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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » Cereal Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426174
Research Project: Harnessing Multi-omics for Augmenting Seed Quality and Stress Tolerance in Barley

Location: Cereal Crops Research

Title: SNRK3.15 is a Crucial Component of the Sulfur Deprivation Response in Arabidopsis Thaliana

Author
item APODIAKOU, ANASTASIA - Max Planck Institute Of Molecular Plant Physiology
item HEYNEKE, ELMIEN - Max Planck Institute Of Molecular Plant Physiology
item ALSEEKH, SALEH - Max Planck Institute Of Molecular Plant Physiology
item PINSORN, PINNAPAT - Max Planck Institute Of Molecular Plant Physiology
item METZGAR, SABINE - University Of Cologne
item KOPRIVA, STANISLAV - University Of Cologne
item SCHULZE, WALTRAUD - University Of Hohenheim
item HOEFGEN, RAINER - Max Planck Institute Of Molecular Plant Physiology
item Whitcomb, Sarah

Submitted to: Plant Direct
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/6/2025
Publication Date: 12/28/2025
Citation: Apodiakou, A., Heyneke, E., Alseekh, S., Pinsorn, P., Metzgar, S., Kopriva, S., Schulze, W., Hoefgen, R., Whitcomb, S.J. 2025. SNRK3.15 is a crucial component of the sulfur deprivation response in arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Direct. 10:e70132, https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.70132.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.70132

Interpretive Summary: ince 1970, the Clean Air Act has significantly reduced the amount of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere. While this reduction has had health and environmental benefits, sulfur dioxide had been a primary source of sulfur for crops, and farmers are increasingly needing to cope with sulfur deficiency. Insufficient sulfur reduces crop quality and yield as well as decreases nitrogen use efficiency. We have identified an enzyme, SNRK3.15, that is critical for the model-plant species Arabidopsis to appropriately adjust their metabolism and development to growth conditions where sulfur supply is low. Additionally, as a part of this study we determined how thousands of proteins in Arabidopsis seedlings respond to low sulfur supply. Going forward, our findings will help guide improved sulfur use efficiency in crops.

Technical Abstract: Sulfate deprivation (-S) results in numerous metabolic and phenotypic alterations in plants. Kinases are often key players in transducing nutrient status signals to molecular components involved in metabolic and developmental program regulation, but despite the physiological importance of sulfur, to date no signaling kinases have been identified in sulfur-deficiency signaling response programs. Here we show that the serine/threonine protein kinase CIPK14/SNRK3.15 plays a regulatory role in the –S response in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Multiple molecular and physiological responses to -S are attenuated in snrk3.15 mutants, including both early adaptive responses and later emergency salvage processes including nutrient deficiency induced senescence. When grown in soil with sufficient sulfur supply, snrk3.15 mutants showed no clear phenotypes, including no difference in seed sulfur content. Lastly, the proteome dataset generated from Col-0 and snrk3.15.1 Arabidopsis seedlings under –S conditions for this project is the first of its kind and will be a valuable research resource.