The phytotoxin myrigalone A triggers a phased detoxification programme and inhibits Lepidium sativum seed germination via multiple mechanisms including interference with auxin homeostasis

Kazumi Nakabayashi, Matthew Walker, Dianne Irwin, Jonathan Cohn, Stephanie Guida-English, Lucio Garcia, Iva Pavlovic, Ondrej Novak, Dana Tarkowska, Mirek Strnad, Marta Perez Suarez, Anne Seville, David Stock, Gerhard Leubner-Metzger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Molecular responses of plants to natural phytotoxins comprise more general and com-pound-specific mechanisms. How phytotoxic chalcones and other flavonoids inhibit seedling growth was widely studied, but how they interfere with seed germination is largely unknown. The dihydrochalcone and putative allelochemical myrigalone A (MyA) inhibits seed germination and seedling growth. Transcriptome (RNAseq) and hormone analyses of Lepidium sativum seed responses to MyA were compared to other bioactive and inactive compounds. MyA treatment of imbibed seeds triggered the phased induction of a detoxification programme, altered gibberellin, cis-(+)-12-oxophytodienoic acid and jasmonate metabolism, and affected the expression of hor-mone transporter genes. The MyA-mediated inhibition involved interference with the antioxidant system, oxidative signalling, aquaporins and water uptake, but not uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation or p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase expression/activity. MyA specifically affected the expression of auxin-related signalling genes, and various transporter genes including for auxin transport (PIN7, ABCG37, ABCG4, WAT1). Responses to auxin-specific inhibitors fur-ther supported the conclusion that MyA interferes with auxin homeostasis during seed germina-tion. Comparative analysis of MyA and other phytotoxins revealed differences in the specific reg-ulatory mechanisms and auxin transporter genes targeted to interfere with auxin homestasis. We conclude that MyA exerts its phytotoxic activity by multiple auxin-dependent and independent molecular mechanisms.
Original languageEnglish
Article number4618
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume23
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Apr 2022

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