Interaction network of ABA receptors in grey poplar

Michael Papacek, Alexander Christmann, Erwin Grill

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is a key player in responses to abiotic stress. ABA regulates a plant's water status and mediates drought tolerance by controlling stomatal gas exchange, water conductance and differential gene expression. ABA is recognized and bound by the Regulatory Component of ABA Receptors (RCARs)/PYR1/PYL (Pyrabactin Resistance 1/PYR1-like). Ligand binding stabilizes the interaction of RCARs with type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2C), which are ABA co-receptors. While the core pathway of ABA signalling has been elucidated, the large number of different ABA receptors and co-receptors within a plant species generates a complexity of heteromeric receptor complexes that has not functionally been resolved in any plant species to date. In this study, we characterized ABA receptors and co-receptors of grey poplar (Populus x canescens [Ait.] Sm.) and their capacity to regulate ABA responses. We observed a high number of regulatory combinations of holo-receptor complexes, but also some preferential and selective RCAR–PP2C interactions. Poplar and Arabidopsis ABA receptor components revealed a strong structural and functional conservation. Heterologous receptor complexes of poplar and Arabidopsis components showed functionality in vitro and regulated ABA-responsive gene expression in cells of both species. ABA-responsive promoters of Arabidopsis were also active in poplar, which was explored to generate poplar reporter lines expressing green fluorescent protein in response to ABA. The study presents a detailed analysis of receptor complexes of a tree species and shows high conservation of ABA receptor components between an annual and a perennial plant.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)199-210
Number of pages12
JournalPlant Journal
Volume92
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2017

Keywords

  • Arabidopsis thaliana
  • PYR1/ PYL
  • Populus x canescens
  • Regulatory Component of ABA Receptors
  • abiotic stress
  • abscisic acid
  • type 2C protein phosphatases

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