Zinc finger protein ZFP36 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase PDK1 function in ABA-mediated aluminum tolerance in rice
Nana Su,
Yanning Gong,
Xin Hou,
Xing Liu,
Sergey Shabala,
Vadim Demidchik,
Min Yu,
Mingyi Jiang,
Liping Huang
Affiliations
Nana Su
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Yanning Gong
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Xin Hou
College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
Xing Liu
International Research Center for Environmental Membrane Biology, College of Food Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, Guangdong, China
Sergey Shabala
International Research Center for Environmental Membrane Biology, College of Food Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, Guangdong, China; Tasmania Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Vadim Demidchik
International Research Center for Environmental Membrane Biology, College of Food Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, Guangdong, China; Department of Plant Cell Biology and Bioengineering, Biological Faculty, Belarusian State University, Minsk 220030, Belarus
Min Yu
International Research Center for Environmental Membrane Biology, College of Food Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, Guangdong, China
Mingyi Jiang
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Liping Huang
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China; International Research Center for Environmental Membrane Biology, College of Food Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, Guangdong, China; Corresponding author.
Aluminum (Al) toxicity poses a significant constraint on field crop yields in acid soils. Zinc finger protein 36 (ZFP36) is well-documented for its pivotal role in enhancing tolerance to both drought and oxidative stress in rice. This study unveils a novel function of ZFP36 modulated by abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent mechanisms, specifically aimed at alleviating Al toxicity in rice. Under Al stress, the expression of ZFP36 significantly increased through an ABA-dependent pathway. Knocking down ZFP36 heightened Al sensitivity, while overexpressing ZFP36 conferred increased resistance to Al stress. Additionally, our investigations revealed a physical interaction between ZFP36 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 in rice (OsPDK1). Biochemical assays further elucidated that OsPDK1 phosphorylates ZFP36 at the amino acid site 73–161. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that ZFP36 positively regulates the expression of ascorbate peroxidases (OsAPX1) and OsALS1 by binding to specific elements in their upstream segments in rice. Through genetic and phenotypic analyses, we unveiled that OsPDK1 influences ABA-triggered antioxidant defense to alleviate Al toxicity by interacting with ZFP36. In summary, our study underscores that pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (OsPDK1) phosphorylates ZFP36 to modulate the activities of antioxidant enzymes via an ABA-dependent pathway, influencing tolerance of rice to soil Al toxicity.
