Nature Communications 2015-01-01

A novel thiol-reductase activity of Arabidopsis YUC6 confers drought tolerance independently of auxin biosynthesis.

Joon-Yung Cha, Woe-Yeon Kim, Sun Bin Kang, Jeong Im Kim, Dongwon Baek, In Jung Jung, Mi Ri Kim, Ning Li, Hyun-Jin Kim, Masatoshi Nakajima, Tadao Asami, Jamal S M Sabir, Hyeong Cheol Park, Sang Yeol Lee, Hans J Bohnert, Ray A Bressan, Jose M Pardo, Dae-Jin Yun

Index: Nat. Commun. 6 , 8041, (2015)

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Abstract

YUCCA (YUC) proteins constitute a family of flavin monooxygenases (FMOs), with an important role in auxin (IAA) biosynthesis. Here we report that Arabidopsis plants overexpressing YUC6 display enhanced IAA-related phenotypes and exhibit improved drought stress tolerance, low rate of water loss and controlled ROS accumulation under drought and oxidative stresses. Co-overexpression of an IAA-conjugating enzyme reduces IAA levels but drought stress tolerance is unaffected, indicating that the stress-related phenotype is not based on IAA overproduction. YUC6 contains a previously unrecognized FAD- and NADPH-dependent thiol-reductase activity (TR) that overlaps with the FMO domain involved in IAA biosynthesis. Mutation of a conserved cysteine residue (Cys-85) preserves FMO but suppresses TR activity and stress tolerance, whereas mutating the FAD- and NADPH-binding sites, that are common to TR and FMO domains, abolishes all outputs. We provide a paradigm for a single protein playing a dual role, regulating plant development and conveying stress defence responses.