FERONIA orchestrates P2K1-driven purinergic signaling in plant roots

Extracellular ATP (eATP) orchestrates vital processes in plants, akin to its role in animals. P2K1 is a crucial receptor mediating eATP effects. Immunoprecipitation tandem mass spectrometry data highlighted FERONIA’s significant interaction with P2K1, driving us to explore its role in eATP signaling. Here, we investigated putative P2K1-interactor, FERONIA, which is a versatile receptor kinase pivotal in growth and stress responses. We employed a FERONIA loss-of-function mutant, fer-4, to dissect its effects on eATP signaling. Interestingly, fer-4 showed distinct calcium responses compared to wild type, while eATP-responsive genes were constitutively upregulated in fer-4. Additionally, fer-4 displayed insensitivity to eATP-regulated root growth and reduced cell wall accumulation. Together, these results uncover a role for FERONIA in regulating eATP signaling. Overall, our study deepens our understanding of eATP signaling, revealing the intricate interplay between P2K1 and FERONIA impacting the interface between growth and defense.