Abstract
This perspective paper focuses on the most recent results suggesting a potential role for UDP-Glucose as a signaling molecule in plants. In animals, UDP-Glucose is well-established as an extracellular signaling molecule that is sensed by G-protein coupled receptors, activating several downstream defense mechanisms. Recent studies have shown that abnormal growth occurred in both vegetative and reproductive tissue of plants with reduced UDP-Glucose levels, and this could be rescued by exogenous UDP-Glucose. In plants with increased biomass accumulation, the genes involved in UDP-Glucose production were up-regulated. However, excessive endogenous accumulation of UDP-Glucose induced programmed cell death (PCD), and this could also be obtained by exogenous UDP-Glucose application. Plants with decreased UDP-glucose were insensitive to pathogen induced PCD. We speculate that UDP-Glucose acts as an extracellular signaling molecule in plants, and that it may be perceived as a damage-associated molecular pattern.
Highlights
Gene expression is regulated by diverse signals and stimuli that are sensed and subsequently transmitted via signaling pathways that control transcription of genes
Apart from catabolic products from Suc and carbohydrate reserves, the metabolism of trehalose, trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), has been suggested as a key regulator of metabolism associated with plant growth and development (Ramon and Rolland, 2007; Lunn et al, 2014)
Sucrose was proposed as a signaling molecule in plants (Pontis, 1978; Koch, 2004; Wind et al, 2010) but it is rapidly metabolized by invertases and sucrose synthases (SuSys) (Horacio and Martinez-Noel, 2013), and its breakdown products Glc, UDP-Glc and fructose (Fru) may potentially act as signaling molecules as well (Hummel et al, 2009)
Summary
This perspective paper focuses on the most recent results suggesting a potential role for UDP-Glucose as a signaling molecule in plants. UDP-Glucose is wellestablished as an extracellular signaling molecule that is sensed by G-protein coupled receptors, activating several downstream defense mechanisms. Recent studies have shown that abnormal growth occurred in both vegetative and reproductive tissue of plants with reduced UDP-Glucose levels, and this could be rescued by exogenous UDP-Glucose. In plants with increased biomass accumulation, the genes involved in UDP-Glucose production were up-regulated. Excessive endogenous accumulation of UDP-Glucose induced programmed cell death (PCD), and this could be obtained by exogenous UDP-Glucose application. We speculate that UDP-Glucose acts as an extracellular signaling molecule in plants, and that it may be perceived as a damage-associated molecular pattern
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