January 10, 2022 – Our research article was published in Plants, in which we demonstrated that calcium signal is required to initiate and regulate apoplastic ROS production by RBOHs while ROS signal has no effect on the initiation of the calcium signal, but is required for forming a sufficient calcium signal.

How to cite:
Marcec MJ, Tanaka K (2022) Crosstalk between calcium and ROS signaling during flg22-triggered immune response in Arabidopsis leaves. Plants 11: 14.
doi:10.3390/plants11010014

Abstract:
Calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are two of the earliest second messengers in response to environmental stresses in plants. The rise and sequestration of these messengers in the cytosol and apoplast are formed by various channels, transporters, and enzymes that are required for proper defense responses. It remains unclear how calcium and ROS signals regulate each other during pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). In the present study, we examined the effects of perturbing one signal on the other in Arabidopsis leaves upon the addition of flg22, a well-studied microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP). To this end, a variety of pharmacological agents were used to suppress either calcium or ROS signaling. Our data suggest that cytosolic calcium elevation is required to initiate and regulate apoplastic ROS production generated by respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOHs). In contrast, ROS has no effect on the initiation of the calcium signal, but is required for forming a sufficient amplitude of the calcium signal. This finding using pharmacological agents is corroborated by the result of using a genetic double mutant, rbohd rbohf. Our study provides an insight into the mutual interplay of calcium and ROS signals during the MAMP-induced PTI response in plants.

 

Figure 4. The effect of apoplastic ROS generated by RBOHs on calcium signaling. A flg22-dose-dependent response in cytosolic calcium elevation (A,C) and apoplastic ROS production (B,D) was compared between the wild-type plant (A,B) and the double knockout mutant rbohd/f, both of which are expressing apoaequorin. Measurements of calcium and ROS were performed over 60 min following addition of flg22 at a final concentration of 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, or 1000 µM.