ERFVII action and modulation through oxygen-sensing in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 4665
• Main Authors: Zubrycka, Agata, Dambire, Charlene, Dalle Carbonare, Laura, Sharma, Gunjan, Boeckx, Tinne, Swarup, Kamal, Sturrock, Craig J., Atkinson, Brian S., Swarup, Ranjan, Corbineau, Françoise, Oldham, Neil J., Holdsworth, Michael J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 03.08.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 38/39; 631/337/458; 631/449/1659; 631/449/2661/2147; 82/51; 82/58; 82/80; Abiotic stress; Arabidopsis thaliana; Cysteine; Enzymatic activity; Enzymes; Gene expression; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hypoxia; multidisciplinary; Oxidation; Oxygen; Physiological responses; Plant extracts; Plant roots; Proteasomes; Root development; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Signal transduction; Soil conditions; Soils; Stability; Substrates; Sulfonic acid
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40366-y

Oxygen is a key signalling component of plant biology, and whilst an oxygen-sensing mechanism was previously described in Arabidopsis thaliana , key features of the associated PLANT CYSTEINE OXIDASE (PCO) N-degron pathway and Group VII ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERFVII) transcription factor substrates remain untested or unknown. We demonstrate that ERFVII s show non-autonomous activation of root hypoxia tolerance and are essential for root development and survival under oxygen limiting conditions in soil. We determine the combined effects of ERFVII s in controlling gene expression and define genetic and environmental components required for proteasome-dependent oxygen-regulated stability of ERFVIIs through the PCO N-degron pathway. Using a plant extract, unexpected amino-terminal cysteine sulphonic acid oxidation level of ERFVIIs was observed, suggesting a requirement for additional enzymatic activity within the pathway. Our results provide a holistic understanding of the properties, functions and readouts of this oxygen-sensing mechanism defined through its role in modulating ERFVII stability. Oxygen is essential for plant life. Here the authors define new functions and components of the plant oxygen sensing mechanism providing an understanding of the biochemistry of sensing and physiological responses allowing plant roots to survive in the soil.