A fluorescent hormone biosensor reveals the dynamics of jasmonate signalling in plants.

Antoine Larrieu, Antony Champion, Jonathan Legrand, Julien Lavenus, David Mast, Géraldine Brunoud, Jaesung Oh, Soazig Guyomarc'h, Maxime Pizot, Edward E Farmer, Colin Turnbull, Teva Vernoux, Malcolm J Bennett, Laurent Laplaze

Index: Nat. Commun. 6 , 6043, (2015)

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Abstract

Activated forms of jasmonic acid (JA) are central signals coordinating plant responses to stresses, yet tools to analyse their spatial and temporal distribution are lacking. Here we describe a JA perception biosensor termed Jas9-VENUS that allows the quantification of dynamic changes in JA distribution in response to stress with high spatiotemporal sensitivity. We show that Jas9-VENUS abundance is dependent on bioactive JA isoforms, the COI1 co-receptor, a functional Jas motif and proteasome activity. We demonstrate the utility of Jas9-VENUS to analyse responses to JA in planta at a cellular scale, both quantitatively and dynamically. This included using Jas9-VENUS to determine the cotyledon-to-root JA signal velocities on wounding, revealing two distinct phases of JA activity in the root. Our results demonstrate the value of developing quantitative sensors such as Jas9-VENUS to provide high-resolution spatiotemporal data about hormone distribution in response to plant abiotic and biotic stresses.