Insights Into the Regulation of Plant Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase: Interactions With Microbial Compounds and Implications for Root Hair Growth

The plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase plays a crucial role in plant growth by facilitating proton transport, which is essential for nutrient uptake and cell expansion. This thesis explores the interaction between microbial compounds and the H+-ATPase, highlighting the inhibitory effects of the fungal toxin tenuazonic acid (TeA) on the enzyme, which could be leveraged as a herbicide. TeA binds to the C-terminal domain of the H+-ATPase, keeping it in an autoinhibited state and inhibiting root elongation. Additionally, the study examines how Trichoderma harzianum peptaibols indirectly stimulate H+-ATPase activity by altering the lipid bilayer. The research also emphasizes the importance of H+-ATPase isoforms AHA2 and AHA7 in regulating root hair growth in Arabidopsis, with AHA2 being particularly responsive to external pH changes and regulated by the receptor-like kinase ERULUS. Overall, the regulation of H+-ATPase is vital for plant-microbe interactions and root hair development.