High REDOX RESONSIVE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR1 levels result in accumulation of reactive oxygen species in Arabidopsis thaliana shoots and roots [mature leaves]

Redox Responsive Transcription Factor1 (RRTF1) in Arabidopsis is rapidly and transiently upregulated by H202, as well as biotic and abiotic induced redox signals. Inactivation of RRTF1 restricts and overexpression promotes reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in response to stress. Overexpressor (oe) lines are impaired in root and shoot development, light sensitive and susceptible to Alternaria brassicae infection. These symptoms are diminished by the beneficial root endophyte Piriformospora indica which reduces ROS accumulation locally in roots and systemically in shoots, and by antioxidants and ROS inhibitors which scavenge ROS. More than 850 stress-, redox-, ROS regulated-, ROS scavenging-, defense-, cell death- and senescence-related genes are regulated by RRTF1, ~ 30% of them have ROS related functions. Bioinformatic analyses and in vitro DNA binding assays demonstrate that RRTF1 binds to GCC-box and GCC-box like sequences in the promoter of RRTF1-responsive genes. Upregulation of RRTF1 by stress stimuli as well as H2O2 requires WRKY18/40/60. RRTF1 is co-regulated with the phylogenetically related RAP2.6, which contains GCC-box like sequene in its promoter, but RAP2.6 oe lines do not accumulate higher ROS levels. RRTF1 stimulates systemic ROS accumulation in distal non-stressed leaves. We conclude that the highly conserved RRTF1 rapidly, transiently and systemically induce ROS accumulation in response to ROS and ROS-producing abiotic and biotic stress signals. Necrotrophs stimulate RRTF1 expression, while symbiotic interactions of Arabidopsis with (hemi)-biotrophs and P. indica do not affect or repress RRTF1 expression.

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Matsuo M, Johnson JM, Hieno A, Tokizawa M, Nomoto M, Tada Y, Godfrey R, Obokata J, Sherameti I, Yamamoto YY, Böhmer FD, Oelmüller R