Relationship between hexokinase and the aquaporin PIP1 in the regulation of photosynthesis and plant growth

PLoS One. 2014 Feb 3;9(2):e87888. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087888. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Increased expression of the aquaporin NtAQP1, which is known to function as a plasmalemma channel for CO₂ and water, increases the rate of both photosynthesis and transpiration. In contrast, increased expression of Arabidopsis hexokinase1 (AtHXK1), a dual-function enzyme that mediates sugar sensing, decreases the expression of photosynthetic genes and the rate of transpiration and inhibits growth. Here, we show that AtHXK1 also decreases root and stem hydraulic conductivity and leaf mesophyll CO₂ conductance (g(m)). Due to their opposite effects on plant development and physiology, we examined the relationship between NtAQP1 and AtHXK1 at the whole-plant level using transgenic tomato plants expressing both genes simultaneously. NtAQP1 significantly improved growth and increased the transpiration rates of AtHXK1-expressing plants. Reciprocal grafting experiments indicated that this complementation occurs when both genes are expressed simultaneously in the shoot. Yet, NtAQP1 had only a marginal effect on the hydraulic conductivity of the double-transgenic plants, suggesting that the complementary effect of NtAQP1 is unrelated to shoot water transport. Rather, NtAQP1 significantly increased leaf mesophyll CO₂ conductance and enhanced the rate of photosynthesis, suggesting that NtAQP1 facilitated the growth of the double-transgenic plants by enhancing mesophyll conductance of CO₂.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aquaporins / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development*
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Biological Transport
  • Hexokinase / metabolism*
  • Nicotiana / growth & development
  • Nicotiana / metabolism
  • Photosynthesis / physiology*
  • Plant Development*
  • Plant Leaves / growth & development
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / growth & development
  • Plant Roots / metabolism
  • Plant Stems / growth & development
  • Plant Stems / metabolism
  • Plant Transpiration
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / growth & development
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Solanum lycopersicum / growth & development
  • Solanum lycopersicum / metabolism
  • Water

Substances

  • Aquaporins
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • PIP1-2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Water
  • Hexokinase

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Israel Ministry of Agriculture, Chief Scientist Research Grants 261-0865 and 261-0845 (http://www.moag.gov.il/agri/yhidotmisrad/madanrashi/); and by grant no. IS-4541-12 from BARD, the United States-Israel Binational Agricultural and Development Fund (http://www.bard-isus.com/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.