title: Arabidopsis mitogen-activated protein kinase MPK12 interacts with the MAPK phosphatase IBR5 and regulates auxin signaling.
abstract: Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphatases are important negative regulators in the MAPK signaling pathways responsible for many essential processes in plants, including development, stress management and hormonal responses. A mutation in INDOLE-3-BUTYRIC ACID-RESPONSE5 (IBR5), which is predicted to encode a dual-specificity MAPK phosphatase, was previously reported to confer reduced sensitivity to auxin and ABA in Arabidopsis roots. To further characterize IBR5, and to understand how it might help integrate MAPK cascades with hormone signaling, we searched for IBR5-interacting MAPKs. Yeast two-hybrid assays, in vitro binding assays and in vivo protein co-immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that MPK12 and IBR5 are physically coupled. The C-terminus of MPK12 appears to be essential for its interaction with IBR5, and in vitro dephosphorylation and immunocomplex kinase assays indicated that activated MPK12 is efficiently dephosphorylated and inactivated by IBR5. MPK12 and IBR5 mRNAs are both widely expressed across Arabidopsis tissues, and at the subcellular level each protein is predominantly localized in the nucleus. In transgenic plants with reduced expression of the MPK12 gene, root growth is hypersensitive to exogenous auxins, but shows normal ABA sensitivity. MPK12 suppression in an ibr5 background partially complements the ibr5 auxin-insensitivity phenotype. Our results demonstrate that IBR5 is a bona fide MAPK phosphatase, and suggest that MPK12 is both a physiological substrate of IBR5 and a novel negative regulator of auxin signaling in Arabidopsis.
authors.affiliation: Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Jin Suk
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shucai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Somrudee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sritubtim
authors.forename: Jin-Gui
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054637:Dual-Specificity Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D018749:RNA, Plant; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D054637:Dual-Specificity Phosphatases; C483728:IBR5 protein, Arabidopsis