Induction of Arabidopsis Tr yptophan Pathway Enzymes and Camalexin by Amino Acid Star vation, Oxidative Stress, and an Abiotic Elicitor

Correspondence to: Robert L. Last, RLL3{at}cornell.edu (E-mail), 607-255-6695 (fax).

The tryptophan (Trp) biosynthetic pathway leads to the production of many secondary metabolites with diverse functions, and its regulation is predicted to respond to the needs for both protein synthesis and secondary metabolism. We have tested the response of the Trp pathway enzymes and three other amino acid biosynthetic enzymes to starvation for aromatic amino acids, branched-chain amino acids, or methionine. The Trp pathway enzymes and cytosolic glutamine synthetase were induced under all of the amino acid starvation test conditions, whereas methionine synthase and acetolactate synthase were not. The mRNAs for two stress-inducible enzymes unrelated to amino acid biosynthesis and accumulation of the indolic phytoalexin camalexin were also induced by amino acid starvation. These results suggest that regulation of the Trp pathway enzymes under amino acid deprivation conditions is largely a stress response to allow for increased biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Consistent with this hypothesis, treatments with the oxidative stress-inducing herbicide acifluorfen and the abiotic elicitor -amino butyric acid induced responses similar to those induced by the amino acid starvation treatments. The role of salicylic acid in herbicide-mediated Trp and camalexin induction was investigated.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Galletti, C. Denoux, S. Gambetta, J. Dewdney, F. M. Ausubel, G. De Lorenzo, and S. Ferrari The AtrbohD-Mediated Oxidative Burst Elicited by Oligogalacturonides in Arabidopsis Is Dispensable for the Activation of Defense Responses Effective against Botrytis cinerea Plant Physiology, November 1, 2008; 148(3): 1695 - 1706. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Colville and N. Smirnoff Antioxidant status, peroxidase activity, and PR protein transcript levels in ascorbate-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana vtc mutants J. Exp. Bot., October 9, 2008; (2008) ern229v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Fait, K. Hanhineva, R. Beleggia, N. Dai, I. Rogachev, V. J. Nikiforova, A. R. Fernie, and A. Aharoni Reconfiguration of the Achene and Receptacle Metabolic Networks during Strawberry Fruit Development Plant Physiology, October 1, 2008; 148(2): 730 - 750. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Zhang, Y. Wang, K. Kanyuka, M. A. J. Parry, S. J. Powers, and N. G. Halford GCN2-dependent phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor-2{alpha} in Arabidopsis J. Exp. Bot., August 1, 2008; 59(11): 3131 - 3141. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Alos, M. Roca, D. J. Iglesias, M. I. Minguez-Mosquera, C. M. B. Damasceno, T. W. Thannhauser, J. K. C. Rose, M. Talon, and M. Cercos An Evaluation of the Basis and Consequences of a Stay-Green Mutation in the navel negra Citrus Mutant Using Transcriptomic and Proteomic Profiling and Metabolite Analysis Plant Physiology, July 1, 2008; 147(3): 1300 - 1315. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. K. Kim, T. Bamba, K. Harada, E. Fukusaki, and A. Kobayashi Time-course metabolic profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana cell cultures after salt stress treatment J. Exp. Bot., February 1, 2007; 58(3): 415 - 424. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. E. Sattler, L. Mene-Saffrane, E. E. Farmer, M. Krischke, M. J. Mueller, and D. DellaPenna Nonenzymatic Lipid Peroxidation Reprograms Gene Expression and Activates Defense Markers in Arabidopsis Tocopherol-Deficient Mutants PLANT CELL, December 1, 2006; 18(12): 3706 - 3720. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Y. Graham The Diphenylether Herbicide Lactofen Induces Cell Death and Expression of Defense-Related Genes in Soybean Plant Physiology, December 1, 2005; 139(4): 1784 - 1794. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Kobayashi, T. Mutoh, and T. Matoh Boron nutrition of cultured tobacco BY-2 cells. IV. Genes induced under low boron supply J. Exp. Bot., June 1, 2004; 55(401): 1441 - 1443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. T. Song, H. Lu, and J. T. Greenberg Divergent Roles in Arabidopsis thaliana Development and Defense of Two Homologous Genes, ABERRANT GROWTH AND DEATH2 and AGD2-LIKE DEFENSE RESPONSE PROTEIN1, Encoding Novel Aminotransferases PLANT CELL, February 1, 2004; 16(2): 353 - 366. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. G. Halford, S. Hey, D. Jhurreea, S. Laurie, R. S. McKibbin, Y. Zhang, and M. J. Paul Highly conserved protein kinases involved in the regulation of carbon and amino acid metabolism J. Exp. Bot., January 1, 2004; 55(394): 35 - 42. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Narusaka, M. Narusaka, M. Seki, J. Ishida, M. Nakashima, A. Kamiya, A. Enju, T. Sakurai, M. Satoh, M. Kobayashi, et al. The cDNA Microarray Analysis Using an Arabidopsis pad3 Mutant Reveals the Expression Profiles and Classification of Genes Induced by Alternaria brassicicola Attack Plant Cell Physiol., April 15, 2003; 44(4): 377 - 387. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. H. Foyer, M. Parry, and G. Noctor Markers and signals associated with nitrogen assimilation in higher plants J. Exp. Bot., January 3, 2003; 54(382): 585 - 593. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. A. Smolen, L. Pawlowski, S. E. Wilensky, and J. Bender Dominant Alleles of the Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor ATR2 Activate Stress-Responsive Genes in Arabidopsis Genetics, July 1, 2002; 161(3): 1235 - 1246. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Noctor, L. Novitskaya, P. J. Lea, and C. H. Foyer Co-ordination of leaf minor amino acid contents in crop species: significance and interpretation J. Exp. Bot., April 15, 2002; 53(370): 939 - 945. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Takei, T. Takahashi, T. Sugiyama, T. Yamaya, and H. Sakakibara Multiple routes communicating nitrogen availability from roots to shoots: a signal transduction pathway mediated by cytokinin J. Exp. Bot., April 15, 2002; 53(370): 971 - 977. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Smolen and J. Bender Arabidopsis Cytochrome P450 cyp83B1 Mutations Activate the Tryptophan Biosynthetic Pathway Genetics, January 1, 2002; 160(1): 323 - 332. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Kim, M. Lee, R. Chalam, M. N. Martin, T. Leustek, and W. Boerjan Constitutive Overexpression of Cystathionine gamma -Synthase in Arabidopsis Leads to Accumulation of Soluble Methionine and S-Methylmethionine Plant Physiology, January 1, 2002; 128(1): 95 - 107. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Brader, E. Tas, and E. T. Palva Jasmonate-Dependent Induction of Indole Glucosinolates in Arabidopsis by Culture Filtrates of the Nonspecific Pathogen Erwinia carotovora Plant Physiology, June 1, 2001; 126(2): 849 - 860. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Frey, C. Stettner, P. W. Paré, E. A. Schmelz, J. H. Tumlinson, and A. Gierl An herbivore elicitor activates the gene for indole emission in maize PNAS, November 29, 2000; (2000) 260499897. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				G. Guillet, J. Poupart, J. Basurco, and V. De Luca Expression of Tryptophan Decarboxylase and Tyrosine Decarboxylase Genes in Tobacco Results in Altered Biochemical and Physiological Phenotypes Plant Physiology, March 1, 2000; 122(3): 933 - 944. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. N. Rate, J. V. Cuenca, G. R. Bowman, D. S. Guttman, and J. T. Greenberg The Gain-of-Function Arabidopsis acd6 Mutant Reveals Novel Regulation and Function of the Salicylic Acid Signaling Pathway in Controlling Cell Death, Defenses, and Cell Growth PLANT CELL, September 1, 1999; 11(9): 1695 - 1708. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				T. Leustek and K. Saito Sulfate Transport and Assimilation in Plants Plant Physiology, July 1, 1999; 120(3): 637 - 644. [Full Text]

				M. Frey, C. Stettner, P. W. Pare, E. A. Schmelz, J. H. Tumlinson, and A. Gierl An herbivore elicitor activates the gene for indole emission in maize PNAS, December 19, 2000; 97(26): 14801 - 14806. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]