The MEKK1-MKK1/2-MPK4 cascade phosphorylates and stabilizes STOP1 to confer aluminum resistance in Arabidopsis

Fanglin Zhou; Somesh Singh; Jie Zhang; Qiu Fang; Chongyang Li; Jiawen Wang; Chunzhao Zhao; Pengcheng Wang; Chao-Feng Huang

doi:10.1016/j.molp.2022.11.010

The MEKK1-MKK1/2-MPK4 cascade phosphorylates and stabilizes STOP1 to confer aluminum resistance in Arabidopsis

Mol Plant. 2023 Feb 6;16(2):337-353. doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.11.010. Epub 2022 Nov 23.

Authors

Fanglin Zhou¹, Somesh Singh², Jie Zhang², Qiu Fang², Chongyang Li², Jiawen Wang², Chunzhao Zhao², Pengcheng Wang², Chao-Feng Huang³

Affiliations

¹ National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
³ National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: huangcf@cemps.ac.cn.

PMID: 36419357
DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.11.010

Abstract

Aluminum (Al) toxicity can seriously restrict crop production on acidic soils, which comprise 40% of the world's potentially arable land. The zinc finger transcription factor STOP1 has a conserved and essential function in mediating plant Al resistance. Al stress induces STOP1 accumulation via post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. However, the upstream signaling pathway involved in Al-triggered STOP1 accumulation remains unclear. Here, we report that the MEKK1-MKK1/2-MPK4 cascade positively regulates STOP1 phosphorylation and stability. Mutations of MEKK1, MKK1/2, or MPK4 lead to decreased STOP1 stability and Al resistance. Al stress induces the kinase activity of MPK4, which interacts with and phosphorylates STOP1. The phosphorylation of STOP1 reduces its interaction with the F-box protein RAE1 that mediates STOP1 degradation, thereby leading to enhanced STOP1 stability and Al resistance. Taken together, our results suggest that the MEKK1-MKK1/2-MPK4 cascade is important for Al signaling and confers Al resistance through phosphorylation-mediated enhancement of STOP1 accumulation in Arabidopsis.

Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; MAPK cascade; MPK4; STOP1 phosphorylation; STOP1 stability; aluminum resistance.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aluminum
Arabidopsis Proteins* / metabolism
Arabidopsis* / metabolism
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
MAP Kinase Signaling System
Phosphorylation
Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

Aluminum
Arabidopsis Proteins
STOP1 protein, Arabidopsis
Transcription Factors