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A stress‐specific calcium signature regulating an ozone‐responsive gene expression network in Arabidopsis
Author(s) -
Short Eleri F.,
North Kathryn A.,
Roberts Michael R.,
Hetherington Alistair M.,
Shirras Alan D.,
McAinsh Martin R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the plant journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.058
H-Index - 269
eISSN - 1365-313X
pISSN - 0960-7412
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-313x.2012.05043.x
Subject(s) - transcriptome , arabidopsis , gene expression , gene , stimulus (psychology) , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression profiling , reactive oxygen species , regulation of gene expression , chemistry , genetics , psychology , mutant , psychotherapist
Summary Changes in gene expression form a key component of the molecular mechanisms by which plants adapt and respond to environmental stresses. There is compelling evidence for the role of stimulus‐specific Ca 2+ signatures in plant stress responses. However, our understanding of how they orchestrate the differential expression of stress‐induced genes remains fragmentary. We have undertaken a global study of changes in the Arabidopsis transcriptome induced by the pollutant ozone in order to establish a robust transcriptional response against which to test the ability of Ca 2+ signatures to encode stimulus‐specific transcriptional information. We show that the expression of a set of co‐regulated ozone‐induced genes is Ca 2+ ‐dependent and that abolition of the ozone‐induced Ca 2+ signature inhibits the induction of these genes by ozone. No induction of this set of ozone‐regulated genes was observed in response to H 2 O 2 , one of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by ozone, or cold stress, which also generates ROS, both of which stimulate changes in [Ca 2+ ] cyt . These data establish unequivocally that the Ca 2+ ‐dependent changes in gene expression observed in response to ozone are not simply a consequence of an ROS‐induced increase in [Ca 2+ ] cyt per se . The magnitude and temporal dynamics of the ozone, H 2 O 2 , and cold Ca 2+ signatures all differ markedly. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that stimulus‐specific transcriptional information can be encoded in the spatiotemporal dynamics of complex Ca 2+ signals in plants.