Accumulation of the coumarin scopolin under abiotic stress conditions is mediated by the Arabidopsis thaliana THO/TREX complex

Stefanie Döll, Markus Kuhlmann, Twan Rutten, Michael F. Mette, Sarah Scharfenberg, Antonios Petridis, Dorothee-Carina Berreth, Hans-Peter Mock

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

Secondary metabolites are involved in the plant stress response. Among these are scopolin and its active form scopoletin, which are coumarin derivatives associated with reactive oxygen species scavenging and pathogen defence. Here we show that scopolin accumulation can be induced in the root by osmotic stress and in the leaf by low-temperature stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. A genetic screen for altered scopolin levels in A. thaliana revealed a mutant compromised in scopolin accumulation in response to stress; the lesion was present in a homologue of THO1 coding for a subunit of the THO/TREX complex. The THO/TREX complex contributes to RNA silencing, supposedly by trafficking precursors of small RNAs. Mutants defective in THO, AGO1, SDS3 and RDR6 were impaired with respect to scopolin accumulation in response to stress, suggesting a mechanism based on RNA silencing such as the trans-acting small interfering RNA pathway, which requires THO/TREX function.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)431-444
Number of pages14
JournalThe Plant Journal
Volume93
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 10 2018

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