RNA interference-mediated suppression of xanthine dehydrogenase reveals the role of purine metabolism in drought tolerance in Arabidopsis.
We have previously demonstrated that RNA interference-mediated suppression of xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH), the rate-limiting enzyme in purine degradation, causes defects in the normal growth and development of Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we investigated a possible role for XDH in drought tolerance, since this enzyme is also implicated in plant stress responses and acclimatization. When XDH-suppressed lines were subjected to drought stress, plant growth was markedly reduced in conjunction with significantly enhanced cell death and H(2)O(2) accumulation. This drought-hypersensitive phenotype was reversed by pretreatment with exogenous uric acid, the catalytic product of XDH. These results suggest that fully functional purine metabolism plays a role in the Arabidopsis drought acclimatization.
Department of Mathematical and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Shunsuke
S
Watanabe
Ayami
A
Nakagawa
Shunsuke
S
Izumi
Hiroshi
H
Shimada
Atsushi
A
Sakamoto
D000064:Acclimatization / Q000235:genetics*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation; D055864:Droughts; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011687:Purines / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D014968:Xanthine Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D011687:Purines; D014527:Uric Acid; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D014968:Xanthine Dehydrogenase; C030985:purine