Sugar inhibits brassinosteroid signaling by enhancing BIN2 phosphorylation of BZR1

PLoS Genet. 2021 May 14;17(5):e1009540. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009540. eCollection 2021 May.

Abstract

Sugar, light, and hormones are major signals regulating plant growth and development, however, the interactions among these signals are not fully understood at the molecular level. Recent studies showed that sugar promotes hypocotyl elongation by activating the brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway after shifting Arabidopsis seedlings from light to extended darkness. Here, we show that sugar inhibits BR signaling in Arabidopsis seedlings grown under light. BR induction of hypocotyl elongation in seedlings grown under light is inhibited by increasing concentration of sucrose. The sugar inhibition of BR response is correlated with decreased effect of BR on the dephosphorylation of BZR1, the master transcription factor of the BR signaling pathway. This sugar effect is independent of the sugar sensors Hexokinase 1 (HXK1) and Target of Rapamycin (TOR), but requires the GSK3-like kinase Brassinosteroid-Insensitive 2 (BIN2), which is stabilized by sugar. Our study uncovers an inhibitory effect of sugar on BR signaling in plants grown under light, in contrast to its promotive effect in the dark. Such light-dependent sugar-BR crosstalk apparently contributes to optimal growth responses to photosynthate availability according to light-dark conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / drug effects*
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis / radiation effects
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / chemistry*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Brassinosteroids / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Darkness
  • Hexokinase / metabolism
  • Hypocotyl / drug effects
  • Hypocotyl / growth & development
  • Hypocotyl / metabolism
  • Hypocotyl / radiation effects
  • Light
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation / radiation effects
  • Photosynthesis / drug effects
  • Photosynthesis / radiation effects
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Seedlings / drug effects
  • Seedlings / growth & development
  • Seedlings / metabolism
  • Seedlings / radiation effects
  • Signal Transduction* / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction* / radiation effects
  • Sucrose / metabolism
  • Sucrose / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • BZR1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Brassinosteroids
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Sucrose
  • Protein Kinases
  • BIN2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Hexokinase
  • ATHXK1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • TOR protein, Arabidopsis