Pectin methylesterase31 positively regulates salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.
The alteration of cell wall component and structure is an important adaption to saline environment. Pectins, a major cell wall component, are often present in a highly methylesterified form. The level of methyl esterification determined by pectin methylesterases (PMEs) influences many important wall properties that are believed to relate to the adaption to saline stress. However, little is known about the function of PMEs in response to salt stress. Here, we established a link between pectin methylesterase31 (PME31) and salt stress tolerance. Salt stress significantly increases PME31 expression. PME31 is located in the plasma membrane and the expression level of PME31 was high in dry seeds. Knock-down mutants in PME31 conferred hypersensitive phenotypes to salt stress in seed germination and post-germination growth. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that the transcript levels of several stress genes (DREB2A, RD29A and RD29B) are lower in pme31-2 mutant than that in the wild type in response to salt stress. These results suggested that PME31 could positively modulate salt stress tolerance.
['Yan|Jingwei|J|', 'He|Huan|H|', 'Fang|Lin|L|', 'Zhang|Aying|A|']
D017360:Arabidopsis D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases D002462:Cell Membrane D002473:Cell Wall D057773:Cold Shock Proteins and Peptides D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant D018525:Germination D007527:Isoenzymes D009154:Mutation D059828:Plant Cells D054712:Salinity D055049:Salt Tolerance D012639:Seeds D012965:Sodium Chloride D013312:Stress, Physiological D014157:Transcription Factors
Salt stress PME31 Arabidopsis thaliana