Physical interaction between SnRK2 and PP2C is conserved in <i>Populus trichocarpa</i>

Type 2C protein phosphatase (PP2C) is a central player in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling transduction, which is required for plant growth, development and stress responses. In Arabidopsis, group A PP2Cs inhibit activity of the SNF1-related protein kinases 2 (SnRK2) family via physical interaction. To clarify whether this scheme is conserved in woody plants, we experimentally isolated the genes homologous to three members of group A PP2Cs (PtABI1, PtAHG1 and PtAHG3) and 12 SnRK2s (PtSnRK2.1–2.12) from a model tree Populus trichocarpa, and examined their interaction using a yeast two-hybrid assay. Our results showed that only three PtSnRK2 proteins had a positive interaction with PtPP2Cs: PtSnRK2.10 possessed strong interaction activity with all three PtPP2Cs, while significant, but relatively weak, interactions were observed with PtSnRK2.6 and PtSnRK2.9. These three PtSnRK proteins are grouped into subclass 2 or 3, which are considered to be ABA-dependent kinases in Arabidopsis. These findings suggest that physical interaction between SnRK2 and PP2C is also conserved in poplars and may be involved in the ABA signaling pathway in tree plants.