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Accumulation of the azelaic acid-induced protein AZI1 affects lignin synthesis and deposition in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Abstract

AZI1 (AZELAIC ACID INDUCED 1) of Arabidopsis thaliana encodes a 16.76 kDa protein with multiple functions, including resistances to low temperature and fungal infection. In the present work, the influences of AZI1 on lignin biosynthesis were investigated with overexpressing, T-DNA knockout and RNA interference lines. Western blotting coupled with immunolocalization exhibited that AZI1 and its paralog EARLI1 were expressed mainly in vascular tissues of inflorescence stems and leaves, but not in roots. Biochemical analyses and microscopic observation showed that knockdown and knockout of AZI1 led to decrease of the lignin content, reduction of the thickness of secondary wall, deformation of xylem cells and increase of the degradability by cellulase. In contrast to this, overexpression of AZI1 resulted in thicker cell wall and enhanced deposition of lignin in the lignified tissues. In comparison to wild-type plants and AZI1 overexpressing lines, the secondary wall of interfascicular fibers and xylem cells in AZI1 mutants showed yellowish-brown coloration after staining with Maüle reagent, indicating the deposition of syringyl unit in lignin was reduced and the ratio of guaiacyl/syringyl monolignol units was increased when AZI1 was disrupted. RT-PCR analyses revealed that the transcription of CCR1 and CCOAOMT1, two genes associated with lignin synthesis, were repressed in T-DNA knockout lines. It has been shown that AZI1 probably modulates production and/or translocation of a long-distance signal during systemic acquired resistance. Our results suggested that AZI1 might be involved in regulation of lignin biosynthesis by influencing the expression of cinnamoyl-CoA reductase and caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Michael Schläppi, Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA, for providing seeds of AZI1 overexpressing lines in Col-0 background, EARLI1 RNA interference line in Col-FRI-SF2 background and rabbit anti-EARLI1 antibody. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30870194, J1210063), the Research Project of Provincial Key Laboratory of Shaanxi (12JS103, 2010JS090) and Graduate Research Project of Northwest University (YZZ13068).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Hang Gao, Xiao-Yan Wang, Yao-Yao Han, Gai-Liang Du, Huan Feng & Zi-Qin Xu

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  1. Hang Gao
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Correspondence to Zi-Qin Xu.

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Hang Gao and Xiao-Yan Wang have contributed equally to this work.

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Gao, H., Wang, XY., Han, YY. et al. Accumulation of the azelaic acid-induced protein AZI1 affects lignin synthesis and deposition in Arabidopsis thaliana . Plant Growth Regul 75, 317–330 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-014-9955-3

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