Multilayered synergistic regulation of phytoalexin biosynthesis by ethylene, jasmonate, and MAPK signaling pathways in Arabidopsis

Abstract Camalexin, an indolic antimicrobial metabolite, is the major phytoalexin in Arabidopsis thaliana, and plays a crucial role in pathogen resistance. Our previous studies revealed that the Arabidopsis mitogen-activated protein kinases MPK3 and MPK6 positively regulate pathogen-induced camalexin biosynthesis via phosphoactivating the transcription factor WRKY33. Here, we report that the ethylene and jasmonate (JA) pathways act synergistically with the MPK3/MPK6–WRKY33 module at multiple levels to induce camalexin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis upon pathogen infection. The ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR1 (ERF1) transcription factor integrates the ethylene and JA pathways to induce camalexin biosynthesis via directly upregulating camalexin biosynthetic genes. ERF1 also interacts with and depends on WRKY33 to upregulate camalexin biosynthetic genes, indicating that ERF1 and WRKY33 form transcriptional complexes to cooperatively activate camalexin biosynthetic genes, thereby mediating the synergy of ethylene/JA and MPK3/MPK6 signaling pathways to induce camalexin biosynthesis. Moreover, as an integrator of the ethylene and JA pathways, ERF1 also acts as a substrate of MPK3/MPK6, which phosphorylate ERF1 to increase its transactivation activity and therefore further cooperate with the ethylene/JA pathways to induce camalexin biosynthesis. Taken together, our data reveal the multilayered synergistic regulation of camalexin biosynthesis by ethylene, JA, and MPK3/MPK6 signaling pathways via ERF1 and WRKY33 transcription factors in Arabidopsis.