title: Plant Defensin type 1 (PDF1): protein promiscuity and expression variation within the Arabidopsis genus shed light on zinc tolerance acquisition in Arabidopsis halleri.
abstract: Plant defensins are recognized for their antifungal properties. However, a few type 1 defensins (PDF1s) were identified for their cellular zinc (Zn) tolerance properties after a study of the metal extremophile Arabidopsis halleri. In order to investigate whether different paralogues would display specialized functions, the A. halleri PDF1 family was characterized at the functional and genomic levels. Eleven PDF1s were isolated from A. halleri. Their ability to provide Zn tolerance in yeast cells, their activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonii, and their level of expression in planta were compared with those of the seven A. thaliana PDF1s. The genomic organization of the PDF1 family was comparatively analysed within the Arabidopsis genus. AhPDF1s and AtPDF1s were able to confer Zn tolerance and AhPDF1s also displayed antifungal activity. PDF1 transcripts were constitutively more abundant in A. halleri than in A. thaliana. Within the Arabidopsis genus, the PDF1 family is evolutionarily dynamic, in terms of gain and loss of gene copy. Arabidopsis halleri PDF1s display no superior abilities to provide Zn tolerance. A constitutive increase in AhPDF1 transcript accumulation is proposed to be an evolutionary innovation co-opting the promiscuous PDF1 protein for its contribution to Zn tolerance in A. halleri.
authors.affiliation: Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche Montpellier, SupAgro/CNRS/INRA/Université Montpellier II, 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: Zaigham
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shahzad
authors.affiliation: Montpellier SupAgro, UMR AGAP, F-34060, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ranwez
authors.affiliation: Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche Montpellier, SupAgro/CNRS/INRA/Université Montpellier II, 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fizames
authors.affiliation: Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche Montpellier, SupAgro/CNRS/INRA/Université Montpellier II, 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marquès
authors.affiliation: Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche Montpellier, SupAgro/CNRS/INRA/Université Montpellier II, 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: Bénédicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Le Martret
authors.affiliation: Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche Montpellier, SupAgro/CNRS/INRA/Université Montpellier II, 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alassimone
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Génétique et Evolution des Populations Végétales, UMR CNRS 8016, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Lille1, F-59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Godé
authors.affiliation: Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche Montpellier, SupAgro/CNRS/INRA/Université Montpellier II, 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lacombe
authors.affiliation: Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche Montpellier, SupAgro/CNRS/INRA/Université Montpellier II, 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: Teddy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Génétique et Evolution des Populations Végétales, UMR CNRS 8016, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Lille1, F-59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saumitou-Laprade
authors.affiliation: Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche Montpellier, SupAgro/CNRS/INRA/Université Montpellier II, 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berthomieu
authors.affiliation: Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche Montpellier, SupAgro/CNRS/INRA/Université Montpellier II, 2 Place Viala, F-34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gosti
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D023082:Defensins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005670:Fusarium / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018745:Genome, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D015003:Yeasts; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D023082:Defensins; C121819:PDF1 protein, Arabidopsis; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Arabidopsis genus; Arabidopsis halleri; Plant Defensin type 1; biotic and abiotic stresses; comparative genomics; gene duplication; orthologues; paralogues; zinc (Zn) tolerance