Abstract
Zinc is an essential micronutrient for all living organisms and is involved in a plethora of processes including growth and development, and immunity. However, it is unknown if there is a common genetic and molecular basis underlying multiple facets of zinc function. Here we used natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana to study the role of zinc in regulating growth. We identify allelic variation of the systemic immunity gene AZI1 as a key for determining root growth responses to low zinc conditions. We further demonstrate that this gene is important for modulating primary root length depending on the zinc and defence status. Finally, we show that the interaction of the immunity signal azelaic acid and zinc level to regulate root growth is conserved in rice. This work demonstrates that there is a common genetic and molecular basis for multiple zinc dependent processes and that nutrient cues can determine the balance of growth and immune responses in plants.
Highlights
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for humans, animals, and plants [1]
By exploring natural genetic variation in Arabidopsis to study the role of zinc in regulating primary root length, we find a major locus governing this is the AZELAIC ACID INDUCED (AZI1) locus, previously known to be involved in systemic acquired resistance
We showed that regulatory variation at AZI1 contributes significantly to this natural variation
Summary
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for humans, animals, and plants [1]. It is of particular importance for the function of numerous metalloenzymes that are involved in a plethora of processes such as energy metabolism, nucleic acid and protein synthesis, and protein catabolism [2]. These key biological processes can be adversely altered in situations in which Zn availability is limited. Low Zn manifests itself at physiological and molecular levels, and can cause deleterious effects such as growth retardation and malfunction of immune responses. Despite its fundamental importance, it remains unclear whether there is a common molecular basis for these multiple functions involving Zn and whether the signalling and immune related functions of Zn are relevant for plants
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