Transcriptome profiling of sulfur-responsive genes in Arabidopsis reveals global effects of sulfur nutrition on multiple metabolic pathways

• Published in: Plant physiology (Bethesda) 2003-06, Vol.132 (2), p.597-605
• Main Authors: Maruyama-Nakashita, A, Inoue, E, Watanabe-Takahashi, A, Yamaya, T, Takahashi, H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2 protein; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - growth & development; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis thaliana; biochemical pathways; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Economic plant physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gene deletion; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene expression regulation; Genes; knockout mutants; leaves; Membrane Transport Proteins; Messenger RNA; metabolism; Mineral nutrition; molecular sequence data; Multigene Family; nucleotide sequences; nutrient deficiencies; Nutrition. Photosynthesis. Respiration. Metabolism; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Oxidative stress; phenotypic variation; plant growth; Plant physiology and development; plant proteins; plant response; Plant roots; Plants; Research Papers on Systems Biology/Genomics/Bioinformatics; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; roots; sulfate transporter; Sulfates; Sulfur; Sulfur - metabolism; SULTR1; transcription (genetics); Transcription, Genetic; Transcriptomes; transporters; Up regulation; Water and solutes. Absorption, translocation and permeability
• ISSN: 0032-0889; 1532-2548
• DOI: 10.1104/pp.102.019802

Sulfate is a macronutrient required for cell growth and development. Arabidopsis has two high-affinity sulfate transporters (SULTR1;1 and SULTR1;2) that represent the sulfate uptake activities at the root surface. Sulfur limitation (-S) response relevant to the function of SULTR1;2 was elucidated in this study. We have isolated a novel T-DNA insertion allele defective in the SULTR1;2 sulfate transporter. This mutant, sel1-10, is allelic with the sel1 mutants identified previously in a screen for increased tolerance to selenate, a toxic analog of sulfate (Shibagaki et al., 2002). The abundance of SULTR1;1 mRNA was significantly increased in the sel1-10 mutant; however, this compensatory up-regulation of SULTR1;1 was not sufficient to restore the growth. The sulfate content of the mutant was 10% to 20% of the wild type, suggesting that induction of SULTR1;1 is not fully complementing the function of SULTR1;2 and that SULTR1;2 serves as the major facilitator for the acquisition of sulfate in Arabidopsis roots. Transcriptome analysis of approximately 8,000 Arabidopsis genes in the sel1-10 mutant suggested that dysfunction of the SULTR1;2 transporter can mimic general -S symptoms. Hierarchal clustering of sulfur responsive genes in the wild type and mutant indicated that sulfate uptake, reductive sulfur assimilation, and turnover of secondary sulfur metabolites are activated under -S. The profiles of -S-responsive genes further suggested induction of genes that may alleviate oxidative damage and generation of reactive oxygen species caused by shortage of glutathione.