Role of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling in elevated CO 2 -induced heat stress response in tomato

• Published in: Planta Vol. 250; no. 2; p. 563
• Main Authors: Pan, Caizhe, Zhang, Huan, Ma, Qiaomei, Fan, Feijun, Fu, Ruishuang, Ahammed, Golam Jalal, Yu, Jingquan, Shi, Kai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.08.2019
• Subjects: Carbon Dioxide - pharmacology; Ethylenes - biosynthesis; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Heat-Shock Response; Hot Temperature; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics; HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; Lycopersicon esculentum - drug effects; Lycopersicon esculentum - genetics; Lycopersicon esculentum - physiology; Plant Breeding; Plant Growth Regulators - biosynthesis; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Signal Transduction; Ethylene response factor (ERF); Climate change; Heat shock factor (HSF); Solanum lycopersicum; CO2 enrichment; High temperature; Transcription factor; Heat shock protein (HSP)
• ISSN: 1432-2048

This article unveiled that ethylene biosynthesis and signaling play a critical role in heat stress response of tomato plants under elevated CO Plant responses to elevated CO and heat stress are tightly regulated by an intricate network of phytohormones. Plants accumulate ethylene (ET), the smallest hormone, in response to heat stress; however, the role of ET and its signaling in elevated CO -induced heat stress response remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that transcript levels of multiple genes relating to ET synthesis, signaling, and heat shock proteins (HSPs) were induced by elevated CO (800 μmol mol ) compared to ambient CO (400 μmol mol ) in tomato leaves under controlled temperature conditions (25 °C). Elevated CO -induced responses to heat stress (42 °C) were closely associated with increased ET production and HSP70 expression at both transcript and protein levels. Pretreatment with an antagonist of ET, 1-methylcyclopropene that inhibits ET-dependent responses, abolished elevated CO -induced stress response without affecting the ET production rate. In addition, silencing of ethylene response factor 1 (ERF1) compromised elevated CO -induced responses to heat stress, which was associated with the concomitant reduction in the transcript of heat shock factor A2, HSP70 and HSP90, indicating that ERF1 is required for elevated CO -induced responses to heat. All these results provide convincing evidence on the importance of ET biosynthesis and signaling in elevated CO -induced heat stress response in tomato plants. Thus, the study advances our understanding of the mechanisms of elevated CO -induced stress response and may potentially be useful for breeding heat-tolerant tomatoes in the era of climate change.