Scientific article
OA Policy
English

AtBBX29 integrates photomorphogenesis and defense responses in Arabidopsis

Published inPhotochemical & Photobiological Sciences, vol. 22, no. 6, p. 1475-1489
Publication date2023-06
First online date2023-02-18
Abstract

Light is an environmental signal that modulates plant defenses against attackers. Recent research has focused on the effects of light on defense hormone signaling; however, the connections between light signaling pathways and the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites involved in plant defense have been relatively unexplored. Here, we show that Arabidopsis BBX29, a protein that belongs to the B-Box transcription factor (TF) family, integrates photomorphogenic signaling with defense responses by promoting flavonoid, sinapate and glucosinolate accumulation in Arabidopsis leaves. AtBBX29 transcript levels were up regulated by light, through photoreceptor signaling pathways. Genetic evidence indicated that AtBBX29 up-regulates MYB12 gene expression, a TF known to induce genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis in a light-dependent manner, and MYB34 and MYB51, which encode TFs involved in the regulation of glucosinolate biosynthesis. Thus, bbx29 knockout mutants displayed low expression levels of key genes of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, and the opposite was true in BBX29 overexpression lines. In agreement with the transcriptomic data, bbx29 mutant plants accumulated lower levels of kaempferol glucosides, sinapoyl malate, indol-3-ylmethyl glucosinolate (I3M), 4-methylsulfinylbutyl glucosinolate (4MSOB) and 3-methylthiopropyl glucosinolate (3MSP) in rosette leaves compared to the wild-type, and showed increased susceptibility to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea and to the herbivore Spodoptera frugiperda. In contrast, BBX29 overexpressing plants displayed increased resistance to both attackers. In addition, we found that AtBBX29 plays an important role in mediating the effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on plant defense against B. cinerea. Taken together, these results suggest that AtBBX29 orchestrates the accumulation of specific light-induced metabolites and regulates Arabidopsis resistance against pathogens and herbivores.

Keywords
  • BBX
  • MYB
  • Plant defense response
  • Plant photomorphogenesis
  • UV-B
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Glucosinolates
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology
  • Flavonoids / metabolism
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / pharmacology
Research groups
Funding
  • Agencia Nacional de Promoción de la Investigación, el Desarollo Tecnológico y la Innovación of Argentina - [PICT-2018-4407]
  • Agencia Nacional de Promoción de la Investigación, el Desarollo Tecnológico y la Innovación of Argentina - [PICT-2016-1711]
  • Agencia Nacional de Promoción de la Investigación, el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación - [PICT-2018-02483]
  • Agencia Nacional de Promoción de la Investigación, el Desarollo Tecnológico y la Innovación of Argentina - [PICT-2016-4490]
  • University of Geneva -
  • Swiss National Science Foundation - Perception and signalling of UV-B radiation in plants [132902]
Citation (ISO format)
MEDINA-FRAGA, Ana L et al. AtBBX29 integrates photomorphogenesis and defense responses in Arabidopsis. In: Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 2023, vol. 22, n° 6, p. 1475–1489. doi: 10.1007/s43630-023-00391-8
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
Identifiers
Journal ISSN1474-905X
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16downloads

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