A new role for an old enzyme: Nitrate reductase-mediated nitric oxide generation is required for abscisic acid-induced stomatal closure in Arabidopsis thaliana

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), synthesized in response to water-deficit stress, induces stomatal closure via activation of complex signaling cascades. Recent work has established that nitric oxide (NO) is a key signaling molecule mediating ABA-induced stomatal closure. However, the biosynthetic origin of NO in guard cells has not yet been resolved. Here, we provide pharmacological, physiological, and genetic evidence that NO synthesis in Arabidopsis guard cells is mediated by the enzyme nitrate reductase (NR). Guard cells of wild-type Arabidopsis generate NO in response to treatment with ABA and nitrite, a substrate for NR. Moreover, NR-mediated NO synthesis is required for ABA-induced stomatal…