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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

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Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize
Published on: January 14, 2016
CAP1 regulates root hair ammonium response through RBOHD-dependent ROS homeostasis in Arabidopsis
Hong Yang1, Lianlian Wang1, Yichen Dong1
1State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China.
Summary
Plant root hair growth under ammonium stress is regulated by the protein kinase CAP1, which phosphorylates RBOHD. This interaction modulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, crucial for plant adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Plant physiology
Background:
- Ammonium (NH4+) toxicity impacts plant root development.
- The protein kinase CAP1 influences root hair growth and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels under NH4+ stress.
- Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homolog D (RBOHD) is implicated in plant stress responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of RBOHD in CAP1-mediated root hair growth under NH4+ treatment.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanism connecting CAP1, RBOHD, and ROS homeostasis.
Main Methods:
- Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assays
- Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC)
- Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP)
- In vitro phosphorylation assays
- Genetic complementation assays
Main Results:
- CAP1 physically interacts with and phosphorylates RBOHD at Ser347.
- Phosphorylation at Ser347 is essential for the CAP1-RBOHD interaction.
- Expression of wild-type RBOHD or RBOHDS347D in cap1-1 mutants partially restored root hair growth and reduced ROS levels.
Conclusions:
- CAP1 phosphorylates RBOHD at Ser347, regulating NH4+-dependent root hair growth.
- This mechanism involves the modulation of ROS homeostasis.
- Findings provide insight into alleviating NH4+ toxicity in plants.
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