Journal Article

Overexpression of Arabidopsis ECERIFERUM1 promotes wax very-long-chain alkane biosynthesis and influences plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses

Ministere de l'Enseignement Superieur et de la Recherche ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ; University Bordeaux Segalen ; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Pervent, Marjorie, Rothamsted Research ; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Lessire, Rene, Joubes, Jerome, Domergue, Frederic, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Roby, Dominique, Écophysiologie des Plantes sous Stress environnementaux (LEPSE) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Pascal, Stéphanie, Leger, Amandine, Bourdenx, Brice, Haslam, Richard P, Vile, Denis, Unité mixte de recherche interactions plantes-microorganismes ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Centre

2011

Overview

Land plant aerial organs are covered by a hydrophobic layer called the cuticle that serves as a waterproof barrier protecting plants against desiccation, ultraviolet radiation, and pathogens. Cuticle consists of a cutin matrix as well as cuticular waxes in which very-long-chain (VLC) alkanes are the major components, representing up to 70% of the total wax content in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves. However, despite its major involvement in cuticle formation, the alkane-forming pathway is still largely unknown. To address this deficiency, we report here the characterization of the Arabidopsis ECERIFERUM1 (CER1) gene predicted to encode an enzyme involved in alkane biosynthesis. Analysis of CER1 expression showed that CER1 is specifically expressed in the epidermis of aerial organs and coexpressed with other genes of the alkane-forming pathway. Modification of CER1 expression in transgenic plants specifically affects VLC alkane biosynthesis: waxes of TDNA insertional mutant alleles are devoid of VLC alkanes and derivatives, whereas CER1 overexpression dramatically increases the production of the odd-carbon-numbered alkanes together with a substantial accumulation of iso-branched alkanes. We also showed that CER1 expression is induced by osmotic stresses and regulated by abscisic acid. Furthermore, CER1-overexpressing plants showed reduced cuticle permeability together with reduced soil water deficit susceptibility. However, CER1 overexpression increased susceptibility to bacterial and fungal pathogens. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CER1 controls alkane biosynthesis and is highly linked to responses to biotic and abiotic stresses.

• Publisher: Oxford University Press ; American Society of Plant Biologists,CCSD,American Society of Plant Biologists
• Subject: abscisic acid / Alkanes / Alkanes - metabolism / alleles / Animal cuticle / Arabidopsis - enzymology / Arabidopsis - genetics / Arabidopsis - microbiology / Arabidopsis - physiology / Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics / Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism / Arabidopsis thaliana / Ascomycota - physiology / Biochemical Processes and Macromolecular Structures / BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES AND MACROMOLECULES STRUCTURES / Biological and medical sciences / Biosynthesis / Biosynthetic Pathways / biotic stress / Disease Susceptibility / embryophytes / Epicuticular wax / Epidermal cells / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Gene Expression / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Genetics / Leaves / Life Sciences / Mutagenesis, Insertional / Organ Specificity / pathogens / Phenotype / Plant Components, Aerial - enzymology / Plant Components, Aerial - genetics / Plant Components, Aerial - microbiology / Plant Components, Aerial - physiology / Plant cuticle / Plant Diseases - immunology / Plant Diseases - microbiology / Plant Epidermis - enzymology / Plant Epidermis - genetics / Plant Epidermis - microbiology / Plant Epidermis - physiology / plant organs / Plant physiology and development / plant response / Plants / Plants genetics / Plants, Genetically Modified / Pseudomonas syringae - physiology / Seedlings - enzymology / Seedlings - genetics / Seedlings - microbiology / Seedlings - physiology / soil water deficit / Stems / Stress, Physiological / transgenic plants / ultraviolet radiation / Waxes / Waxes - metabolism
• ISBN: 0002902071000