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Updated: Nov 10, 2025

Phosphoproteomic Strategy for Profiling Osmotic Stress Signaling in Arabidopsis
Published on: June 25, 2020
Arabidopsis casein kinase 2 triggers stem cell exhaustion under Al toxicity and phosphate deficiency through
Pengliang Wei1,2, Manon Demulder1,2,3,4, Pascale David5
1Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent B-9052, Belgium.
Abstract:
Aluminum (Al) toxicity and inorganic phosphate (Pi) limitation are widespread chronic abiotic and mutually enhancing stresses that profoundly affect crop yield. Both stresses strongly inhibit root growth, resulting from a progressive exhaustion of the stem cell niche. Here, we report on a casein kinase 2 (CK2) inhibitor identified by its capability to maintain a functional root stem cell niche in Arabidopsis thaliana under Al toxic conditions. CK2 operates through phosphorylation of the cell cycle checkpoint activator SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RADIATION1 (SOG1), priming its activity under DNA-damaging conditions. In addition to yielding Al tolerance, CK2 and SOG1 inactivation prevents meristem exhaustion under Pi starvation, revealing the existence of a low Pi-induced cell cycle checkpoint that depends on the DNA damage activator ATAXIA-TELANGIECTASIA MUTATED (ATM). Overall, our data reveal an important physiological role for the plant DNA damage response pathway under agriculturally limiting growth conditions, opening new avenues to cope with Pi limitation.
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