Hydrogen peroxide modulates the expression of the target of rapamycin (TOR) and cell division in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is naturally produced by plant cells during normal development and serves as a messenger that regulates cell metabolism. Despite its importance, the relationship between hydrogen peroxide and the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway, as well as its impact on cell division, has been poorly analyzed. In this study, we explore the interaction of H₂O₂ with TOR, a serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a central role in controlling cell growth, size, and metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana. By applying two concentrations of H₂O₂ exogenously (0.5 and 1 mM), we could correlate developmental traits, such as primary root growth, lateral root formation, and fresh weight, with the expression of the cell cycle gene CYCB1;1, as well as TOR expression. When assessing the expression of the ribosome biogenesis-related gene RPS27B, an increase of 94.34% was noted following exposure to 1 mM H₂O₂ treatment. This increase was suppressed by the TOR inhibitor torin 2. The elimination of H₂O₂ accumulation with ascorbic acid (AA) resulted in decreased cell division as well as TOR expression. The potential molecular mechanisms associated with the effects of H₂O₂ on the cell cycle and TOR expression in roots are discussed in the context of the results.