Phytosulfokine signalling blocks mycotoxin toxicity in Arabidopsis and mediates suppression of cell death activated by bacterial microbe‐associated molecular patterns

Ali O. Alqarni; John M. U. Hamilton; Adrian P. Brown; Stephen Chivasa

doi:10.1111/nph.70811

journal article Open Access Dec 12, 2025

Phytosulfokine signalling blocks mycotoxin toxicity in Arabidopsis and mediates suppression of cell death activated by bacterial microbe‐associated molecular patterns

Ali O. Alqarni John M. U. Hamilton Adrian P. Brown Stephen Chivasa

New Phytologist Vol. 249 No. 5 pp. 2515-2530 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/nph.70811

Abstract

Summary

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin that disrupts ceramide biosynthesis and kills plants. Prior activation with bacterial microbe‐associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), such as components of bacterial flagella, effectively suppresses FB1‐induced cell death. The molecular basis of this defence against mycotoxin toxicity is poorly understood.

Analysis of extracellular peptide receptors provided initial circumstantial evidence linking phytosulfokine (PSK) signalling with
Arabidopsis thaliana
responses to FB1. We used synthetic PSK peptides and quantitative proteomics to investigate this link and established the basis for peptide‐induced Arabidopsis immunity to FB1.

Exogenous PSK fully protected Arabidopsis plants from FB1 toxicity in wild‐type plants, but not in loss‐of‐function mutants lacking PSK RECEPTOR 1 (PSKR1) or its co‐receptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1‐ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE 1 (BAK1). Mutants lacking the precursor PSK‐processing subtilase (SBT3.8) enzyme were more sensitive to FB1. The partial flagellin peptide flg22, which activates innate immunity to block FB1 toxicity in wild‐type plants, failed to rescue
pskr1
mutants, indicating that PSK signalling functions downstream of flg22. Proteomic analysis revealed Calvin cycle downregulation by FB1, while co‐application of the toxin with PSK increased Calvin cycle capacity.

Our study reveals that the mechanism of disabling mycotoxin toxicity by MAMPs is activation of PSK signalling and stimulation of the photosynthetic machinery.

Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References

69

[1]

10.1126/science.1086391

[2]

10.1073/pnas.0706403104

[3]

COPPER ENZYMES IN ISOLATED CHLOROPLASTS. POLYPHENOLOXIDASE IN BETA VULGARIS

Daniel I. Arnon

Plant Physiology 10.1104/pp.24.1.1

[4]

Asai T "Fumonisin B1–induced cell death in Arabidopsis protoplasts requires jasmonate‐, ethylene‐, and salicylate‐dependent signaling pathways" Plant Cell (2000)

[5]

A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding

Marion M. Bradford

Analytical Biochemistry 10.1016/0003-2697(76)90527-3

[6]

10.1007/s004250000370

[7]

10.1038/nature05999

[8]

10.1111/nph.16273

[9]

10.1105/tpc.105.036806

[10]

10.1021/pr3010887

[11]

10.1038/s44318-024-00278-z

[12]

10.1093/jxb/erx084

[13]

10.1093/jxb/erz021

[14]

10.1104/pp.107.095596

[15]

10.1104/pp.111.174003

[16]

ShinyGO: a graphical gene-set enrichment tool for animals and plants

Steven Xijin Ge, Dongmin Jung, Runan Yao

Bioinformatics 10.1093/bioinformatics/btz931

[17]

10.1007/bf00497279

[18]

10.1038/s41598-020-68735-3

[19]

10.1111/nph.18211

[20]

10.1016/s0021-9258(19)85263-8

[21]

10.1016/j.cub.2007.05.036

[22]

He L "Sulfated peptides and their receptors: key regulators of plant development and stress adaptation" Plant Communications (2024)

[23]

10.1242/jcs.209353

[24]

Huang C "Repression of protein kinase C and stimulation of cyclic AMP response elements by fumonisin, a fungal encoded toxin which is a carcinogen" Cancer Research (1995)

[25]

10.1134/s1021443718040131

[26]

10.1371/journal.pone.0060769

[27]

10.1111/j.1365-313x.2012.04950.x

[28]

10.1099/mic.0.052506-0

[29]

10.1073/pnas.0902801106

[30]

10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02710.x

[31]

10.1105/tpc.15.00306

[32]

10.1105/tpc.20.00018

[33]

10.1111/jipb.12529

[34]

10.1104/pp.106.081109

[35]

An LRR Receptor Kinase Involved in Perception of a Peptide Plant Hormone, Phytosulfokine

Yoshikatsu Matsubayashi, Mari Ogawa, Akiko Morita et al.

Science 10.1126/science.1069607

[36]

Phytosulfokine, sulfated peptides that induce the proliferation of single mesophyll cells of Asparagus officinalis L.

Y Matsubayashi, Y Sakagami

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 10.1073/pnas.93.15.7623

[37]

10.1146/annurev.arplant.56.032604.144204

[38]

Merrill AH "Fumonisins and other inhibitors of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis" Advances in Lipid Research (1993)

[39]

10.4161/psb.24119

[40]

10.1111/tpj.12050

[41]

10.1111/ppl.13569

[42]

10.1038/s41598-018-27003-1

[43]

10.3389/fpls.2017.00238

[44]

10.1126/science.abq5735

[45]

10.1111/tpj.13049

[46]

10.1038/nplants.2015.218

[47]

10.1126/science.aaz5641

[48]

10.1101/gad.366506

[49]

10.1111/pce.12627

[50]

10.1105/tpc.004630

Showing 50 of 69 references

Metrics

1

Citations

69

References

Details

Published: Dec 12, 2025
Vol/Issue: 249(5)
Pages: 2515-2530
License: View

Authors

A

Ali O. Alqarni

Department of Biosciences Durham University South Road Durham DH1 3LE UK; Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences Najran University Najran 61442 Saudi Arabia

J

John M. U. Hamilton

Department of Biosciences Durham University South Road Durham DH1 3LE UK

A

Adrian P. Brown

Department of Biosciences Durham University South Road Durham DH1 3LE UK

S

Stephen Chivasa

Department of Biosciences Durham University South Road Durham DH1 3LE UK

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Award: BB/H000283/1

Gatsby Charitable Foundation

Cite This Article

Ali O. Alqarni, John M. U. Hamilton, Adrian P. Brown, et al. (2025). Phytosulfokine signalling blocks mycotoxin toxicity in Arabidopsis and mediates suppression of cell death activated by bacterial microbe‐associated molecular patterns. New Phytologist, 249(5), 2515-2530. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70811

Phytosulfokine signalling blocks mycotoxin toxicity in Arabidopsis and mediates suppression of cell death activated by bacterial microbe‐associated molecular patterns

You May Also Like