GABA signalling modulates plant growth by directly regulating the activity of plant-specific anion transporters

Sunita A. Ramesh, Stephen D. Tyerman, Bo Xu, Jayakumar Bose, Satwinder Kaur, Vanessa Conn, Patricia Domingos, Sana Ullah, Stefanie Wege, Sergey Shabala, José A. Feijó, Peter R. Ryan and Matthew Gilliham ()
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Sunita A. Ramesh: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
Stephen D. Tyerman: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
Bo Xu: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
Jayakumar Bose: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
Satwinder Kaur: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
Vanessa Conn: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
Patricia Domingos: Gulbenkian Institute of Science
Sana Ullah: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
Stefanie Wege: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
Sergey Shabala: School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania
José A. Feijó: Gulbenkian Institute of Science
Peter R. Ryan: CSIRO Plant Industry
Matthew Gilliham: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The non-protein amino acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) rapidly accumulates in plant tissues in response to biotic and abiotic stress, and regulates plant growth. Until now it was not known whether GABA exerts its effects in plants through the regulation of carbon metabolism or via an unidentified signalling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that anion flux through plant aluminium-activated malate transporter (ALMT) proteins is activated by anions and negatively regulated by GABA. Site-directed mutagenesis of selected amino acids within ALMT proteins abolishes GABA efficacy but does not alter other transport properties. GABA modulation of ALMT activity results in altered root growth and altered root tolerance to alkaline pH, acid pH and aluminium ions. We propose that GABA exerts its multiple physiological effects in plants via ALMT, including the regulation of pollen tube and root growth, and that GABA can finally be considered a legitimate signalling molecule in both the plant and animal kingdoms.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8879

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