Biology subjects

Cheriker, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Cheriker, H..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

ABA-IMPORTING TRANSPORTER 1.1 activity in the endosperm of tomato seeds restrains germination under salinity stress

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) has a central role in the regulation of seed maturation and dormancy. ABA also restrains germination under abiotic-stress conditions. Here we show in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) that the ABA importer ABA-IMPORTING TRANSPORTER 1.1 (AIT1.1) has a role in radicle emergence following imbibition. AIT1.1 expression was upregulated during imbibition, and CRISPR/Cas9-derived ait1.1 mutant seeds exhibited faster radicle emergence, increased germination and partial resistance to ABA. AIT1.1 was highly expressed in the endosperm, but not in the embryo, and ait1.1 isolated embryos did not show resistance to ABA. On the other hand, loss of AIT1.1 activity promoted the expression of endosperm-weakening related genes, and seed-coat scarification eliminated the promoting effect of ait1.1 on radicle emergence. Therefore, we propose that imbibition-induced AIT1.1 expression in the endosperm, mediates ABA-uptake into endosperm cells to restrain endosperm weakening. While salinity conditions strongly inhibited the wild-type (WT) M82 seed germination, it had much weaker effect on ait1.1 germination. We suggest that this AIT1.1 function was evolved to inhibit germination under unfavorable conditions, such as salinity. Unlike other ABA mutants, ait1.1 exhibited normal seed longevity, and therefore, the ait1.1 allele may have a potential for improving seed germination in crops.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Inhibition of gibberellin accumulation by water deficiency promotes fast and long-term 'drought avoidance' responses in tomato

Plants reduce transpiration to avoid dehydration during drought episodes by stomatal closure and inhibition of canopy growth. While abscisic acid (ABA) has a primary role in drought avoidance, previous studies suggest that gibberellin (GA), might also be involved. Here we show in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) that shortage of water inhibited the expression of the GA biosynthesis genes GA20 oxidase1 (GA20ox1) and GA20ox2 and induced the GA-deactivating gene GA2ox7 in leaves and guard cells, resulting in reduced bioactive GA levels. Drought regulation of GA metabolism was mediated by ABA-dependent and independent pathways, and by the transcription factor DEHYDRATION RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING (DREB), TINY1. Mutations in GA20ox1 and GA20ox2 reduced water loss due to the smaller canopy area. On the other hand, loss of GA2ox7 did not affect leaf size, but attenuated stomatal response to water deficiency; during soil dehydration, ga2ox7 plants closed their stomata and reduced transpiration later than WT, suggesting that ga2ox7 stomata are hyposensitive to soil dehydration. Together, the results suggest that drought-induced GA deactivation in guard cells contributes to stomatal closure at the early stages of soil dehydration, whereas inhibition of GA synthesis in leaves promotes mainly the long-term reduction in canopy growth to reduce transpiration area.

molecular biology↗