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cry1 and GPA1 signaling genetically interact in hook opening and anthocyanin synthesis in Arabidopsis

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Abstract

While studying blue light-independent effects of cryptochrome 1 (cry1) photoreceptor, we observed premature opening of the hook in cry1 mutants grown in complete darkness, a phenotype that resembles the one described for the heterotrimeric G-protein α subunit (GPA1) null mutant gpa1. Both cry1 and gpa1 also showed reduced accumulation of anthocyanin under blue light. These convergent gpa1 and cry1 phenotypes required the presence of sucrose in the growth media and were not additive in the cry1 gpa1 double mutant, suggesting context-dependent signaling convergence between cry1 and GPA1 signaling pathways. Both, gpa1 and cry1 mutants showed reduced GTP-binding activity. The cry1 mutant showed wild-type levels of GPA1 mRNA or GPA1 protein. However, an anti-transducin antibody (AS/7) typically used for plant Gα proteins, recognized a 54 kDa band in the wild type but not in gpa1 and cry1 mutants. We propose a model where cry1-mediated post-translational modification of GPA1 alters its GTP-binding activity.

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Abbreviations

cry:

Cryptochrome

GPA1:

Heterotrimeric G-protein α subunit of Arabidopsis thaliana

RL:

Red light

FRL:

Far red light

BL:

Blue light

phy:

Phytochrome

WT:

Wild type

MS:

Murashige and Skoog basal medium

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by grants from CONICET (PIP 037) and FONCyT, Fondo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnica (PICT 2010 #1821) to M.A.M; and by FONCyT (PICT 2007 # 01976) to J.P.M; and by (PICT 2006 # 1913) and UBA G044 to J.J.C; by grants from the NIGMS (R01GM065989), DOE (DE-FG02-05er15671), and NSF National Science Fundation (MCB-0723515 and MCB-0718202) to A.M.J.

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  1. Gabriela C. Soto

    Present address: Instituto de Genética “Ewald A. Favret”, CICVyA, INTA Castelar, 1712, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Hector Torres, (INGEBI-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Ana R. Fox, Gabriela C. Soto, Jorge P. Muschietti & María A. Mazzella

  2. Departments of Biology and Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Alan M. Jones

  3. IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires and CONICET, 1417, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Jorge J. Casal

  4. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Jorge P. Muschietti

  5. Fundacion Instituto Leloir, 1405, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Jorge J. Casal

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  1. Ana R. Fox
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Correspondence to María A. Mazzella.

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Fox, A.R., Soto, G.C., Jones, A.M. et al. cry1 and GPA1 signaling genetically interact in hook opening and anthocyanin synthesis in Arabidopsis. Plant Mol Biol 80, 315–324 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-012-9950-x

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