Peach PpSnRK1α interacts with bZIP11 and maintains trehalose balance in plants

Shuhui Zhang; Hui Wang; Jingjing Luo; Wenying Yu; Yuansong Xiao; Futian Peng

doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.01.036

Peach PpSnRK1α interacts with bZIP11 and maintains trehalose balance in plants

Plant Physiol Biochem. 2021 Mar:160:377-385. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.01.036. Epub 2021 Jan 28.

Authors

Shuhui Zhang¹, Hui Wang², Jingjing Luo¹, Wenying Yu¹, Yuansong Xiao³, Futian Peng⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.
² College of Horticulture, Northwest A & F University, Yang Ling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China. Electronic address: ysxiao@sdau.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China. Electronic address: pft@sdau.edu.cn.

PMID: 33550178
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.01.036

Abstract

The nonreducing disaccharide trehalose is widespread in nature. It plays a very important role in plant growth and development. In plants, trehalose is present in trace amounts. High concentration of trehalose disrupts energy balance and inhibits normal growth and development. Studies have shown that high levels of trehalose and trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), the metabolic precursor of trehalose, inhibit sucrose non-fermenting-1-related protein kinase1 (SnRK1) activity, which affect plant growth and development. However, the role of SnRK1, the energy balance center, in the regulation of trehalose metabolism in plants is unknown. In this study, exogenous trehalose at higher concentrations inhibited the expression of SnRK1 genes, especially PpSnRK1α in peach (Prunus persica) seedlings. This change in gene expression was dependent on trehalose concentration. Furthermore, overexpression of peach PpSnRK1α in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly promoted trehalase activity, reduced T6P content, and suppressed the trehalose synthesis related genes (TPSs, TPPB) expression, promoted the trehalose metabolism of gene expression (TRE1), in addition the transgenic plants alleviated photosynthetic product distribution imbalance (aboveground and underground parts), and enhanced root growth. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence assays revealed the interaction between PpSnRK1α and peach basic domain leucine zipper transcription factor 11 (PpbZIP11), a key transcription factor of trehalose metabolism, in the nucleus. To summarize, PpSnRK1α overexpression improved bZIP11 transcriptional activity and regulated trehalose metabolism to protect the plants against trehalose-induced damage. This study preliminarily explained the mechanism of SnRK1 regulating trehalose metabolism balance in plants, which laid a foundation for further understanding of energy metabolism and function of SnRK1 in plants.

Keywords: Peach; Plant growth; SnRK1; Trehalose; bZIP11.

MeSH terms

Arabidopsis / genetics
Arabidopsis / metabolism
Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / genetics
Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / metabolism*
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
Prunus persica / genetics*
Sugar Phosphates
Trehalose / metabolism*

Substances

Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
Sugar Phosphates
Trehalose
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases