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A putative role for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in vascular development in pine seedlings

Planta volume 241, pages 257–267 (2015)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 15 October 2014

Abstract

Main conclusion

A model for GABA synthesis in stems of pine seedlings is proposed. The localization of GABA in differentiating tracheids suggests a link between GABA production and vascular development.

Abstract

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid present in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. GABA plays a fundamental role as a signal molecule in the central nervous system in animals. In plants, GABA has been correlated with cellular elongation, plant development, gene expression regulation, synthesis of ethylene and other hormones, and signaling. Considering the physiological importance of GABA in plants, the lack of works about GABA localization in this kingdom seems surprising. In this work, the immunolocalization of GABA in root and hypocotyl during seedling development and in bent stem showing compression xylem has been studied. In the seedling root, the GABA signal was very high and restricted to the stele supporting previous evidences indicating a potential role for this amino acid in root growth and nutrient transport. In hypocotyl, GABA was localized in vascular tissues, including differentiating xylem, ray parenchyma and epithelial resin duct cells, drawing also a role for GABA in vascular development, communication and defense. During the production of compression wood, a special lignified wood produced when the stem loss its vertical position, a clear GABA signal was found in the new differentiating xylem cells showing a gradient-like pattern with higher signal in less differentiated elements. The results are in accordance with a previous work indicating that glutamate decarboxylase and GABA production are associated to vascular differentiation in pine Molina-Rueda et al. (Planta 232: 1471–1483, 2010). A model for GABA synthesis in vascular differentiation, communication, and defense is proposed in the stem of pine seedlings.

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Abbreviations

GABA:

γ-aminobutyric acid

GAD:

Glutamate decarboxylase

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by BIO2003-0459 and AGL2009-011404. We want to thank Diana Soares da Costa, Cláudia Sofia Pereira, and Rui Fernandes (University of Porto) for their help in this work and Prof. Edward G. Kirby (Rutgers University) and María Fernanda Suárez Marín (University of Málaga) for revising the manuscript.

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Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Campus de Teatinos, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain

    Juan Jesús Molina-Rueda, María Belén Pascual & Fernando Gallardo

  2. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal

    Juan Jesús Molina-Rueda & José Pissarra

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  1. Juan Jesús Molina-Rueda
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  2. María Belén Pascual
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  3. José Pissarra
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  4. Fernando Gallardo
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Correspondence to Fernando Gallardo.

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Molina-Rueda, J.J., Pascual, M.B., Pissarra, J. et al. A putative role for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in vascular development in pine seedlings. Planta 241, 257–267 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-014-2157-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-014-2157-4

Keywords

  • γ-aminobutyric acid
  • Differentiating tracheids
  • Pine seedling
  • Radial parenchyma
  • Reaction wood
  • Resin duct cells
  • Root
  • Stele
  • Stem
  • Vascular development