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Phenotypic Reversal in Arabidopsis thaliana: Sucrose as a Signal Molecule Controlling the Phenotype of Gravi- and Photo-tropism Mutants

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Abstract

In experimental work with Arabidopsis thaliana, sucrose is routinely used in growth media as an energy source assuring vigorous growth and stable development. We investigated the impact of sucrose on the phenotypic stability of two early tropism mutants of Arabidopsis with defects in either the EHB1 or AGD12 gene. Database analyses show that both these genes possess in their upstream promoter regions sucrose- and light-responsive elements. We show that exogenously applied sucrose is able to revert the gravitropic and phototropic phenotypes associated with the two mutants. Depending on the specific tropism assays and the mutant employed, sucrose elicits either a change from hypertropism to hypotropism or vice versa from hypotropism to hypertropism. The observations serve as a caveat to view sucrose exclusively under the aspect of energy supply. The capability of sucrose to elicit phenotypic reversals argues strongly for its role as an essential signaling molecule. The association of the tropism genes, EHB1 and AGD12, with several sucrose-responsive elements indicates that these cis-acting elements, in conjunction with the requisite transcription factors, constitute very likely the physical basis for the observed sucrose effects.

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Abbreviations

AGD12:

ARF-gap domain12

ARF:

ADP-ribosylation factor

ARF-GAP:

ARF GTPase-activating protein

C2/CaLB:

Protein kinase C conserved region 2/calcium/lipid-binding domain

EHB1:

Enhanced bending1

GAP:

GTPase-activating protein

NPH3:

Non-phototropic hypocotyl3

NPY:

Naked pins in YUC mutants

PHOT1:

Phototropin1

PHOT2:

Phototropin2

PIF:

Phytochrome-interacting factor

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants DLR/BMWi (50 BW 725 and 50 BW 1025) to PG. We are greatly indebted to Agnes Damm, Marco Göttig, and Sigrid Völk for excellent technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fachbereich Biologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8, 35032, Marburg, Germany

    Michaela Dümmer, Christian Michalski & Paul Galland

  2. Institut für Biologie, Universität Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein Str. 2, 57068, Siegen, Germany

    Christoph Forreiter

Authors
  1. Michaela Dümmer
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  2. Christian Michalski
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  3. Christoph Forreiter
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  4. Paul Galland
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Correspondence to Paul Galland.

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Dümmer, M., Michalski, C., Forreiter, C. et al. Phenotypic Reversal in Arabidopsis thaliana: Sucrose as a Signal Molecule Controlling the Phenotype of Gravi- and Photo-tropism Mutants. J Plant Growth Regul 35, 430–439 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-015-9550-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-015-9550-5

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