Abscisic Acid Inhibits Type 2C Protein Phosphatases Via the PYR/PYL Family of START Proteins

Overview

Journal Science

Specialty Science

Date 2009 May 2

PMID 19407142

Citations 1152

Authors

Sang-Youl Park

Pauline Fung

Noriyuki Nishimura

Davin R Jensen

Hiroaki Fujii

Yang Zhao

Shelley Lumba

Julia Santiago

Americo Rodrigues

Tsz-fung F Chow

Simon E Alfred

Dario Bonetta

Ruth Finkelstein

Nicholas J Provart

Darrell Desveaux

Pedro L Rodriguez

Peter McCourt

Jian-Kang Zhu

Julian I Schroeder

Brian F Volkman

Sean R Cutler

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs) are vitally involved in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Here, we show that a synthetic growth inhibitor called pyrabactin functions as a selective ABA agonist. Pyrabactin acts through PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE 1 (PYR1), the founding member of a family of START proteins called PYR/PYLs, which are necessary for both pyrabactin and ABA signaling in vivo. We show that ABA binds to PYR1, which in turn binds to and inhibits PP2Cs. We conclude that PYR/PYLs are ABA receptors functioning at the apex of a negative regulatory pathway that controls ABA signaling by inhibiting PP2Cs. Our results illustrate the power of the chemical genetic approach for sidestepping genetic redundancy.

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