Arabidopsis TGA256 Transcription Factors Suppress Salicylic-Acid-Induced Sucrose Starvation

• Published in: Plants (Basel) 2023-09, Vol.12 (18), p.3284
• Main Authors: Bergman, Matthew E, Evans, Sonia E, Kuai, Xiahezi, Franks, Anya E, Despres, Charles, Phillips, Michael A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis thaliana; Availability; Biosynthesis; Carbohydrates; Chromatography; DNA binding proteins; Environmental aspects; Erythritol; Genes; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Hypocotyls; Immune response; Instrument industry; International economic relations; Leaves; Mass spectrometry; Metabolism; Metabolites; metabolomics; Mutants; Negative feedback; NON-EXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS RELATED GENES; pathogen defense; Pathogenesis; Pathogens; Phosphates; Physiological aspects; Plant immunity; Proteins; Public radio; Salicylic acid; Scientific imaging; Seedlings; Signal transduction; Starvation; Sucrose; Sugar; sugar signaling; Transcription factors; Trehalose; Trehalose-6-phosphate
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants12183284

Salicylic acid (SA) is produced by plants in response to pathogen infection. SA binds the NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES (NPR) family of receptors to regulate both positive (NPR1) and negative (NPR3/4) plant immune responses by interacting with the clade II TGACG (TGA) motif-binding transcription factors (TGA2, TGA5, and TGA6). Here, we report that the principal metabolome-level response to SA treatment in Arabidopsis is a reduction in sucrose and other free sugars. We observed nearly identical effects in the tga256 triple mutant, which lacks all clade II TGA transcription factors. The tga256 mutant presents reduced leaf blade development and elongated hypocotyls, roots, and petioles consistent with sucrose starvation. No changes were detected in auxin levels, and mutant seedling growth could be restored to that of wild-type by sucrose supplementation. Although the retrograde signal 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-2,4-cyclodiphosphate is known to stimulate SA biosynthesis and defense signaling, we detected no negative feedback by SA on this or any other intermediate of the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway. Trehalose, a proxy for the sucrose regulator trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), was highly reduced in tga256, suggesting that defense-related reductions in sugar availability may be controlled by changes in T6P levels. We conclude that the negative regulatory roles of TGA2/5/6 include maintaining sucrose levels in healthy plants. Disruption of TGA2/5/6-NPR3/4 inhibitory complexes by mutation or SA triggers sucrose reductions in Arabidopsis leaves, consistent with the ‘pathogen starvation’ hypothesis. These findings highlight sucrose availability as a mechanism by which TGA2/5/6 balance defense and development.