Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is altered in several epithelial cancers and represents a potential therapeutic target. Here, STAT3 expression, activity and cellular functions were examined in two main histotypes of esophageal carcinomas. In situ, immunohistochemistry for STAT3 and STAT3-Tyr705 phosphorylation (P-STAT3) in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC, n=49) and Barrett's adenocarcinomas (BAC, n=61) revealed similar STAT3 expression in ESCCs and BACs (P=0.109), but preferentially activated P-STAT3 in ESCCs (P=0.013). In vitro, strong STAT3 activation was seen by epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation in OE21 (ESCC) cells, whereas OE33 (BAC) cells showed constitutive weak STAT3 activation. STAT3 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation of OE21 (P=0.0148) and OE33 (P=0.0243) cells. Importantly, STAT3 knockdown reduced cell migration of OE33 cells by 2.5-fold in two types of migration assays (P=0.073, P=0.015), but not in OE21 cells (P=0.1079, P=0.386). Investigation of transcriptome analysis of STAT3 knockdown revealed a reduced STAT3 level associated with significant downregulation of cell cycle genes in both OE21 (P<0.0001) and OE33 (P=0.01) cells. In contrast, genes promoting cell migration (CTHRC1) were markedly upregulated in OE21 cells, whereas a gene linked to tight-junction stabilization and restricted cell motility (SHROOM2) was downregulated in OE21 but upregulated in OE33 cells. This study shows frequent, but distinct, patterns of STAT3 expression and activation in ESCCs and BACs. STAT3 knockdown reduces cell proliferation in ESCC and BAC cells, inhibits migration of BAC cells and may support cell migration of ESCC cells. Thereby, novel STAT3-regulated genes involved in ESCC and BAC cell proliferation and cell migration were identified. Thus, STAT3 may be further exploited as a potential novel therapeutic target, however, by careful distinction between the two histotypes of esophageal cancers.

The family of polyamine oxidases (PAO) in Arabidopsis (AtPAO1-5) mediates polyamine (PA) back-conversion, which reverses the PA biosynthetic pathway from spermine, and its structural isomer thermospermine (tSpm), into spermidine and then putrescine. Here, we have studied the involvement of PA back-conversion in Arabidopsis salinity tolerance. AtPAO5 is the Arabidopsis PAO gene member most transcriptionally induced by salt stress. Two independent loss-of-function mutants (atpao5-2 and atpao5-3) were found to exhibit constitutively higher tSpm levels, with associated increased salt tolerance. Using global transcriptional and metabolomic analyses, the underlying mechanisms were studied. Stimulation of abscisic acid and jasmonates (JA) biosynthesis, and accumulation of important compatible solutes, such as sugars, polyols and proline, as well as TCA cycle intermediates were observed in atpao5 mutants under salt stress. Expression analyses indicate that tSpm modulates the transcript levels of several target genes, including many involved in the biosynthesis and signaling of JA, some of which are already known to promote salinity tolerance. Transcriptional modulation by tSpm is isomer-dependent, thus demonstrating the specificity of this response. Overall, we conclude that tSpm triggers metabolic and transcriptional reprogramming that promotes salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.Keywords: Polyamines, polyamine oxidase, thermospermine, salt tolerance, jasmonates, salt stress, metabolomics.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Summary statementArabidopsis atpao5 loss-of-function mutants exhibit constitutive accumulation of thermospermine (tSpm) that associates with enhanced salt tolerance. tSpm triggers transcriptional and metabolic changes that involve promotion of ABA and JA pathways, accumulation of TCA cycle intermediates, compatible solutes along with other effects that additively contribute to salt tolerance. We provide evidence for the involvement of tSpm in plant abiotic stress tolerance.

Polyamines are small amines that accumulate during stress and contribute to disease resistance through as yet unknown signaling pathways. Using a comprehensive RNAsequencing analysis, we show that early transcriptional responses triggered by each of the most abundant polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, spermine, thermospermine and cadaverine) exhibit specific quantitative differences, suggesting that polyamines (rather than downstream metabolites) elicit defense responses. Signaling by putrescine, which accumulates in response to bacteria that trigger effector triggered immunity (ETI) and systemic acquired resistance (SAR), is largely dependent on the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, and is partly dependent on salicylic acid (SA), the expression of ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY (EDS1) and NONEXPRESSOR of PR GENES1 (NPR1). Putrescine elicits local SA accumulation as well as local and systemic transcriptional reprogramming that overlaps with SAR. Loss-of-function mutations in arginine decarboxylase 2 (ADC2), which is required for putrescine synthesis and copper amine oxidase (CuAO), which is involved in putrescine oxidation, compromise basal defenses, as well as putrescine and pathogen-triggered systemic resistance. These findings confirm that putrescine elicits ROS-dependent SA pathways in the activation of plant defenses.

Early and more recent studies have suggested that some polyamines (PAs), and particularly spermine (Spm), exhibit anti-senescence properties in plants. In this work, we have investigated the role of Arabidopsis Polyamine Oxidase 4 (PAO4), encoding a PA back-conversion oxidase, during dark-induced senescence. Two independent PAO4 (pao4-1 and pao4-2) loss-of-function mutants have been found that accumulate 10-fold higher Spm, and this associated with delayed entry into senescence under dark conditions. Mechanisms underlying pao4 delayed senescence have been studied using global metabolic profiling by GC-TOF/MS. pao4 mutants exhibit constitutively higher levels of important metabolites involved in redox regulation, central metabolism and signaling that support a priming status against oxidative stress. During senescence, interactions between PAs and oxidative, sugar and nitrogen metabolism have been detected that additively contribute to delayed entry into senescence. Our results indicate the occurrence of metabolic interactions between PAs, particularly Spm, with cell oxidative balance and transport/biosynthesis of amino acids as a strategy to cope with oxidative damage produced during senescence.

Genetic divergence between populations can lead to reproductive isolation. Hybrid incompatibilities (HI) represent intermediate points along a continuum toward speciation. In plants, genetic variation in disease resistance () genes underlies several cases of HI. The progeny of a cross between Arabidopsis () accessions Landsberg (L, Poland) and Kashmir2 (Kas2, central Asia) exhibits immune-related HI. This incompatibility is due to a genetic interaction between a cluster of eight ) (- genes (-) from L and central Asian alleles of a -family receptor-like kinase () from Kas2. In characterizing mutants altered in L/Kas2 HI, we mapped multiple mutations to the -like L locus. Analysis of these () mutants reveals complex, additive and epistatic interactions underlying - L locus activity. The effects of these mutations were measured on basal defense, global gene expression, primary metabolism, and disease resistance to a local isolate ( Gw) collected from Gorzów (Gw), where the Landsberg accession originated. Gene expression sectors and metabolic hallmarks identified for HI are both dependent and independent of - L members. We establish that mutations suppressing immune-related L/Kas2 HI do not compromise resistance to Gw. QTL mapping analysis of Gw resistance point to as the causal locus. This work provides insight into the complex genetic architecture of the- L locus and immune-related HI in Arabidopsis and into the contributions of - genes to HI and defense.