Hydrogen peroxide positively regulates brassinosteroid signaling through oxidation of the BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1 transcription factor

Nat Commun. 2018 Mar 14;9(1):1063. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03463-x.

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an important signaling molecule in plant developmental processes and stress responses. However, whether H2O2-mediated signaling crosstalks with plant hormone signaling is largely unclear. Here, we show that H2O2 induces the oxidation of the BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1 (BZR1) transcription factor, which functions as a master regulator of brassinosteroid (BR) signaling. Oxidative modification enhances BZR1 transcriptional activity by promoting its interaction with key regulators in the auxin-signaling and light-signaling pathways, including AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR6 (ARF6) and PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 (PIF4). Genome-wide analysis shows that H2O2-dependent regulation of BZR1 activity plays a major role in modifying gene expression related to several BR-mediated biological processes. Furthermore, we show that the thioredoxin TRXh5 can interact with BZR1 and catalyzes its reduction. We conclude that reversible oxidation of BZR1 connects H2O2-mediated and thioredoxin-mediated redox signaling to BR signaling to regulate plant development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Brassinosteroids / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / drug effects
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • BZR1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Brassinosteroids
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • PIF4 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Transcription Factors
  • Hydrogen Peroxide