DEG9, a serine protease, modulates cytokinin and light signaling by regulating the level of ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 4.
Cytokinin is an essential phytohormone that controls various biological processes in plants. A number of response regulators are known to be important for cytokinin signal transduction. ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 4 (ARR4) mediates the cross-talk between light and cytokinin signaling through modulation of the activity of phytochrome B. However, the mechanism that regulates the activity and stability of ARR4 is unknown. Here we identify an ATP-independent serine protease, degradation of periplasmic proteins 9 (DEG9), which localizes to the nucleus and regulates the stability of ARR4. Biochemical evidence shows that DEG9 interacts with ARR4, thereby targeting ARR4 for degradation, which suggests that DEG9 regulates the stability of ARR4. Moreover, genetic evidence shows that DEG9 acts upstream of ARR4 and regulates the activity of ARR4 in cytokinin and light-signaling pathways. This study thus identifies a role for a ubiquitin-independent selective protein proteolysis in the regulation of the stability of plant signaling components.
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China;
Wei
W
Chi
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China;
Jing
J
Li
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China;
Baoye
B
He
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
Xin
X
Chai
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China;
Xiumei
X
Xu
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China;
Xuwu
X
Sun
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
Jingjing
J
Jiang
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
Peiqiang
P
Feng
State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; National Plant Gene Research Center, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
Jianru
J
Zuo
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China;
Rongcheng
R
Lin
Department of Molecular Biology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Plant Biology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Jean-David
JD
Rochaix
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; zhanglixin@ibcas.ac.cn.
Lixin
L
Zhang
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003583:Cytokinins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008027:Light; D057057:Serine Proteases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
C509519:ARR3 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D003583:Cytokinins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D057057:Serine Proteases
ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 4; DEG; cytokinins; light; protease