The mitochondrial phosphate transporters modulate plant responses to salt stress via affecting ATP and gibberellin metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana

PLoS One. 2012;7(8):e43530. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043530. Epub 2012 Aug 24.

Abstract

The mitochondrial phosphate transporter (MPT) plays crucial roles in ATP production in plant cells. Three MPT genes have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we report that the mRNA accumulations of AtMPTs were up-regulated by high salinity stress in A. thaliana seedlings. And the transgenic lines overexpressing AtMPTs displayed increased sensitivity to salt stress compared with the wild-type plants during seed germination and seedling establishment stages. ATP content and energy charge was higher in overexpressing plants than those in wild-type A. thaliana under salt stress. Accordingly, the salt-sensitive phenotype of overexpressing plants was recovered after the exogenous application of atractyloside due to the change of ATP content. Interestingly, Genevestigator survey and qRT-PCR analysis indicated a large number of genes, including those related to gibberellin synthesis could be regulated by the energy availability change under stress conditions in A. thaliana. Moreover, the exogenous application of uniconazole to overexpressing lines showed that gibberellin homeostasis was disturbed in the overexpressors. Our studies reveal a possible link between the ATP content mediated by AtMPTs and gibberellin metabolism in responses to high salinity stress in A. thaliana.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis / drug effects*
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / drug effects
  • Gibberellins / metabolism*
  • Phosphate Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Sodium Chloride / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Gibberellins
  • Phosphate Transport Proteins
  • Sodium Chloride
  • Adenosine Triphosphate

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program (Grant 2012CB114200), the National Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 31070240) and the Genetically Modified Organisms Breeding Major Projects (2011ZX08009-003-002) in China. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.