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Accumulation of the coumarin scopolin under abiotic stress conditions is mediated by the Arabidopsis thaliana THO / TREX complex
Author(s) -
Döll Stefanie,
Kuhlmann Markus,
Rutten Twan,
Mette Michael F.,
Scharfenberg Sarah,
Petridis Antonios,
Berreth DorotheeCarina,
Mock HansPeter
Publication year - 2018
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/tpj.13797
Subject(s) - arabidopsis thaliana , mutant , arabidopsis , abiotic stress , rna , chemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene
Summary Secondary metabolites are involved in the plant stress response. Among these are scopolin and its active form scopoletin, which are coumarin derivatives associated with reactive oxygen species scavenging and pathogen defence. Here we show that scopolin accumulation can be induced in the root by osmotic stress and in the leaf by low‐temperature stress in Arabidopsis thaliana . A genetic screen for altered scopolin levels in A . thaliana revealed a mutant compromised in scopolin accumulation in response to stress; the lesion was present in a homologue of THO 1 coding for a subunit of the THO / TREX complex. The THO / TREX complex contributes to RNA silencing, supposedly by trafficking precursors of small RNA s. Mutants defective in THO , AGO 1 , SDS 3 and RDR 6 were impaired with respect to scopolin accumulation in response to stress, suggesting a mechanism based on RNA silencing such as the trans ‐acting small interfering RNA pathway, which requires THO / TREX function.