Cadmium activates Arabidopsis MPK3 and MPK6 via accumulation of reactive oxygen species.
Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential toxic heavy metal that influences normal growth and development of plants. However, the molecular mechanisms by which plants recognize and respond to Cd remain poorly understood. We show that, in Arabidopsis, Cd activates the mitogen-activated protein kinases, MPK3 and MPK6, in a dose-dependent manner. Following treatment with Cd, these two MAPKs exhibited much higher activity in the roots than in the leaves, and pre-treatment with the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, glutathione, effectively inhibited their activation. These results suggest that the Cd sensing signaling pathway uses a build-up of ROS to trigger activation of Arabidopsis MPK3 and MPK6.
Liu
Xiao-Min
XM
Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Kyung Eun
KE
Kim
Kang-Chang
KC
Nguyen
Xuan Canh
XC
Han
Hay Ju
HJ
Jung
Mi Soon
MS
Kim
Ho Soo
HS
Kim
Sun Ho
SH
Park
Hyeong Cheol
HC
Yun
Dae-Jin
DJ
Chung
Woo Sik
WS
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005978:Glutathione; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D002104:Cadmium; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D005978:Glutathione