ERD15—An attenuator of plant ABA responses and stomatal aperture

• Published in: Plant science (Limerick) Vol. 182; pp. 19 - 28
• Main Authors: Aalto, Markku K., Helenius, Elina, Kariola, Tarja, Pennanen, Ville, Heino, Pekka, Hõrak, Hanna, Puzõrjova, Irina, Kollist, Hannes, Palva, E. Tapio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 2012
• Subjects: ABA signaling; Abiotic stress; abscisic acid; Abscisic Acid - metabolism; Adaptation, Physiological; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; Arabidopsis thaliana; binding proteins; biotic stress; embryophytes; gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; genomics; Plant defense; Plant Stomata - metabolism; plant-water relations; Posttranscriptional regulation; Signal Transduction; stomatal movement; Stomatal regulation; stress response; stress tolerance; Stress, Physiological - physiology; Transcription, Genetic; ABA signaling; Posttranscriptional regulation; Stomatal regulation; Plant defense; Abiotic stress
• ISSN: 0168-9452; 1873-2259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2011.08.009

► ERD15 belongs to a conserved protein family ubiquitous but specific to plant kingdom. ► It has a role in both abiotic and biotic stress responses. ► ERD15 participates in regulating stomatal aperture. ► PAM2 motif suggests a role in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. Plants are continuously challenged by abiotic and biotic stress factors and need to mount appropriate responses to ensure optimal growth and survival. We have identified ERD15 as a central component in several stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. Comparative genomics demonstrates that ERD15 is a member of a small but highly conserved protein family ubiquitous but specific to the plant kingdom. The origin of ERD15 family of proteins can be traced to the time of emergence of land plants. The presence of the conserved PAM2 motif in ERD15 proteins is indicative of a possible interaction with poly(A) binding proteins and could suggest a role in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. The function of the other highly conserved motifs in ERD15 remains to be elucidated. The biological role of all ERD15 family members studied so far appears associated to stress responses and stress adaptation. Studies in Arabidopsis demonstrate a role in abiotic stress tolerance where ERD15 is a negative regulator of ABA signaling. The role in ABA signaling may also explain how ERD15 regulates stomatal aperture and consequently controls plant water relations.