GOLDEN2-LIKE transcription factors coordinate the tolerance to Cucumber mosaic virus in Arabidopsis.

Arabidopsis thaliana GOLDEN2-LIKE (GLKs) transcription factors play important roles in regulation of photosynthesis-associated nuclear genes, as well as participate in chloroplast development. However, the involvement of GLKs in plants resistance to virus remains largely unknown. Here, the relationship between GLKs and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) stress response was investigated. Our results showed that the Arabidopsis glk1glk2 double-mutant was more susceptible to CMV infection and suffered more serious damages (such as higher oxidative damages, more compromised in PSII photochemistry and more reactive oxygen species accumulation) when compared with the wild-type plants. Interestingly, there was little difference between single mutant (glk1 or glk2) and wild-type plants in response to CMV infection, suggesting GLK1 and GLK2 might function redundant in virus resistance in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the induction of antioxidant system and defense-associated genes expression in the double mutant were inhibited when compared with single mutant or wild-type plants after CMV infection. Further evidences showed that salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) might be involved in GLKs-mediated virus resistance, as SA or JA level and synthesis-related genes transcription were impaired in glk1glk2 mutant. Taken together, our results indicated that GLKs played a positively role in virus resistance in Arabidopsis.

Ethylene is Involved in Brassinosteroids Induced Alternative Respiratory Pathway in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Seedlings Response to Abiotic Stress.

Effects of brassinosteroids (BRs) on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) abiotic stresses resistance to salt, polyethylene glycol (PEG), cold and the potential mechanisms were investigated in this work. Previous reports have indicated that BRs can induce ethylene production and enhance alternative oxidase (AOX) pathway. The mechanisms whether ethylene is involved as a signal molecule which connected BR with AOX in regulating stress tolerance are still unknown. Here, we found that pretreatment with 1 µM brassinolide (BL, the most active BRs) relieved stress-caused oxidative damage in cucumber seedlings and clearly enhanced the capacity of AOX and the ethylene biosynthesis. Furthermore, transcription level of ethylene signaling biosynthesis genes including ripening-related ACC synthase1 (C S ACS1), ripening-related ACC synthase2 (C S ACS2), ripening-related ACC synthase3 (C S ACS3), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase1 (C S ACO1), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase2 (C S ACO2), and C S AOX were increased after BL treatment. Importantly, the application of the salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM, AOX inhibitor) and ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor aminooxyacetic acid (AOA) decreased plant resistance to environmental stress by blocking BRs-induced alternative respiration. Taken together, our results demonstrated that ethylene was involved in BRs-induced AOX activity which played important roles in abiotic stresses tolerance in cucumber seedlings.