Calmodulin-binding transcription activator 1 mediates auxin signaling and responds to stresses in Arabidopsis.

Auxin is a key plant hormone that regulates various aspects of plant development. However, the mechanisms integrating auxin growth effects with stress responses are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the possible role of calmodulin-binding transcription activator 1 (CAMTA1), an Arabidopsis thaliana calcium/calmodulin-binding transcription activator, in auxin signaling and its responses to different stresses. Plants harboring the AtCAMTA1 promoter fused to the GUS reporter gene revealed cell-specific expression patterns reminiscent of auxin responses. The responsiveness of CAMTA1 to auxin was further assessed by chemical disturbances in polar auxin transport, and by RT-PCR analysis of gene expression of dissected leaf sections from plants exposed to the auxin transport inhibitor NPA. Furthermore, the intensity and cell-specific expression patterns of CAMTA1 changed significantly and differentially on exposure to increasing salt concentrations and heat. Transcriptome analysis of a camta1 T-DNA insertion mutant revealed 63 up-regulated genes, of which 17 are associated with auxin signaling. Finally, analysis of hypocotyl elongation in the presence and absence of auxin revealed that camta1 T-DNA insertion mutants and CAMTA1-repressor lines are hyper-responsive to auxin compared to wild-type seedlings. Thus, CAMTA1 participates in auxin signaling and responds to abiotic stresses.

Calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) 3 mediates biotic defense responses in Arabidopsis.

Calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) 3 (also called SR1) is a calmodulin-binding transcription factor in Arabidopsis. Two homozygous T-DNA insertion mutants (camta3-1, camta3-2) showed enhanced spontaneous lesions. Transcriptome analysis of both mutants revealed 6 genes with attenuated expression and 99 genes with elevated expression. Of the latter, 32 genes are related to defense against pathogens (e.g. WRKY33, PR1 and chitinase). Propagation of a virulent strain of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea were attenuated in both mutants. Moreover, both mutants accumulated high levels of H2O2. We suggest that CAMTA3 regulates the expression of a set of genes involved in biotic defense responses.

The sfr6 mutant of Arabidopsis is defective in transcriptional activation via CBF/DREB1 and DREB2 and shows sensitivity to osmotic stress.

The sfr6 mutant of Arabidopsis displays a deficit in freezing tolerance after cold acclimation. We previously observed that the transcripts of three cold-, ABA- and drought-inducible genes, each having a C-repeat motif or the drought-responsive element (CRT/DRE) in its promoter, failed to normally accumulate in this mutant. We now report that the effects of sfr6 upon transcript levels are reflected in the levels of the encoded proteins, confirming that the cold-inducible protein expression is affected by the sfr6 mutation. Using microarray analysis, we found not only that this effect may be general to cold-inducible genes with CRT/DRE promoter elements, but also that it extends to some other genes whose promoters lack a CRT/DRE element. The role of the CRT/DRE has been empirically tested by use of a synthetic promoter, confirming that the CRT/DRE is sufficient to confer the sfr6 effect upon expression. Tolerance of osmotic stress was also found to be reduced in sfr6, consistent with a role in osmotic stress tolerance for the cold-, ABA- and drought-inducible genes whose expression is affected by the sfr6 mutation.