title: Time-Series Transcriptomics Reveals That AGAMOUS-LIKE22 Affects Primary Metabolism and Developmental Processes in Drought-Stressed Arabidopsis.
abstract: In Arabidopsis thaliana, changes in metabolism and gene expression drive increased drought tolerance and initiate diverse drought avoidance and escape responses. To address regulatory processes that link these responses, we set out to identify genes that govern early responses to drought. To do this, a high-resolution time series transcriptomics data set was produced, coupled with detailed physiological and metabolic analyses of plants subjected to a slow transition from well-watered to drought conditions. A total of 1815 drought-responsive differentially expressed genes were identified. The early changes in gene expression coincided with a drop in carbon assimilation, and only in the late stages with an increase in foliar abscisic acid content. To identify gene regulatory networks (GRNs) mediating the transition between the early and late stages of drought, we used Bayesian network modeling of differentially expressed transcription factor (TF) genes. This approach identified AGAMOUS-LIKE22 (AGL22), as key hub gene in a TF GRN. It has previously been shown that AGL22 is involved in the transition from vegetative state to flowering but here we show that AGL22 expression influences steady state photosynthetic rates and lifetime water use. This suggests that AGL22 uniquely regulates a transcriptional network during drought stress, linking changes in primary metabolism and the initiation of stress responses.
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom ubech@essex.ac.uk.
authors: Ulrike
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2320-3890
authors: U
authors: Bechtold
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Christopher A
authors: CA
authors: Penfold
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Dafyd J
authors: DJ
authors: Jenkins
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Roxane
authors: R
authors: Legaie
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Jonathan D
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5486-0407
authors: JD
authors: Moore
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom.
authors: Tracy
authors: T
authors: Lawson
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom.
authors: Jack S A
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7282-8929
authors: JS
authors: Matthews
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom.
authors: Silvere R M
authors: SR
authors: Vialet-Chabrand
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Laura
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3287-7547
authors: L
authors: Baxter
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom.
authors: Sunitha
authors: S
authors: Subramaniam
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Hickman
authors: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
authors: Hannah
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3712-1589
authors: H
authors: Florance
authors: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
authors: Christine
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7219-0398
authors: C
authors: Sambles
authors: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
authors: Deborah L
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2575-8278
authors: DL
authors: Salmon
authors: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
authors: Regina
authors: R
authors: Feil
authors: School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Bowden
authors: School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Claire
authors: C
authors: Hill
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom.
authors: Neil R
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2198-696X
authors: NR
authors: Baker
authors: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
authors: John E
authors: JE
authors: Lunn
authors: Department of Statistics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Bärbel
authors: B
authors: Finkenstädt
authors: School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Andrew
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4909-8235
authors: A
authors: Mead
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Vicky
authors: V
authors: Buchanan-Wollaston
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Jim
authors: J
authors: Beynon
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: David A
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2217-3274
authors: DA
authors: Rand
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: David L
authors: DL
authors: Wild
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Katherine J
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7857-6814
authors: KJ
authors: Denby
authors: Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
authors: Sascha
authors: S
authors: Ott
authors: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
authors: Nicholas
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5630-5602
authors: N
authors: Smirnoff
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom.
authors: Philip M
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1998-3540
authors: PM
authors: Mullineaux
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; C407549:SVP protein, Arabidopsis; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000040:Abscisic Acid