Ethylene and jasmonic acid signaling affect the NPR1-independent expression of defense genes without impacting resistance to Pseudomonas syringae and Peronospora parasitica in the Arabidopsis ssi1 mutant

Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 2003 Jul;16(7):588-99. doi: 10.1094/MPMI.2003.16.7.588.

Abstract

Salicylic acid (SA), ethylene, and jasmonic acid (JA) are important signaling molecules in plant defense to biotic stress. An intricate signaling network involving SA, ethylene, and JA fine tunes plant defense responses. SA-dependent defense responses in Arabidopsis thaliana are mediated through NPR1-dependent and -independent mechanisms. We have previously shown that activation of an NPR1-independent defense mechanism confers enhanced disease resistance and constitutive expression of the pathogenesis-related (PR) genes in the Arabidopsis ssi1 mutant. In addition, the ssi1 mutant constitutively expresses the defensin gene PDF1.2. Moreover, SA is required for the ssi1-conferred constitutive expression of PDF1.2 in addition to PR genes. Hence, the ssi1 mutant appears to target a step common to SA- and ethylene- or JA-regulated defense pathways. In the present study, we show that, in addition to SA, ethylene and JA signaling also are required for the ssi1-conferred constitutive expression of PDF1.2 and the NPR1-independent expression of PR-1. Furthermore, the ethylene-insensitive ein2 and JA-insensitive jar1 mutants enhance susceptibility of ssi1 plants to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. However, defects in either the ethylene- or JA-signaling pathways do not compromise ssi1-conferred resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas synringae pv. maculicola and the oomycete pathogen Peronospora parasitica. Interestingly, ssi1 exhibits a marginal increase in the levels of ethylene and JA, suggesting that low endogenous levels of these phytohormones are sufficient to activate expression of defense genes. Taken together, our results indicate that although cross talk in ssi1 renders expression of ethylene- or JA-responsive defense genes sensitive to SA and vice versa, it does not affect downstream signaling leading to resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / drug effects
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / immunology
  • Arabidopsis / microbiology*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cyclopentanes / metabolism*
  • Cyclopentanes / pharmacology
  • Defensins*
  • Ethylenes / metabolism*
  • Ethylenes / pharmacology
  • Fungi / physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Mutation
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / genetics
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / metabolism
  • Oxylipins
  • Plant Diseases / genetics
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Pseudomonas / physiology*
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / genetics
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism
  • Salicylic Acid / metabolism
  • Salicylic Acid / pharmacology
  • Signal Transduction*

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Cyclopentanes
  • Defensins
  • EIN2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Ethylenes
  • NPR1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Oxylipins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • SSI4 protein, Arabidopsis
  • jasmonic acid
  • ethylene
  • JAR1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Nucleotidyltransferases
  • Salicylic Acid