Transcription factors BBX11 and HY5 interdependently regulate the molecular and metabolic responses to UV-B.

Nikhil Job, Maneesh Lingwan, Shyam Kumar Masakapalli, Sourav Datta

Plant physiology 2022 Aug 01

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UV-B radiation acts as a developmental cue and a stress factor for plants, depending on dose. Activation of the transcription factor ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) in a UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8)-dependent manner leads to the induction of a broad set of genes under UV-B. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms regulating this process are less understood. Here, we use molecular, biochemical, genetic, and metabolomic tools to identify the B-BOX transcription factor B-BOX PROTEIN 11 (BBX11) as a component of the molecular response to UV-B in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). BBX11 expression is induced by UV-B in a dose-dependent manner. Under low UV-B, BBX11 regulates hypocotyl growth suppression, whereas it protects plants exposed to high UV-B radiation by promoting the accumulation of photo-protective phenolics and antioxidants, and inducing DNA repair genes. Our genetic studies indicate that BBX11 regulates hypocotyl elongation under UV-B partially dependent on HY5. Overexpression of BBX11 can partially rescue the high UV-B sensitivity of hy5, suggesting that HY5-mediated UV-B stress tolerance is partially dependent on BBX11. HY5 regulates the UV-B-mediated induction of BBX11 by directly binding to its promoter. BBX11 reciprocally regulates the mRNA and protein levels of HY5. We report here the role of a BBX11-HY5 feedback loop in regulating photomorphogenesis and stress tolerance under UV-B. © American Society of Plant Biologists 2022. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Citation

Nikhil Job, Maneesh Lingwan, Shyam Kumar Masakapalli, Sourav Datta. Transcription factors BBX11 and HY5 interdependently regulate the molecular and metabolic responses to UV-B. Plant physiology. 2022 Aug 01;189(4):2467-2480