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Root Growth of Arabidopsis thaliana Is Regulated by Ethylene and Abscisic Acid Signaling Interaction in Response to HrpNEa, a Bacterial Protein of Harpin Group

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Abstract

HrpNEa is a harpin protein from Erwinia amylovora, a bacterial pathogen that causes fire blight in rosaceous plants. Treating plants with HrpNEa stimulates ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) to induce plant growth and drought tolerance, respectively. Herein, we report that both growth hormones cooperate to mediate the role of HrpNEa in promoting root growth of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Root growth is promoted coordinately with elevation in levels of ABA and ethylene subsequent to soaking of germinating seeds of wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis in a solution of HrpNEa. However, these responses are arrested by inhibiting WT roots from synthesizing ethylene as well as sensing of ABA and ethylene. The effects of HrpNEa on roots are also nullified in ethylene-insensitive etr1-1 and ein5-1 mutants and in the ABA-insensitive mutant abi2-1 of Arabidopsis. These results provide evidence for presence of a relationship between root growth enhancement and signaling by ABA and ethylene in response to HrpNEa. Nevertheless, when HrpNEa is applied to leaves, ethylene signaling is active in the absence of ABA signaling to promote plant growth. This suggests the presence of a different signaling mechanism in leaves from that in roots.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

AOA:

amonoxyacetic acid

EVP:

empty vector preparation containing inactive proteins but no HrpNEa

Fld:

fluridone, an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis

HrpNEa :

a harpin protein produced by Erwinia amylovora that causes fire blight of rosaceous plants

1-MCP:

1-methylcyclopropene, an inhibitor of ethylene perception

NDGA:

nordihydroguaiaretic acid, an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis

PT:

posttreatment

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Schuyler Korban for critical corrections of the text. We thank the two anonymous reviewers for elaborate suggestions on the manuscript. This study was supported by National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars (grant no. 30525088), National Development Plan of Key Basic Scientific Studies (973 Plan) Project 2 (2006CB101902), and National Foundation of Natural Sciences (30771441), in China.

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  1. Zhilong Bao

    Present address: Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, NY, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Growth and Defense Signaling Laboratory, Group of Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Plant Pathogens and Insect Pests, Ministry of Agriculture of P. R. China, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Xiuyan Ren, Fang Liu, Chunling Zhang, Xiaojing Wu, Lei Chen & Ruoxue Liu

  2. College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Hansong Dong

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  1. Xiuyan Ren
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Correspondence to Hansong Dong.

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X. Ren and F. Liu contributed equally to this study and are regarded as joint first authors

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Ren, X., Liu, F., Bao, Z. et al. Root Growth of Arabidopsis thaliana Is Regulated by Ethylene and Abscisic Acid Signaling Interaction in Response to HrpNEa, a Bacterial Protein of Harpin Group. Plant Mol Biol Rep 26, 225–240 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-008-0038-3

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