The Flowering Time Regulator FLK Controls Pathogen Defense in Arabidopsis thaliana
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Date
2023-01-20
Type of Work
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Citation of Original Publication
Matthew Fabian and others, The flowering time regulator FLK controls pathogen defense in Arabidopsis thaliana, Plant Physiology, Volume 191, Issue 4, April 2023, Pages 2461–2474, https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiad021
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Subjects
Abstract
Plant disease resistance is a complex process that is maintained in an intricate balance with development. Increasing evidence indicates the importance of post-transcriptional regulation of plant defense by RNA binding proteins. The K homology (KH) repeat is an ancient RNA binding motif found in proteins from diverse organisms. The role of KH domain proteins in pathogen resistance is not well known. From a genetic screen aimed to uncover novel defense genes in Arabidopsis, we identified a new allele of the canonical flowering regulatory gene, FLOWERING LOCUS KH Domain (FLK), encoding a putative triple KH-repeat protein. In addition to late flowering, the flk mutants exhibited decreased resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and increased resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. We found that the flk mutations compromised basal defense and defense signaling mediated by salicylic acid and led to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, likely through FLK’s regulation of the ROS scavenging enzyme catalases. RNA-seq data revealed that major defense signaling genes are regulated by FLK, providing a molecular basis for FLK’s contribution to pathogen defense. Together our data support that FLK is a multifunctional protein regulating pathogen defense and development of plants.