title: Salt-induced stabilization of EIN3/EIL1 confers salinity tolerance by deterring ROS accumulation in Arabidopsis.
abstract: Ethylene has been regarded as a stress hormone to regulate myriad stress responses. Salinity stress is one of the most serious abiotic stresses limiting plant growth and development. But how ethylene signaling is involved in plant response to salt stress is poorly understood. Here we showed that Arabidopsis plants pretreated with ethylene exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt stress. Gain- and loss-of-function studies demonstrated that EIN3 (ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3) and EIL1 (EIN3-LIKE 1), two ethylene-activated transcription factors, are necessary and sufficient for the enhanced salt tolerance. High salinity induced the accumulation of EIN3/EIL1 proteins by promoting the proteasomal degradation of two EIN3/EIL1-targeting F-box proteins, EBF1 and EBF2, in an EIN2-independent manner. Whole-genome transcriptome analysis identified a list of SIED (Salt-Induced and EIN3/EIL1-Dependent) genes that participate in salt stress responses, including several genes encoding reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers. We performed a genetic screen for ein3 eil1-like salt-hypersensitive mutants and identified 5 EIN3 direct target genes including a previously unknown gene, SIED1 (At5g22270), which encodes a 93-amino acid polypeptide involved in ROS dismissal. We also found that activation of EIN3 increased peroxidase (POD) activity through the direct transcriptional regulation of PODs expression. Accordingly, ethylene pretreatment or EIN3 activation was able to preclude excess ROS accumulation and increased tolerance to salt stress. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the molecular action of ethylene signaling to enhance plant salt tolerance, and elucidates the transcriptional network of EIN3 in salt stress response.
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Peking-Tsinghua Center of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jinying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Peking-Tsinghua Center of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhonghai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Peking-Tsinghua Center of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Peking-Tsinghua Center of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wenyang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Peking-Tsinghua Center of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, and Center for Theoretical Biology, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Longshu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, and Center for Theoretical Biology, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Huaiqiu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Peking-Tsinghua Center of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D044783:F-Box Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D055550:Protein Stability; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C481044:EBF1 protein, Arabidopsis; C481045:EBF2 protein, Arabidopsis; C494589:EIL1 protein, Arabidopsis; C119963:EIN2 protein, Arabidopsis; C106987:EIN3 protein, Arabidopsis; D005030:Ethylenes; D044783:F-Box Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C000607003:SIED1 protein, Arabidopsis; D014157:Transcription Factors; C036216:ethylene; D010544:Peroxidases