distinct redox environment. This finding was corroborated by the expression of GRX1-roGFP2, showing that the cytosolic glutathione redox potential was significantly less negative in pad2-1. Analysis of oxidative stress-related gene expression showed a higher transcript accumulation in pad2-1 of GLUTATHIONE REDUCTASE, GLUTATHIONE-S-TRANSFERASE, and RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG D in response to the oomycete Phytophthora brassicae. Interestingly, oligogalacturonide elicitation in pad2-1 revealed a lower plasma membrane depolarization that was found to act upstream of an impaired hydrogen peroxide production. This impaired hydrogen peroxide production was also observed during pathogen infection and correlated with a reduced hypersensitive response in pad2-1. In addition, a lack of pathogen-triggered expression of the ISOCHORISMATE SYNTHASE1 gene, coding for the SA-biosynthetic enzyme isochorismate synthase, was identified as the cause of the SA deficiency in pad2-1. Together, our results indicate that the pad2-1 mutation is related to a decrease in GCL protein and that the resulting glutathione deficiency negatively affects important processes of disease resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / drug effects
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / parasitology
  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / physiology*
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / genetics
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / metabolism*
  • Glutathione / metabolism*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism
  • Oligosaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Phytophthora / physiology*
  • Plant Diseases / parasitology
  • Plant Leaves / drug effects
  • Plant Leaves / genetics
  • Plant Leaves / parasitology
  • Plant Leaves / physiology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Salicylic Acid / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Stress, Physiological

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • oligogalacturonic acid
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase
  • Glutathione
  • Salicylic Acid