title: OaMAX2 of Orobanche aegyptiaca and Arabidopsis AtMAX2 share conserved functions in both development and drought responses.
abstract: Previous studies in Arabidopsis reported that the MAX2 (more axillary growth 2) gene is a component of the strigolactone (SL) signaling pathway, which regulates a wide range of biological processes, from plant growth and development to environmental stress responses. Orobanche aegyptiaca is a harmful parasitic plant for many economically important crops. Seed germination of O. aegyptiaca is very sensitive to SLs, suggesting that O. aegyptiaca may contain components of the SL signaling pathway. To investigate this hypothesis, we identified and cloned a MAX2 ortholog from O. aegyptiaca for complementation analyses using the Arabidopsis Atmax2 mutant. The so-called OaMAX2 gene could rescue phenotypes of the Atmax2 mutant in various tested developmental aspects, including seed germination, shoot branching, leaf senescence and growth and development of hypocotyl, root hair, primary root and lateral root. More importantly, OaMAX2 could enhance the drought tolerance of Atmax2 mutant, suggesting its ability to restore the drought-tolerant phenotype of mutant plants defected in AtMAX2 function. Thus, this study provides genetic evidence that the functions of the MAX2 orthologs, and perhaps the MAX2 signaling pathways, are conserved in parasitic and non-parasitic plants. Furthermore, the results of our study enable us to develop a strategy to fight against parasitic plants by suppressing the MAX signaling, which ultimately leads to enhanced productivity of crop plants.
authors.affiliation: Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan.
authors.forename: Weiqiang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan.
authors.forename: Kien Huu
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinjiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Plant Abiotic Stress Research Group & Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, 70000, Viet Nam; Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan. Electronic address: sontran@tdt.edu.vn.
authors.forename: Lam-Son Phan
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Tran
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D055864:Droughts; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018525:Germination; D009154:Mutation; D031672:Orobanche / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C435920:MAX2 protein, Arabidopsis
keywords: Arabidopsis; Development; Drought tolerance; MAX2; Orobanche aegyptiaca; Strigolactones