The Arabidopsis wall associated kinase-like 10 gene encodes a functional guanylyl cyclase and is co-expressed with pathogen defense related genes.
BACKGROUND
Second messengers have a key role in linking environmental stimuli to physiological responses. One such messenger, guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP), has long been known to be an essential signaling molecule in many different physiological processes in higher plants, including biotic stress responses. To date, however, the guanylyl cyclase (GC) enzymes that catalyze the formation of cGMP from GTP have largely remained elusive in higher plants.


RESULTS
We have identified an Arabidopsis receptor type wall associated kinase-like molecule (AtWAKL10) as a candidate GC and provide experimental evidence to show that the intracellular domain of AtWAKL10(431-700) can generate cGMP in vitro. Further, we also demonstrate that the molecule has kinase activity indicating that AtWAKL10 is a twin-domain catalytic protein. A co-expression and stimulus-specific expression analysis revealed that AtWAKL10 is consistently co-expressed with well characterized pathogen defense related genes and along with these genes is induced early and sharply in response to a range of pathogens and their elicitors.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrate that AtWAKL10 is a twin-domain, kinase-GC signaling molecule that may function in biotic stress responses that are critically dependent on the second messenger cGMP.
Meier
Stuart
S
Computational Bioscience Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Ruzvidzo
Oziniel
O
Morse
Monique
M
Donaldson
Lara
L
Kwezi
Lusisizwe
L
Gehring
Chris
C
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D055162:Biocatalysis; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase