Membrane lipid alteration during phosphate starvation is regulated by phosphate signaling and auxin/cytokinin cross-talk.

During phosphate (Pi) starvation in plants, membrane phospholipid content decreases concomitantly with an increase in non-phosphorus glycolipids. Although several studies have indicated the involvement of phytohormones in various physiological changes upon Pi starvation, the regulation of Pi-starvation induced membrane lipid alteration remains unknown. Previously, we reported the response of type B monogalactosyl diacylglycerol synthase genes (atMGD2 and atMGD3) to Pi starvation, and suggested a role for these genes in galactolipid accumulation during Pi starvation. We now report our investigation of the regulatory mechanism for the response of atMGD2/3 and changes in membrane lipid composition to Pi starvation. Exogenous auxin activated atMGD2/3 expression during Pi starvation, whereas their expression was repressed by cytokinin treatment in the root. Moreover, auxin inhibitors and the axr4 aux1 double mutation in auxin signaling impaired the increase of atMGD2/3 expression during Pi starvation, showing that auxin is required for atMGD2/3 activation. The fact that hormonal effects during Pi starvation were also observed with regard to changes in membrane lipid composition demonstrates that both auxin and cytokinin are indeed involved in the dynamic changes in membrane lipids during Pi starvation. Phosphite is not metabolically available in plants; however, when we supplied phosphite to Pi-starved plants, the Pi-starvation response disappeared with respect to both atMGD2/3 expression and changes in membrane lipids. These results indicate that the observed global change in plant membranes during Pi starvation is not caused by Pi-starvation induced damage in plant cells but rather is strictly regulated by Pi signaling and auxin/cytokinin cross-talk.