Metabolomics study for investigating chronic endoplasmic reticulum stress in Arabidopsis thaliana

The Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) is a retrograde, ER-to-nucleus, signalling pathway which is conserved across kingdoms. In plants, it contributes to development, reproduction, immunity and tolerance to abiotic stress. This metabolomic dataset was produced from 14-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings challenged by tunicamycin (Tm), an antibiotic inhibiting Asn-linked glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), causing an ER stress and eventually activating the UPR. Wild-type (WT), bzip60 single mutant and the double mutant deficient for two main actors of the UPR (INOSITOL-REQUIRING ENZYME 1A and INOSITOL-REQUIRING ENZYME 1B) were used as genetic backgrounds in our experimental setup, allowing to distinguish among differentially-overaccumulated metabolites which ones are dependent on IRE1s and/or bZIP60. Also, shoots and roots were harvested separately to determine organ-specific metabolic responses to Tm.

未折叠蛋白反应（Unfolded Protein Response, UPR）是一类在各生物界中保守存在的逆行性内质网（endoplasmic reticulum, ER）至细胞核信号通路。在植物中，该通路参与调控植物生长发育、生殖、免疫及非生物胁迫耐受性。本代谢组数据集源自经衣霉素（tunicamycin, Tm）处理的14日龄拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）幼苗：衣霉素是一种可抑制内质网中天冬酰胺连接糖基化的抗生素，能够诱导内质网应激并最终激活未折叠蛋白反应。实验采用野生型（WT）、bzip60单突变体，以及两个未折叠蛋白反应核心调控因子——肌醇依赖酶1A（INOSITOL-REQUIRING ENZYME 1A）与肌醇依赖酶1B（INOSITOL-REQUIRING ENZYME 1B）缺失的双突变体作为遗传背景，借此可精准区分差异积累代谢物中哪些依赖于IRE1s和/或bZIP60通路。此外，实验分别收获植株地上部分与根系，以解析不同器官对衣霉素处理的特异性代谢响应。