Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Cytokinin-activated DIRIGENT13 promotes lignan synthesis to regulate root growth and abiotic stress tolerance by modulating ROS homeostasis in Arabidopsis. / Melnikava, Alesia; Perreau, François; Paniagua, Candelas et al.
In: Plant Communications, 2026.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Cytokinin-activated DIRIGENT13 promotes lignan synthesis to regulate root growth and abiotic stress tolerance by modulating ROS homeostasis in Arabidopsis
AU - Melnikava, Alesia
AU - Perreau, François
AU - Paniagua, Candelas
AU - Cheng, Sy-Chyi
AU - Huang, Li-Min
AU - Pekarova, Blanka
AU - Berendzen, Kenneth Wayne
AU - Mira-Rodado, Virtudes
AU - Citterico, Matteo
AU - Tvrdonova, Anna
AU - Ubogoeva, Elena
AU - Dolgikh, Vladislav
AU - Zemlyanskaya, Elena
AU - Glowacki, Eric Daniel
AU - Wrzaczek, Michael
AU - Harter, Klaus
AU - Yang, Yu-Liang
AU - Mouille, Grégory
AU - Arnaud, Dominique
AU - Hejatko, Jan
N1 - Alesia Melnikava, François Perreau, Candelas Paniagua, Sy-Chyi Cheng, Li-Min Huang, Blanka Pekarova, Kenneth Wayne Berendzen, Virtudes Mira-Rodado, Matteo Citterico, Anna Tvrdonova, Elena Ubogoeva, Vladislav Dolgikh, Elena Zemlyanskaya, Eric Daniel Glowacki, Michael Wrzaczek, Klaus Harter, Yu-Liang Yang, Grégory Mouille, Dominique Arnaud, Jan Hejatko // Cytokinin-activated DIRIGENT13 promotes lignan synthesis to regulate root growth and abiotic stress tolerance by modulating ROS homeostasis in Arabidopsis // Plant Communications, 2026, 101972, ISSN 2590-3462, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xplc.2026.101972. This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic through the Towards Next Generation Crops (TANGENC) project (CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004581) and project LUAUS24277. E.Z. was supported by the Russian State Budgetary Project (FWNR-2026–0023). IJPB received support from Saclay Plant Sciences SPS (ANR-17-EUR-0007). K.H. and V.M.-R. were supported by the German Research Foundation (CRC 1101, project D02). E.D.G. and A.T. acknowledge support from the Czech Science Foundation (grant no. 25-18184X).
PY - 2026
Y1 - 2026
N2 - AbstractDirigent (DIR) proteins mediate regio- and stereoselectivity of phenoxy radical coupling of monolignols for (neo)lignan synthesis. However, the role of DIR proteins and lignans in plant development and stress responses remains elusive. Here, we show that Arabidopsis DIRIGENT13 (DIR13) is a direct target of cytokinin signaling, being strongly upregulated via binding of cytokinin-responsive ARR1, ARR10 and ARR12 to the DIR13 promoter. DIR13 was localized to the root endodermis and at the margins of lateral root primordia and lateral roots. While not necessary for Casparian strip formation, DIR13 promoted both main and lateral root growth. Untargeted metabolomics and imaging mass spectrometry analyses unveiled the role of DIR13 in facilitating (neo)lignan synthesis in primary and lateral roots. DIR13 attenuated salt stress-mediated inhibition of germination and root growth. Moreover, DIR13 activated reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation both under control and salt stress conditions, and cytokinin further enhanced the salt-induced ROS production, possibly via salt- and cytokinin-mediated synergistic effects on transcriptional activation of DIR13. Our results suggest the ability of lignans to affect root growth, possibly via disturbing ROS homeostasis through their ROS-scavenging activity. Overall, we uncover a role for DIR13-produced lignans in the ROS-regulated abiotic stress tolerance and the control of root architecture.
AB - AbstractDirigent (DIR) proteins mediate regio- and stereoselectivity of phenoxy radical coupling of monolignols for (neo)lignan synthesis. However, the role of DIR proteins and lignans in plant development and stress responses remains elusive. Here, we show that Arabidopsis DIRIGENT13 (DIR13) is a direct target of cytokinin signaling, being strongly upregulated via binding of cytokinin-responsive ARR1, ARR10 and ARR12 to the DIR13 promoter. DIR13 was localized to the root endodermis and at the margins of lateral root primordia and lateral roots. While not necessary for Casparian strip formation, DIR13 promoted both main and lateral root growth. Untargeted metabolomics and imaging mass spectrometry analyses unveiled the role of DIR13 in facilitating (neo)lignan synthesis in primary and lateral roots. DIR13 attenuated salt stress-mediated inhibition of germination and root growth. Moreover, DIR13 activated reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation both under control and salt stress conditions, and cytokinin further enhanced the salt-induced ROS production, possibly via salt- and cytokinin-mediated synergistic effects on transcriptional activation of DIR13. Our results suggest the ability of lignans to affect root growth, possibly via disturbing ROS homeostasis through their ROS-scavenging activity. Overall, we uncover a role for DIR13-produced lignans in the ROS-regulated abiotic stress tolerance and the control of root architecture.
KW - dirigent
KW - lignan
KW - ROS
KW - cytokinins
KW - stress response
KW - root architecture
KW - диригент
KW - лигнан
KW - АФК
KW - цитокинины
KW - стрессовая реакция
KW - архитектура корня
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/858a1f07-0c65-36e3-ae25-6718ed2f45e9/
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105048001282
U2 - 10.1016/j.xplc.2026.101972
DO - 10.1016/j.xplc.2026.101972
M3 - Article
C2 - 42323707
JO - Plant Communications
JF - Plant Communications
SN - 2590-3462
M1 - 101972
ER -
ID: 82866208