Cell Wall Damage-Induced Lignin Biosynthesis Is Regulated by a Reactive Oxygen Species- and Jasmonic Acid-Dependent Process in Arabidopsis

Abstract The plant cell wall is a dynamic and complex structure whose functional integrity is constantly being monitored and maintained during development and interactions with the environment. In response to cell wall damage (CWD), putatively compensatory responses, such as lignin production, are initiated. In this context, lignin deposition could reinforce the cell wall to maintain functional integrity. Lignin is important for the plant’s response to environmental stress, for reinforcement during secondary cell wall formation, and for long-distance water transport. Here, we identify two stages and several components of a genetic network that regulate CWD-induced lignin production in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). During the early stage, calcium and diphenyleneiodonium-sensitive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production are required to induce a secondary ROS burst and jasmonic acid (JA) accumulation. During the second stage, ROS derived from the NADPH oxidase RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG D and JA-isoleucine generated by JASMONIC ACID RESISTANT1, form a negative feedback loop that can repress each other’s production. This feedback loop in turn seems to influence lignin accumulation. Our results characterize a genetic network enabling plants to regulate lignin biosynthesis in response to CWD through dynamic interactions between JA and ROS.