Enhancement of root hydraulic conductivity by methyl jasmonate and the role of calcium and abscisic acid in this process

• Published in: Plant, cell and environment cell and environment, 2014-04, Vol.37 (4), p.995-1008
• Main Authors: SÁNCHEZ‐ROMERA, BEATRIZ, RUIZ‐LOZANO, JUAN MANUEL, LI, GUOWEI, LUU, DOAN‐TRUNG, MARTÍNEZ‐BALLESTA, MARIA DEL CARMEN, CARVAJAL, MICAELA, ZAMARREÑO, ANGEL MARÍA, GARCÍA‐MINA, JOSE MARÍA, MAUREL, CHRISTOPHE, AROCA, RICARDO
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: abscisic acid; Abscisic Acid - metabolism; Abscisic Acid - pharmacology; Acetates - pharmacology; aquaporins; Arabidopsis - drug effects; Arabidopsis - physiology; Arabidopsis thaliana; Biological and medical sciences; biosynthesis; calcium; Calcium - metabolism; calcium channel blockers; Calcium Channel Blockers - pharmacology; Chelating Agents - pharmacology; Cyclopentanes - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - drug effects; Heparin - pharmacology; jasmonic acid; Lanthanum - pharmacology; Life Sciences; Lycopersicon esculentum - drug effects; Lycopersicon esculentum - physiology; methyl jasmonate; Molecular Sequence Data; Oxylipins - pharmacology; Phaseolus - drug effects; Phaseolus - genetics; Phaseolus - physiology; Phaseolus vulgaris; phosphorylation; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant Roots - cytology; Plant Roots - drug effects; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plant Roots - physiology; root hydraulic conductivity; roots; Solanum lycopersicum; Staining and Labeling; stomatal movement; tomatoes; Vegetal Biology; Water
• ISSN: 0140-7791; 1365-3040
• DOI: 10.1111/pce.12214

The role of jasmonic acid in the induction of stomatal closure is well known. However, its role in regulating root hydraulic conductivity (L) has not yet been explored. The objectives of the present research were to evaluate how JA regulates L and how calcium and abscisic acid (ABA) could be involved in such regulation. We found that exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) increased L of Phaseolus vulgaris, Solanum lycopersicum and Arabidopsis thaliana roots. Tomato plants defective in JA biosynthesis had lower values of L than wild‐type plants, and that L was restored by addition of MeJA. The increase of L by MeJA was accompanied by an increase of the phosphorylation state of the aquaporin PIP2. We observed that MeJA addition increased the concentration of cytosolic calcium and that calcium channel blockers inhibited the rise of L caused by MeJA. Treatment with fluoridone, an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis, partially inhibited the increase of L caused by MeJA, and tomato plants defective in ABA biosynthesis increased their L after application of MeJA. It is concluded that JA enhances L and that this enhancement is linked to calcium and ABA dependent and independent signalling pathways.