Disruption of the cellulose synthase gene, AtCesA8/IRX1, enhances drought and osmotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.
Two allelic Arabidopsis mutants, leaf wilting 2-1 and leaf wilting 2-2 (lew2-1 and lew2-2 ), were isolated in a screen for plants with altered drought stress responses. The mutants were more tolerant to drought stress as well as to NaCl, mannitol and other osmotic stresses. lew2 mutant plants accumulated more abscisic acid (ABA), proline and soluble sugars than the wild type. The expression of a stress-inducible marker gene RD29A, a proline synthesis-related gene P5CS (pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase) and an ABA synthesis-related gene SDR1 (alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase) was higher in lew2 than in the wild type. Map-based cloning revealed that the lew2 mutants are new alleles of the AtCesA8/IRX1 gene which encodes a subunit of a cellulose synthesis complex. Our results suggest that cellulose synthesis is important for drought and osmotic stress responses including drought induction of gene expression.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China.
Zhizhong
Z
Chen
Xuhui
X
Hong
Hairong
H
Zhang
Youqun
Y
Wang
Xia
X
Li
Jian-Kang
JK
Zhu
Zhizhong
Z
Gong
D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000483:Alleles; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005819:Genetic Markers; D018525:Germination; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010641:Phenotype; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D036226:Seedlings / Q000254:growth & development; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014867:Water; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D000040:Abscisic Acid; D002482:Cellulose; C420969:CESA8 protein, Arabidopsis; D005964:Glucosyltransferases