The Response of the Root Proteome to the Synthetic Strigolactone GR24 in Arabidopsis

• Published in: Molecular & cellular proteomics Vol. 15; no. 8; pp. 2744 - 2755
• Main Authors: Walton, Alan, Stes, Elisabeth, Goeminne, Geert, Braem, Lukas, Vuylsteke, Marnik, Matthys, Cedrick, De Cuyper, Carolien, Staes, An, Vandenbussche, Jonathan, Boyer, François-Didier, Vanholme, Ruben, Fromentin, Justine, Boerjan, Wout, Gevaert, Kris, Goormachtig, Sofie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2016; American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - drug effects; Arabidopsis - growth & development; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis Proteins - drug effects; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; Arabidopsis thaliana; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Chemical and Process Engineering; Chromatography, Liquid; Engineering Sciences; Environmental Sciences; Flavonols - biosynthesis; Food engineering; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - drug effects; Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring - pharmacology; Lactones - pharmacology; Life Sciences; Mass Spectrometry; Metabolomics; Mutation; Plant Roots - drug effects; Plant Roots - growth & development; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plant Shoots - drug effects; Plant Shoots - growth & development; Plant Shoots - metabolism; Proteomics - methods; Vegetal Biology
• ISSN: 1535-9476; 1535-9484
• DOI: 10.1074/mcp.M115.050062

Strigolactones are plant metabolites that act as phytohormones and rhizosphere signals. Whereas most research on unraveling the action mechanisms of strigolactones is focused on plant shoots, we investigated proteome adaptation during strigolactone signaling in the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana. Through large-scale, time-resolved, and quantitative proteomics, the impact of the strigolactone analog rac-GR24 was elucidated on the root proteome of the wild type and the signaling mutant more axillary growth 2 (max2). Our study revealed a clear MAX2-dependent rac-GR24 response: an increase in abundance of enzymes involved in flavonol biosynthesis, which was reduced in the max2–1 mutant. Mass spectrometry-driven metabolite profiling and thin-layer chromatography experiments demonstrated that these changes in protein expression lead to the accumulation of specific flavonols. Moreover, quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the flavonol-related protein expression profile was caused by rac-GR24-induced changes in transcript levels of the corresponding genes. This induction of flavonol production was shown to be activated by the two pure enantiomers that together make up rac-GR24. Finally, our data provide much needed clues concerning the multiple roles played by MAX2 in the roots and a comprehensive view of the rac-GR24-induced response in the root proteome.