A protein kinase, calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein Kinase9, interacts with calcium sensor calcineurin B-like Protein3 and regulates potassium homeostasis under low-potassium stress in Arabidopsis

Plant Physiol. 2013 Jan;161(1):266-77. doi: 10.1104/pp.112.206896. Epub 2012 Oct 29.

Abstract

Potassium (K⁺) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. Previous studies have demonstrated that Calcineurin B-Like Protein1 (CBL1) or CBL9 and CBL-Interacting Protein Kinase23 (CIPK23) regulate K⁺ uptake in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) roots by modulating K⁺ channel Arabidopsis K⁺ Transporter1. In this study, we show that the protein kinase CIPK9 interacts with the calcium sensor CBL3 and plays crucial roles in K⁺ homeostasis under low-K⁺ stress in Arabidopsis. Arabidopsis wild-type plants showed leaf chlorotic symptoms when grown for 10 d on low-K⁺ (100 μM) medium. Here, we show that plants lacking CIPK9 displayed a tolerant phenotype to low-K⁺ stress, which still maintained green leaves when the wild-type plants showed typical K⁺-deficient symptoms. Overexpressing lines of CIPK9 resulted in a low-K⁺-sensitive phenotype compared with wild-type plants. Furthermore, CBL2 and CBL3 were identified as upstream regulators of CIPK9. Both CBL2- and CBL3-overexpressing lines displayed similar low-K⁺-sensitive phenotypes and K⁺ contents to CIPK9-overexpressing lines. However, only cbl3 mutant plants, but not cbl2 mutant plants, showed the low-K⁺-tolerant phenotype similar to cipk9 mutants. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CIPK9 and CBL3 work together and function in K⁺ homeostasis under low-K⁺ stress in Arabidopsis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / genetics
  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / enzymology*
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Biological Transport
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Culture Media / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Genes, Plant
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Homeostasis*
  • Phenotype
  • Plant Leaves / genetics
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / genetics
  • Plant Roots / metabolism
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Potassium / metabolism*
  • Potassium Channels / genetics
  • Potassium Channels / metabolism
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Protoplasts / metabolism
  • Stress, Physiological*
  • Transcriptome
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • CBL2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • CBL3 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Culture Media
  • Potassium Channels
  • CIPK9 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Potassium