The regulatory domain of SRK2E/OST1/SnRK2.6 interacts with ABI1 and integrates abscisic acid (ABA) and osmotic stress signals controlling stomatal closure in Arabidopsis

J Biol Chem. 2006 Feb 24;281(8):5310-8. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M509820200. Epub 2005 Dec 19.

Abstract

ABI1 and ABI2 encode PP2C-type protein phosphatases and are thought to negatively regulate many aspects of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, including stomatal closure in Arabidopsis. In contrast, SRK2E/OST1/SnRK2.6 encodes an Arabidopsis SnRK2 protein kinase and acts as a positive regulator in the ABA-induced stomatal closure. SRK2E/OST1 is activated by osmotic stress as well as by ABA, but the independence of the two activation processes has not yet been determined. Additionally, interaction between SRK2E/OST1 and PP2C-type phosphatases (ABI1 and ABI2) is not understood. In the present study, we demonstrated that the abi1-1 mutation, but not the abi2-1 mutation, strongly inhibited ABA-dependent SRK2E/OST1 activation. In contrast, osmotic stress activated SRK2E/OST1 even in abi1-1 and aba2-1 plants. The C-terminal regulatory domain of SRK2E/OST1 was required for its activation by both ABA and osmotic stress in Arabidopsis. The C-terminal domain was functionally divided into Domains I and II. Domain II was required only for the ABA-dependent activation of SRK2E/OST1, whereas Domain I was responsible for the ABA-independent activation. Full-length SRK2E/OST1 completely complemented the wilty phenotype of the srk2e mutant, but SRK2E/OST1 lacking Domain II did not. Domain II interacted with the ABI1 protein in a yeast two-hybrid assay. Our results suggested that the direct interaction between SRK2E/OST1 and ABI1 through Domain II plays a critical role in the control of stomatal closure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abscisic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / chemistry
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Genes, Plant
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Models, Biological
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Nitrate Reductase
  • Osmosis*
  • Phenotype
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / metabolism
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / physiology*
  • Plant Epidermis / metabolism
  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Kinases / chemistry
  • Protein Kinases / physiology*
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Signal Transduction
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Abscisic Acid
  • Nitrate Reductase
  • Protein Kinases
  • OST1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • ABI1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases