Thirsty plants and beyond: structural mechanisms of abscisic acid perception and signaling.
Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone with important functions in stress protection and physiology. Recently, the PYR/PYL/RCAR family of intracellular ABA receptors was identified. These receptors directly link ABA perception to a canonical ABA signaling pathway, in which ABA-bound receptors bind and inhibit type 2C phosphatases. High resolution crystal structures of members of this family have been solved in all relevant states: as apo receptors, bound to ABA, and as receptor-ABA-phosphatase complexes. Together, these structures provide a detailed gate-latch-lock mechanism of ABA recognition, receptor-PP2C interaction, and inhibition of the PP2C phosphatase activity and provide a basis for the design of synthetic ABA agonists for stress protection of crop plants.
Melcher
Karsten
K
Laboratory of Structural Sciences, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Ave. N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA. karsten.melcher@vai.org
Zhou
X Edward
XE
Xu
H Eric
HE
D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D059828:Plant Cells; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071636:Protein Phosphatase 2C; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology
D009281:Naphthalenes; D010940:Plant Proteins; D013449:Sulfonamides; C540973:pyrabactin; D000040:Abscisic Acid; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D000071636:Protein Phosphatase 2C