Arabidopsis thaliana Zn2+-efflux ATPases HMA2 and HMA4 are required for resistance to the necrotrophic fungus Plectosphaerella cucumerina BMM. (31st August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Escudero, Viviana; Ferreira Sánchez, Darío; Abreu, Isidro; Sopeña-Torres, Sara; Makarovsky-Saavedra, Natalia; Bernal, María; Krämer, Ute; Grolimund, Daniel; González-Guerrero, Manuel; Jordá, Lucía
• Editors: Cuypers, Ann
• Is Part Of: Journal of experimental botany. Volume 73:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 339
• Page End: 350
• Publication Date: 2021-08-31
• Subjects: Innate immunity -- metal transport -- micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) -- zinc -- Zn-ATPase; Botany -- Periodicals; Botany, Experimental -- Periodicals; Plant physiology -- Periodicals; 580
• DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab400
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0957

Abstract

Abstract: Zinc is an essential nutrient at low concentrations, but toxic at slightly higher ones. It has been proposed that hyperaccumulator plants may use the excess zinc to fend off pathogens and herbivores. However, there is little evidence of a similar response in other plants. Here we show that Arabidopsis thaliana leaves inoculated with the necrotrophic fungus Plectosphaerella cucumerina BMM ( Pc BMM) accumulate zinc and manganese at the infection site. Zinc accumulation did not occur in a double mutant in the zinc transporters HEAVY METAL ATPASE2 and HEAVY METAL ATPASE4 (HMA2 and HMA4), which has reduced zinc translocation from roots to shoots. Consistent with a role in plant immunity, expression of HMA2 and HMA4 was up-regulated upon Pc BMM inoculation, and hma2hma4 mutants were more susceptible to Pc BMM infection. This phenotype was rescued upon zinc supplementation. The increased susceptibility to Pc BMM infection was not due to the diminished expression of genes involved in the salicylic acid, ethylene, or jasmonate pathways since they were constitutively up-regulated in hma2hma4 plants. Our data indicate a role of zinc in resistance to Pc BMM in plants containing ordinary levels of zinc. This layer of immunity runs in parallel to the already characterized defence pathways, and its removal has a direct effect on resistance to pathogens. Abstract : Zn delivered by P-ATPases HMA2 and HMA4 is important for immunity against fungal necrotroph Plectosphaeralla cucumerina in Arabidopsis thaliana