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The TOR-EIN2 axis mediates nuclear signalling to modulate plant growth
Liwen Fu1,2, Yanlin Liu2, Guochen Qin1
1Shanghai Centre for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Science Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P. R. China.
Nature
|March 4, 2021
Summary
The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase directly phosphorylates ethylene-insensitive protein 2 (EIN2), regulating gene expression and cell growth. This reveals a novel mechanism for how TOR controls global transcription in plants.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Cell signaling pathways
- Eukaryotic cell growth regulation
Background:
- The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase is a conserved master regulator of cell growth and proliferation, integrating various environmental signals.
- While TOR's role in translation is well-studied, its control over the global transcriptional network remains largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of ethylene-insensitive protein 2 (EIN2) as a direct substrate of TOR in Arabidopsis thaliana.
- To elucidate the mechanism by which TOR signaling regulates global transcription through EIN2.
Main Methods:
- Identification of EIN2 as a direct substrate of glucose-activated TOR kinase.
- Analysis of the ein2-5 mutant to assess the impact on TOR-directed transcriptional reprogramming.
- Utilizing chemical, cellular, and genetic analyses to dissect signaling pathways.
Main Results:
- Glucose-activated TOR directly phosphorylates EIN2, inhibiting its nuclear localization.
- The ein2-5 mutant exhibits compromised glucose-TOR-directed global transcriptional reprogramming.
- EIN2 negatively regulates a broad spectrum of TOR target genes involved in DNA replication, cell wall and lipid synthesis, and secondary metabolism.
- Cell elongation and proliferation controlled by the glucose-TOR-EIN2 axis are distinct from ethylene signaling pathways.
Conclusions:
- TOR directly phosphorylates EIN2, revealing a novel mechanism for TOR's regulation of global transcription.
- The glucose-TOR-EIN2 signaling axis controls cell growth and proliferation independently of canonical ethylene signaling.
- Distinct phosphorylation codes on EIN2 mediate its integration into different signaling pathways, highlighting a versatile signaling hub.
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