Abstract
Until recently, genes from the iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster pathway were not known to have a role in plant disease resistance. The Nitrogen Fixation S (NIFS)-like 1 (NFS1) and Mitochondrial Ferredoxin-1 (MFDX1) genes are part of a set of 27 Fe-S cluster genes induced after infection with host and nonhost pathogens in Arabidopsis. A role for AtNFS1 in plant immunity was recently demonstrated. In this work, we showed that MFDX1 is also involved in plant defense. More specifically, Arabidopsis mfdx1 mutants were compromised for nonhost resistance against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci, and showed increased susceptibility to the host pathogen P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Arabidopsis AtMFDX1 overexpression lines were less susceptible to P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Metabolic profiling revealed a reduction of several defense-related primary and secondary metabolites, such as asparagine and glucosinolates in the Arabidopsis mfdx1-1 mutant when compared to Col-0. A reduction of 5-oxoproline and ornithine metabolites that are involved in proline synthesis in mitochondria and affect abiotic stresses was also observed in the mfdx1-1 mutant. In contrast, an accumulation of defense-related metabolites such as glucosinolates was observed in the Arabidopsis NFS1 overexpressor when compared to wild-type Col-0. Additionally, mfdx1-1 plants displayed shorter primary root length and reduced number of lateral roots compared to the Col-0. Taken together, these results provide additional evidence for a new role of Fe-S cluster pathway in plant defense responses.
Highlights
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are cofactors associated with proteins that can mediate electron transfer, enzymatic catalysis, and other plant physiological processes such as development, amino acid metabolism, photosynthesis, and respiration [1,2,3,4,5]
We have shown that several proteins from the from the iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster pathway, including the NFS1 and its interactor FH, are involved in nonhost disease resistance and in the basal resistance of Arabidopsis [13]
To investigate how many Fe-S cluster genes are induced upon P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 infection, we performed an RNA-seq experiment of Arabidopsis (Col-0 ecotype; WT) after inoculation with host or nonhost pathogen
Summary
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are cofactors associated with proteins that can mediate electron transfer, enzymatic catalysis, and other plant physiological processes such as development, amino acid metabolism, photosynthesis, and respiration [1,2,3,4,5]. They are formed by iron atoms and inorganic sulfide. In bacteria Fe-S clusters can act as oxidative stress sensors [8]
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