WRKY6 transcription factor restricts arsenate uptake and transposon activation in Arabidopsis.
Stress constantly challenges plant adaptation to the environment. Of all stress types, arsenic was a major threat during the early evolution of plants. The most prevalent chemical form of arsenic is arsenate, whose similarity to phosphate renders it easily incorporated into cells via the phosphate transporters. Here, we found that arsenate stress provokes a notable transposon burst in plants, in coordination with arsenate/phosphate transporter repression, which immediately restricts arsenate uptake. This repression was accompanied by delocalization of the phosphate transporter from the plasma membrane. When arsenate was removed, the system rapidly restored transcriptional expression and membrane localization of the transporter. We identify WRKY6 as an arsenate-responsive transcription factor that mediates arsenate/phosphate transporter gene expression and restricts arsenate-induced transposon activation. Plants therefore have a dual WRKY-dependent signaling mechanism that modulates arsenate uptake and transposon expression, providing a coordinated strategy for arsenate tolerance and transposon gene silencing.
Departamento de Genética Molecular de Plantas, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Gabriel
G
Castrillo
Eduardo
E
Sánchez-Bermejo
Laura
L
de Lorenzo
Pedro
P
Crevillén
Ana
A
Fraile-Escanciano
Mohan
M
Tc
Alfonso
A
Mouriz
Pablo
P
Catarecha
Juan
J
Sobrino-Plata
Sanna
S
Olsson
Yolanda
Y
Leo Del Puerto
Isabel
I
Mateos
Enrique
E
Rojo
Luis E
LE
Hernández
Jose A
JA
Jarillo
Manuel
M
Piñeiro
Javier
J
Paz-Ares
Antonio
A
Leyva
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001149:Arsenates / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D001483:Base Sequence; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D028061:Phosphate Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D001149:Arsenates; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006657:Histones; C520845:PHT1;1 protein, Arabidopsis; D028061:Phosphate Transport Proteins; D010710:Phosphates; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C446285:WRKY6 protein, Arabidopsis; D008239:Lysine; C025657:arsenic acid