Abscisic acid-induced modulation of metabolic and redox control pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana

The effects of abscisic acid treatment on biochemical pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana were analyzed by transcript and metabolite profiling, and results were integrated using the recently developed BioPathAt tool. Besides the expected upregulation of pathways related to the biosynthesis of compatible solutes (raffinose family oligosaccharides and certain amino acids), we observed a downregulation of numerous genes putatively localized to and possibly involved in the reorganization of cell walls, an association that had not been recognized previously. The induced biosynthesis of the antioxidants ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol appeared to be integrated into a network of reactions controlling the levels of reactive oxygen species.