Principles and characteristics of the Arabidopsis WRKY regulatory network during early MAMP-triggered immunity.

During microbe-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity more than 5000 Arabidopsis genes are significantly altered in their expression, and the question arises, how such an enormous reprogramming of the transcriptome can be regulated in a safe and robust manner? For the WRKY transcription factors (TFs), which are important regulators of numerous defense responses, it appears that they act in a complex regulatory sub-network rather than in a linear fashion, which would be much more vulnerable to gene function loss either by pathogen-derived effectors or by mutations. In this study we employed RNA-seq, mass spectrometry and chromatin immunoprecipitation-seq to find evidence for and uncover principles and characteristics of this network. Upon flg22-treatment, one can distinguish between two sets of WRKY genes: constitutively expressed and induced WRKY genes. Prior to elicitation the induced WRKY genes appear to be maintained in a repressed state mainly by the constitutively expressed WRKY factors, which themselves appear to be regulated by non-WRKY TFs. Upon elicitation, induced WRKYs rapidly bind to induced WRKY gene promoters and by auto- and cross-regulation build up the regulatory network. Maintenance of this flg22-induced network appears highly robust as removal of three key WRKY factors can be physically and functionally compensated for by other WRKY family members.

Botrytis cinerea B05.10 promotes disease development in Arabidopsis by suppressing WRKY33-mediated host immunity.

The large WRKY transcription factor family is mainly involved in regulating plant immune responses. Arabidopsis WRKY33 is a key transcriptional regulator of hormonal and metabolic processes towards Botrytis cinerea strain 2100 infection and is essential for resistance. In contrast to B. cinerea strain 2100, the strain B05.10 is virulent on wild-type (WT) Col-0 Arabidopsis plants highlighting the genetic diversity within this pathogen species. We analysed how early WRKY33-dependent responses are affected upon infection with strain B05.10 and found that most of these responses were strongly dampened during this interaction. Ectopic expression of WRKY33 resulted in complete resistance towards this strain indicating that virulence of B05.10, at least partly, depends on suppressing WRKY33 expression/protein accumulation. As a consequence, the expression levels of direct WRKY33 target genes, including those involved in the biosynthesis of camalexin, were also reduced upon infection. Concomitantly, elevated levels of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) were observed. Molecular and genetic studies revealed that ABA negatively influences defence to B05.10 and effects jasmonic acid/ethylene (JA/ET) and salicylic acid (SA) levels. Susceptibility/resistance was determined by the antagonistic effect of ABA on JA, and this crosstalk required suppressing WRKY33 functions at early infection stages. This indicates that B. cinerea B05.10 promotes disease by suppressing WRKY33-mediated host defences.

Transcriptional events defining plant immune responses.

Rapid and massive transcriptional reprogramming upon pathogen recognition is the decisive step in plant-phytopathogen interactions. Plant transcription factors (TFs) are key players in this process but they require a suite of other context-specific co-regulators to establish sensory transcription regulatory networks to bring about host immunity. Molecular, genetic and biochemical studies, particularly in the model plants Arabidopsis and rice, are continuously uncovering new components of the transcriptional machinery that can selectively impact host resistance toward a diverse range of pathogens. Moreover, detailed studies on key immune regulators, such as WRKY TFs and NPR1, are beginning to reveal the underlying mechanisms by which defense hormones influence the function of these factors. Here we provide a short update on such recent developments.

Induced Genome-Wide Binding of Three Arabidopsis WRKY Transcription Factors during Early MAMP-Triggered Immunity.

During microbial-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity (MTI), molecules derived from microbes are perceived by cell surface receptors and upon signaling to the nucleus initiate a massive transcriptional reprogramming critical to mount an appropriate host defense response. WRKY transcription factors play an important role in regulating these transcriptional processes. Here, we determined on a genome-wide scale the flg22-induced in vivo DNA binding dynamics of three of the most prominent WRKY factors, WRKY18, WRKY40, and WRKY33. The three WRKY factors each bound to more than 1000 gene loci predominantly at W-box elements, the known WRKY binding motif. Binding occurred mainly in the 500-bp promoter regions of these genes. Many of the targeted genes are involved in signal perception and transduction not only during MTI but also upon damage-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity, providing a mechanistic link between these functionally interconnected basal defense pathways. Among the additional targets were genes involved in the production of indolic secondary metabolites and in modulating distinct plant hormone pathways. Importantly, among the targeted genes were numerous transcription factors, encoding predominantly ethylene response factors, active during early MTI, and WRKY factors, supporting the previously hypothesized existence of a WRKY subregulatory network. Transcriptional analysis revealed that WRKY18 and WRKY40 function redundantly as negative regulators of flg22-induced genes often to prevent exaggerated defense responses.

Negative regulation of ABA signaling by WRKY33 is critical for Arabidopsis immunity towards Botrytis cinerea 2100.

The Arabidopsis mutant wrky33 is highly susceptible to Botrytis cinerea. We identified >1680 Botrytis-induced WRKY33 binding sites associated with 1576 Arabidopsis genes. Transcriptional profiling defined 318 functional direct target genes at 14 hr post inoculation. Comparative analyses revealed that WRKY33 possesses dual functionality acting either as a repressor or as an activator in a promoter-context dependent manner. We confirmed known WRKY33 targets involved in hormone signaling and phytoalexin biosynthesis, but also uncovered a novel negative role of abscisic acid (ABA) in resistance towards B. cinerea 2100. The ABA biosynthesis genes NCED3 and NCED5 were identified as direct targets required for WRKY33-mediated resistance. Loss-of-WRKY33 function resulted in elevated ABA levels and genetic studies confirmed that WRKY33 acts upstream of NCED3/NCED5 to negatively regulate ABA biosynthesis. This study provides the first detailed view of the genome-wide contribution of a specific plant transcription factor in modulating the transcriptional network associated with plant immunity.

Functional dissection of the PROPEP2 and PROPEP3 promoters reveals the importance of WRKY factors in mediating microbe-associated molecular pattern-induced expression.

· In Arabidopsis thaliana, small peptides (AtPeps) encoded by PROPEP genes act as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that are perceived by two leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases, PEPR1 and PEPR2, to amplify defense responses. In particular, expression of PROPEP2 and PROPEP3 is strongly and rapidly induced by AtPeps, in response to bacterial, oomycete, and fungal pathogens, and microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). · The cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) within the PROPEP2 and PROPEP3 promoters that mediate MAMP responsiveness were delineated, employing parsley (Petroselinum crispum) protoplasts and transgenic A. thaliana plants harboring promoter-reporter constructs. By chromatin immunoprecipitation in vivo, DNA interactions with a specific transcription factor were detected. Furthermore, the PHASTCONS program was used to identify conserved regions of the PROPEP3 locus in different Brassicaceae species. · The major MAMP-responsive CRM within the PROPEP2 promoter is composed of several W boxes and an as1/OCS (activation sequence-1/octopine synthase) enhancer element, while in the PROPEP3 promoter the CRM is comprised of six W boxes. The WRKY33 transcription factor binds in vivo to these promoter regions in a MAMP-dependent manner. Both the position and orientation of the six W boxes are conserved within the PROPEP3 promoters of four other Brassicaceae family members. · WRKY factors are the major regulators of MAMP-induced PROPEP2 and PROPEP3 expression.

Arabidopsis WRKY33 is a key transcriptional regulator of hormonal and metabolic responses toward Botrytis cinerea infection.

The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) transcription factor WRKY33 is essential for defense toward the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Here, we aimed at identifying early transcriptional responses mediated by WRKY33. Global expression profiling on susceptible wrky33 and resistant wild-type plants uncovered massive differential transcriptional reprogramming upon B. cinerea infection. Subsequent detailed kinetic analyses revealed that loss of WRKY33 function results in inappropriate activation of the salicylic acid (SA)-related host response and elevated SA levels post infection and in the down-regulation of jasmonic acid (JA)-associated responses at later stages. This down-regulation appears to involve direct activation of several jasmonate ZIM-domain genes, encoding repressors of the JA-response pathway, by loss of WRKY33 function and by additional SA-dependent WRKY factors. Moreover, genes involved in redox homeostasis, SA signaling, ethylene-JA-mediated cross-communication, and camalexin biosynthesis were identified as direct targets of WRKY33. Genetic studies indicate that although SA-mediated repression of the JA pathway may contribute to the susceptibility of wrky33 plants to B. cinerea, it is insufficient for WRKY33-mediated resistance. Thus, WRKY33 apparently directly targets other still unidentified components that are also critical for establishing full resistance toward this necrotroph.

Transcriptional plant responses critical for resistance towards necrotrophic pathogens.

Plant defenses aimed at necrotrophic pathogens appear to be genetically complex. Despite the apparent lack of a specific recognition of such necrotrophs by products of major R genes, biochemical, molecular, and genetic studies, in particular using the model plant Arabidopsis, have uncovered numerous host components critical for the outcome of such interactions. Although the JA signaling pathway plays a central role in plant defense toward necrotrophs additional signaling pathways contribute to the plant response network. Transcriptional reprogramming is a vital part of the host defense machinery and several key regulators have recently been identified. Some of these transcription factors positively affect plant resistance whereas others play a role in enhancing host susceptibility toward these phytopathogens.

Conserved functions of Arabidopsis and rice CC-type glutaredoxins in flower development and pathogen response.

Glutaredoxins (GRXs) are ubiquitous oxidoreductases that play a crucial role in response to oxidative stress by reducing disulfides in various organisms. In planta, three different GRX classes have been identified according to their active site motifs. CPYC and CGFS classes are found in all organisms, whereas the CC-type class is specific for higher land plants. Recently, two Arabidopsis CC-type GRXs, ROXY1 and ROXY2, were shown to exert crucial functions in petal and anther initiation and differentiation. To analyze the function of CC-type GRXs in the distantly related monocots, we isolated and characterized OsROXY1 and OsROXY2-two rice homologs of ROXY1. Both genes are expressed in vegetative and reproductive stages. Although rice flower morphology is distinct from eudicots, OsROXY1/2 floral expression patterns are similar to their Arabidopsis counterparts ROXY1/2. Complementation experiments demonstrate that OsROXY1 and OsROXY2 can fully rescue the roxy1 floral mutant phenotype. Overexpression of OsROXY1, OsROXY2, and ROXY1 in Arabidopsis causes similar vegetative and reproductive plant developmental defects. ROXY1 and its rice homologs thus exert a conserved function during eudicot and monocot flower development. Strikingly, overexpression of these CC-type GRXs also leads to an increased accumulation of hydrogen peroxide levels and hyper-susceptibility to infection from the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea, revealing the importance of balanced redox processes in flower organ development and pathogen defence.

Studies on DNA-binding selectivity of WRKY transcription factors lend structural clues into WRKY-domain function.

WRKY transcription factors have been shown to play a major role in regulating, both positively and negatively, the plant defense transcriptome. Nearly all studied WRKY factors appear to have a stereotypic binding preference to one DNA element termed the W-box. How specificity for certain promoters is accomplished therefore remains completely unknown. In this study, we tested five distinct Arabidopsis WRKY transcription factor subfamily members for their DNA binding selectivity towards variants of the W-box embedded in neighboring DNA sequences. These studies revealed for the first time differences in their binding site preferences, which are partly dependent on additional adjacent DNA sequences outside of the TTGACY-core motif. A consensus WRKY binding site derived from these studies was used for in silico analysis to identify potential target genes within the Arabidopsis genome. Furthermore, we show that even subtle amino acid substitutions within the DNA binding region of AtWRKY11 strongly impinge on its binding activity. Additionally, all five factors were found localized exclusively to the plant cell nucleus and to be capable of trans-activating expression of a reporter gene construct in vivo.

Expression of AtWRKY33 encoding a pathogen- or PAMP-responsive WRKY transcription factor is regulated by a composite DNA motif containing W box elements.

WRKY transcription factors regulate distinct parts of the plant defense transcriptome. Expression of many WRKY genes themselves is induced by pathogens or pathogen-mimicking molecules. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis WRKY33 responds to various stimuli associated with plant defense as well as to different kinds of phytopathogens. Although rapid pathogen-induced AtWRKY33 expression does not require salicylic acid (SA) signaling, it is dependent on PAD4, a key regulator upstream of SA. Activation of AtWRKY33 is independent of de novo protein synthesis, suggesting that it is at least partly under negative regulatory control. We show that a set of three WRKY-specific cis-acting DNA elements (W boxes) within the AtWRKY33 promoter is required for efficient pathogen- or PAMP-triggered gene activation. This strongly indicates that WRKY transcription factors are major components of the regulatory machinery modulating immediate to early expression of this gene in response to pathogen attack.

The miRNA156/157 recognition element in the 3' UTR of the Arabidopsis SBP box gene SPL3 prevents early flowering by translational inhibition in seedlings.

miRNAs are a class of versatile small RNAs that control gene expression post-transcriptionally, governing many facets of plant cell functions. They interact with their target mRNA at a site of sequence complementarity and modulate their expression levels. Here, we provide evidence, based on transient assays and stable transgenic lines, that the 3' UTR of the Arabidopsis SBP box gene SPL3 contains a functional miRNA-responsive element (MRE) that is complementary to miR156 and miRNA157. Seedlings of transgenic lines constitutively over-expressing an SPL3 transgene either carrying an unaltered or a disrupted MRE accumulate considerable levels of SPL3 transcripts. However, while the unaltered MRE UTR does not allow the expression of detectable levels of SPL3 protein, the altered MRE does. Translational inhibition thus provides an important mechanism for miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional repression of SPL3. As a consequence of precocious translation of the constitutively expressed SPL3 transgene, due to the absence of a functional MRE, plants exhibit very early flowering in addition to frequent morphological changes.

An improved method for preparing Agrobacterium cells that simplifies the Arabidopsis transformation protocol.

BACKGROUND: The Agrobacterium vacuum (Bechtold et al 1993) and floral-dip (Clough and Bent 1998) are very efficient methods for generating transgenic Arabidopsis plants. These methods allow plant transformation without the need for tissue culture. Large volumes of bacterial cultures grown in liquid media are necessary for both of these transformation methods. This limits the number of transformations that can be done at a given time due to the need for expensive large shakers and limited space on them. Additionally, the bacterial colonies derived from solid media necessary for starting these liquid cultures often fail to grow in such large volumes. Therefore the optimum stage of plant material for transformation is often missed and new plant material needs to be grown. RESULTS: To avoid problems associated with large bacterial liquid cultures, we investigated whether bacteria grown on plates are also suitable for plant transformation. We demonstrate here that bacteria grown on plates can be used with similar efficiency for transforming plants even after one week of storage at 4 degrees C. This makes it much easier to synchronize Agrobacterium and plants for transformation. DNA gel blot analysis was carried out on the T1 plants surviving the herbicide selection and demonstrated that the surviving plants are indeed transgenic. CONCLUSION: The simplified method works as efficiently as the previously reported protocols and significantly reduces the workload, cost and time. Additionally, the protocol reduces the risk of large scale contaminations involving GMOs. Most importantly, many more independent transformations per day can be performed using this modified protocol.

A regulator of nutritional copper signaling in Chlamydomonas is an SBP domain protein that recognizes the GTAC core of copper response element.

The CRR1 (Copper Response Regulator) locus, required for both activating and repressing target genes of a copper- and hypoxia-sensing pathway in Chlamydomonas, encodes a 1,232-residue candidate transcription factor with a plant-specific DNA-binding domain named SBP, ankyrin repeats, and a C-terminal Cys-rich region, with similarity to a Drosophila metallothionein. The recombinant SBP domain of Crr1 shows zinc-dependent binding to functionally defined copper-response elements associated with the CYC6 and CPX1 promoters that contain a critical GTAC core sequence. Competition experiments indicate equivalent selectivity for copper-response elements from either promoter and 10-fold greater selectivity for the wild-type sequence vs. a sequence carrying a single mutation in the GTAC core. The SBP domain of Chlamydomonas Crr1 binds also to a related GTAC-containing sequence in the Arabidopsis AP1 promoter that is the binding site of a defining member of the SBP family of DNA-binding proteins. Chlamydomonas Crr1 is most similar to a subset of the Arabidopsis SBP domain proteins, which include SPL1, SPL7, and SPL12. The abundance of the CRR1 mRNA is only marginally copper-responsive, and although two mRNAs that differ with respect to splicing of the first intron are detected, there is no indication that the splicing event is regulated by metal nutrition or hypoxia. It is likely that the dramatic copper-responsive action of Crr1 occurs at the level of the polypeptide.

Functional dissection of the plant-specific SBP-domain: overlap of the DNA-binding and nuclear localization domains.

SBP-domain proteins are plant-specific putative transcription factors. They all contain the highly conserved 76 amino acid residue SBP-domain, shown to bind specifically to related motifs in the Antirrhinum majus SQUA promoter and the orthologous Arabidopsis thaliana AP1 promoter. The structural basis for this sequence-specific binding of DNA are two Zn-finger like structures formed by the coordination of two zinc ions by conserved cysteine and histidine residues. Amino acid exchanges of the cysteine residues involved revealed that each of the Zn(2+)-coordinating structures is essential for DNA binding. By random target-site selection studies, it is shown that the palindromic GTAC core motif is essential for efficient DNA binding with additional nucleotides preferred by different SBP-domain proteins. Despite their different functions and origin from plants at different evolutionary distances, the mode of DNA binding is conserved from the single-cell algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to the moss Physcomitrella patens and higher plants. At the C-terminal end of the SBP-domain, a putative bipartite nuclear localization signal is located, which overlaps with the DNA-binding domain, in particular with the second Zn(2+)-binding structure. By immunolocalization of SPL3 and transient expression of SBP-green fluorescent protein fusion proteins in plant cells, it is shown that this nuclear localization signal is functional. Exchange of a highly conserved serine next to the nuclear localization signal by aspartate, which may mimic phosphorylation, resulted in a decreased nuclear import (SPL8), while DNA binding in vitro was abolished completely. In contrast, exchange by alanine increased nuclear import and left DNA binding intact. This suggests that the function of SBP-domain proteins is also regulated by post-translational modification on the levels of nuclear import and DNA binding.

Characterization of crystals of the Hjc resolvase from Archaeoglobus fulgidus grown in gel by counter-diffusion.

Holliday junction-resolving enzymes are ubiquitous proteins that play a key role in DNA repair and reorganization by homologous recombination. The Holliday junction-cutting enzyme (Hjc) from the archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus is a member of this group. The first Hjc crystals were obtained by conventional sparse-matrix screening. They exhibited an unusually elongated unit cell and their X-ray characterization required special care to avoid spot overlaps along the c* axis. The use of an arc appended to the goniometric head allowed proper orientation of plate-like crystals grown in agarose gel by counter-diffusion. Thus, complete diffraction data were collected at 2.7 A resolution using synchrotron radiation. They belong to space group P3(1)21 or P3(2)21, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 37.4, c = 271.8 A.

Holliday junction-resolving enzymes from eight hyperthermophilic archaea differ in reactions with cruciform DNA.

Holliday junction-resolving enzymes have been identified in a broad variety of organisms and tissues. In this study, six new Holliday junction-cleaving enzymes (Hjcs) were obtained from hyperthermophilic crenarchaeal and euryarchaeal species, including Pyrococcus horikoshii, Pyrococcus abyssi, Methanococcus jannaschii, Methanobacterium thermautotrophicum, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, and Aeropyrum pernix. The genes were cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the respective proteins were purified from crude extracts to homogeneity. For an initial characterization of the enzymatic activities, synthetic heat-stable fixed and mobile cruciform DNA substrates were used at 75 degrees C. The Hjcs from Pyrococcus furiosus, Sulfolobus solfataricus, and the archaeal virus SIRV2 were included in the study for comparison. Despite their sequence homology, the enzymes showed marked differences in their reactions with individual cruciform DNAs. While the fixed cruciform structure was cleaved by all enzymes at only one major position, the mobile cruciform structure displayed different cleavage patterns for individual Hjcs, each with several cleavage positions. Furthermore, a strong bias for cleavage of one direction across the junction was observed with the fixed cruciform DNA for all enzymes. In contrast, the mobile cruciform DNA displayed different preferences, depending on the enzyme used.

High affinity of endonuclease VII for the Holliday structure containing one nick ensures productive resolution.

During homologous recombination, genetic information is physically exchanged between parental DNAs via crossing single strands of the same polarity within a four-way DNA junction called a Holliday structure. This process is terminated by the endonucleolytic activity of resolvases, which convert the four-way DNA back to two double strands. To achieve productive resolution, the two subunits of the dimeric enzymes introduce two single-strand cuts positioned symmetrically in opposite strands across the DNA junction. Covalently linked dimers of endonuclease VII from phage T4, whether a homodimer with two or a heterodimer with only one functional catalytic centre, reacted with a synthetic cruciform DNA to form a DNA-enzyme complex immediately after addition of the enzyme. Analysis of the complexes from both reactions revealed that the bound junction contained one nick. While the active homodimer processed this nicked junction consecutively to duplex DNAs by making the second cut, the complex with the heterodimer stayed stable for the whole reaction time. Thus the high affinity of endonuclease VII for the junction containing one nick is part of the mechanism to ensure productive resolution of Holliday structures, by giving the enzyme time to make the second cut, whereupon the complex dissociates into the two duplex DNAs and the free enzyme.