Transcriptomic profile of FERONIA mutant treated with Aradopside

FERONIA (FER) receptor kinase has a versatile role in plant growth and development, biotic and abiotic stress responses, and reproduction. To gain new insights into the molecular interplay of these processes and to identify new functions of FER, we carried out quantitative transcriptome, proteome, and phosphoproteome profiling of wild type (WT) and a loss-of-function fer mutant in Arabidopsis plants. Gene Ontology terms for hormone signaling, abiotic stress, and biotic stress were significantly enriched among mis-expressed transcripts, proteins, and/or mis-phosphorylated proteins, in agreement with FER’s known roles in these processes. Analysis of multi-omics data and subsequent experimental evidence identified previously unknown functions of FER in ER (Endoplasmic Reticulum) body formation, glucosinolate biosynthesis. FER functions through transcription factor NAI1 to mediate ER body. FER also negatively regulates indole glucosinolates biosynthesis, partially through NAI1. Furthermore, we found that a group of abscisic acid (ABA)-induced transcription factors are hypo-phosphorylated in the fer mutant and demonstrated that FER acts through ABI5 to negatively regulate the ABA response during germination. Our integrated-omics study therefore reveals novel functions of FER and provides new insights into the underlying mechanisms of FER function. Four biological replicates each of Col-0 (WT) and fer-4 mutant seedlings were treated with Aradopside and compared to four biological replicates of untreated seedlings from each genotype.