PDR-type ABC transporter mediates cellular uptake of the phytohormone abscisic acid

Joohyun Kang, Jae Ung Hwang, Miyoung Lee, Yu Young Kim, Sarah M. Assmann, Enrico Martinoia, Youngsook Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

608 Scopus citations

Abstract

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a ubiquitous phytohormone involved in many developmental processes and stress responses of plants. ABA moves within the plant, and intracellular receptors for ABA have been recently identified; however, no ABA transporter has been described to date. Here,were port the identification of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter Arabidopsis thaliana Pleiotropic drug resistance transporter PDR12 (AtPDR12)/ABCG40 as a plasma membrane ABA uptake transporter. Uptake of ABA into yeast and BY2 cells expressing AtABCG40 was increased, whereas ABA uptake into protoplasts of atabcg40 plants was decreased compared with control cells. In response to exogenous ABA, the up-regulation of ABA responsive genes was strongly delayed in atabcg40 plants, indicating that ABCG40 is necessary for timely responses to ABA. Stomata of loss-of-function atabcg40 mutants closed more slowly in response to ABA, resulting in reduced drought tolerance. Our results integrate ABA-dependent signaling and transport processes and open another avenue for the engineering of drought-tolerant plants.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2355-2360
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume107
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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