Assessing the Effect of Sound Vibrations on Plant Neurotransmitters in Arabidopsis

Despite the fact that numerous studies have amassed vast amounts of data on plant-sound vibration (SV) interactions, there has been no report on the role of neurotransmitters (NTs) or biomediators in SV signaling in plants. Plant NTs have emerged as potential signaling molecules in a variety of plant systems where they play an important role in plant developmental biology and stress adaptability. In this communication, we assessed the effect of SVs on different plant NTs in Arabidopsis thaliana using microarray and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) data. We found that the genes involved in melatonin biosynthesis pathway such as acetylserotonin methyltransferase (ASMT) and G-protein-coupled receptor 1 (GCR1) were significantly upregulated after 30 and 60 min of SV treatment. In contrast, SV treatment downregulated the expression level of serotonin biosynthetic genes such as serotonin N-acetyltransferase 1 and 2 (SNAT1/2). Additionally, the expression level of acetylcholine gene (ACT) and dopamine beta-monooxygenase (DOMON) was significantly upregulated after 30 and 60 min of SV treatment. However, SV treatment downregulated the expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAT1) transporter 1 (GAT1) and proline transporter 3 (PROT3) that regulate GABA biosynthesis in A. thaliana. Further, we compared qRT-PCR results with our previously reported microarray data, and found the similarly induced patterns of the genes involved in NTs biosynthesis. This is the first report on the effect of SVs on plant NTs, which could be utilized to advance our understanding of their sensing, transport, metabolism, signaling mechanisms, and interactions with other phytohormones during plant-SV interactions.

Automated summary

This study assessed the effect of sound vibrations (SVs) on neurotransmitters (NTs) in Arabidopsis thaliana. The expression levels of genes involved in melatonin biosynthesis were upregulated after SV treatment, while genes involved in serotonin biosynthesis were downregulated. The expression of acetylcholine and dopamine beta-monooxygenase genes was upregulated, but genes involved in GABA biosynthesis were downregulated. This is the first report on the effect of SVs on plant NTs, which can contribute to understanding their role in plant-SV interactions.