Riboflavin-Induced Disease Resistance Requires the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases 3 and 6 in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 4; p. e0153175
• Main Authors: Nie, Shengjun, Xu, Huilian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 07.04.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - enzymology; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - microbiology; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; Arabidopsis thaliana; Bacterial infections; Biology and life sciences; Biosynthesis; Calcium; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium signalling; Disease Resistance; Disease resistance (Plants); Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - drug effects; Genes; Genetic aspects; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrogen Peroxide - metabolism; Infections; Inoculation; Kinases; MAP kinase; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases - genetics; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases - metabolism; Mitogen-activated protein kinases; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - genetics; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; Pathogenesis; Pathogens; Pathways; Phosphatase; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plant Diseases - therapy; Plant protection; Plants (botany); Priming; Proteins; Pseudomonas syringae - drug effects; Riboflavin; Riboflavin - pharmacology; Signal Transduction; Tomatoes; Transcription; Vitamin B; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153175

As a resistance elicitor, riboflavin (vitamin B2) protects plants against a wide range of pathogens. At molecular biological levels, it is important to elucidate the signaling pathways underlying the disease resistance induced by riboflavin. Here, riboflavin was tested to induce resistance against virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) in Arabidopsis. Results showed that riboflavin induced disease resistance based on MAPK-dependent priming for the expression of PR1 gene. Riboflavin induced transient expression of PR1 gene. However, following Pst DC3000 inoculation, riboflavin potentiated stronger PR1 gene transcription. Further was suggested that the transcript levels of mitogen-activated protein kinases, MPK3 and MPK6, were primed under riboflavin. Upon infection by Pst DC3000, these two enzymes were more strongly activated. The elevated activation of both MPK3 and MPK6 was responsible for enhanced defense gene expression and resistance after riboflavin treatment. Moreover, riboflavin significantly reduced the transcript levels of MPK3 and MPK6 by application of AsA and BAPTA, an H2O2 scavenger and a calcium (Ca2+) scavenger, respectively. In conclusion, MPK3 and MPK6 were responsible for riboflavin-induced resistance, and played an important role in H2O2- and Ca2+-related signaling pathways, and this study could provide a new insight into the mechanistic study of riboflavin-induced defense responses.