Plasma membrane-associated ROP10 small GTPase is a specific negative regulator of abscisic acid responses in Arabidopsis

Plant Cell. 2002 Nov;14(11):2787-97. doi: 10.1105/tpc.005611.

Abstract

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important plant hormone that modulates seed germination and plant growth and stress responses, but its signaling remains poorly understood. We investigated the role of ROP10, a member of the Arabidopsis Rop subfamily of Rho GTPases, in ABA signaling. A null rop10 mutant exhibits enhanced responses to ABA in seed germination, root elongation, and stomatal closure assays and in the induction of expression of the transcription factor MYB2, but it shows wild-type levels of ABA and normal responses to other hormones. Consistently, transgenic expression of a constitutively active form of ROP10 reduces ABA inhibition of seed germination, whereas dominant-negative mutants of ROP10 enhance ABA response and partially suppress abi2. Furthermore, ABA specifically downregulates ROP10 transcription in root tips. ROP10 is localized to the plasma membrane (PM), and PM localization is crucial for its function. These results suggest that ROP10 is a PM-localized signaling molecule that is involved specifically in the negative regulation of ABA signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Abscisic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Arabidopsis / drug effects
  • Arabidopsis / enzymology
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / genetics*
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / metabolism
  • GTP-Binding Proteins
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / drug effects
  • Germination
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Phytochrome / drug effects
  • Plant Growth Regulators / pharmacology
  • Plant Roots / drug effects
  • Plant Roots / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Seeds / growth & development
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Phytochrome
  • Abscisic Acid
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases
  • GTP-Binding Proteins
  • ROP10 protein, Arabidopsis
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins