Closely Related NAC Transcription Factors of Tomato Differentially Regulate Stomatal Closure and Reopening during Pathogen Attack

• Published in: The Plant cell Vol. 26; no. 7; pp. 3167 - 3184
• Main Authors: Du, Minmin, Zhai, Qingzhe, Deng, Lei, Li, Shuyu, Li, Hongshuang, Yan, Liuhua, Huang, Zhuo, Wang, Bao, Jiang, Hongling, Huang, Tingting, Li, Chang-Bao, Wei, Jianing, Kang, Le, Li, Jingfu, Li, Chuanyou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society of Plant Biologists 01-07-2014
• Subjects: Abscisic Acid - metabolism; Amino Acids - metabolism; Biosynthesis; Cyclopentanes - metabolism; Gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; Genes, Reporter; Guard cells; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Indenes - metabolism; Infections; Leaves; Lycopersicon esculentum - cytology; Lycopersicon esculentum - genetics; Lycopersicon esculentum - immunology; Lycopersicon esculentum - physiology; Oxylipins - metabolism; Pathogens; Plant cells; Plant Diseases - immunology; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Plant Growth Regulators - metabolism; Plant Immunity; Plant Leaves - genetics; Plant Leaves - immunology; Plant Leaves - physiology; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant Stomata - genetics; Plant Stomata - immunology; Plant Stomata - physiology; Plants; Pseudomonas syringae - physiology; Salicylic Acid - metabolism; Signal Transduction; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Virulence
• ISSN: 1040-4651; 1532-298X
• DOI: 10.1105/tpc.114.128272

To restrict pathogen entry, plants close stornata as an integral part of innate immunity. To counteract this defense, Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato produces coronatine (COR), which mimics jasmonic acid (JA), to reopen stornata for bacterial entry. It is believed that abscisic acid (ABA) plays a central role in regulating bacteria-triggered stomatal closure and that stomatal reopening requires the JA/COR pathway, but the downstream signaling events remain unclear. We studied the stomatal immunity of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and report here the distinct roles of two homologous NAC (for NAM, ATAF1,2, and CUC2) transcription factors, JA2 (for jasmonic acid2) and JA2L (for JA2-like), in regulating pathogen-triggered stomatal movement. ABA activates JA2 expression, and genetic manipulation of JA2 revealed its positive role in ABA-mediated stomatal closure. We show that JA2 exerts this effect by regulating the expression of an ABA biosynthetic gene. By contrast, JA and COR activate JA2L expression, and genetic manipulation of JA2L revealed its positive role in JA/COR-mediated stomatal reopening. We show that JA2L executes this effect by regulating the expression of genes involved in the metabolism of salicylic acid. Thus, these closely related NAC proteins differentially regulate pathogen-induced stomatal closure and reopening through distinct mechanisms.