Plants, as living organisms without mobility, are constantly exposed to environmental stress factors. To cope with these, they activate defense responses that can be either specific to a given stressor or more general against any stress condition. The activation of such responses often requires energy resources and the engagement of signaling pathways that may vary in specificity depending on the type of stress. These energy and signaling demands are frequently diverted from developmental programs that are precisely regulated in the absence of stress.

Our group is specifically interested in analyzing the mechanisms that regulate the interaction between defense responses and developmental programs in plants. To this end, we use Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system and carry out experimental approaches that include biochemical, genetic, molecular and cell biology, genomic, and proteomic techniques.

To coordinate the execution of various developmental programs with the activation of stress responses, plants rely on highly interconnected signaling networks that, on the one hand, allow the establishment of hierarchies and, on the other, optimize resources by using shared components among different signaling pathways that act as communication nodes.

In the context of climate change, our research focuses on processes regulated by gaseous molecules such as nitric oxide (NO) and molecular oxygen, whose coordinated action orchestrates plant responses to adverse environmental conditions such as hypoxia following flooding caused by extreme rainfall events, as well as to changes in ambient temperature, which is gradually but steadily increasing. We place particular emphasis on the study of nitro-oxidative stress processes, which are common to various adverse environmental conditions and regulate both plant development and adaptive responses.

Research Lines:

Line 1. Role of VQ and WRKY proteins in biological processes modulated by oxygen and nitric oxide in plants. PID2020-112618GB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/

Line 2. Artificial microRNAs to uncover unknown functions of genes encoding small proteins related to environmental stress. TED2021-130690B-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/

Line 3. Spatial regulation of thermomorphogenesis in plants. PROMETEU/CIPROM/2022/7 funded by Generalitat Valenciana.

• Gayubas B, Castillo MC, León J. (2023)
Arabidopsis VQ motif-containing proteins VQ1 and VQ10 interact with plastidial 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase.
Scientific Reports 14(1):18930.

• Gayubas B, Castillo MC, Ramos S, León J. (2023)
Enhanced meristem development, tolerance to oxidative stress and hyposensitivity to nitric oxide in the hypermorphic vq10-H mutant in AtVQ10 gene.
Plant Cell & Environment 46:3445-3463.

• Sandalio LM, Espinosa J, Shabala S, León J, Romero-Puertas MC (2023)
Reactive oxygen species- and nitric oxide-dependent regulation of ion and metal homeostasis in plants.
Journal of Experimental Botany 74(19):5970-5988.

• De Brasi-Velasco S, Sánchez-Guerrero A, Castillo MC, Vertommen D, León J, Sevilla F, Jiménez A (2023)
Thioredoxin TRXo1 is involved in ABA perception via PYR1 redox regulation.
Redox Biology 63:102750.

• León J (2022)
Protein Tyrosine Nitration in Plant Nitric Oxide Signaling.
Frontiers in Plant Science 13: 859374.

• Romero M, Peláez-Vico MA, Pazmiño D, Rodríguez-Serrano M, Terrón-Camero LC, Bautista R, Gómez-Cadenas A, Claros MG, León J, Sandalio LM (2021)
Insights into ROS-dependent signalling underlying transcriptomic plant responses to the herbicide 2,4-D.
Plant, Cell & Environment 45(2): 572-590.

• Castillo MC, Costa-Broseta A, Gayubas B, León J (2021)
NIN-like Protein7 and PROTELYSIS6 Functional Interaction Enhances Tolerance to Sucrose, ABA, and Submergence.
Plant Physiology 187(4): 2731-2748.

• León J, Castillo MC, Gayubas B (2021)
The hypoxia-reoxygenation stress in plants.
Journal of Experimental Botany 72(16): 5841–5856.

• León J, Gayubas B, Castillo MC (2021)
Valine-Glutamine Proteins in Plant Responses to Oxygen and Nitric Oxide.
Frontiers in Plant Science 11: 632678.

• Costa-Broseta Á, Castillo MC, León J (2021)
Post-Translational Modifications of Nitrate Reductases Autoregulates Nitric Oxide Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(2), 549.

• Costa-Broseta Á, Castillo MC, León J (2020)
Nitrite Reductase 1 Is a Target of Nitric Oxide-Mediated Post-Translational Modifications and Controls Nitrogen Flux and Growth in Arabidopsis.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21, 7270.

• León J, Costa-Broseta Á, Castillo MC (2020)
RAP2.3 negatively regulates nitric oxide biosynthesis and related responses through a rheostat-like mechanism in Arabidopsis.
Journal of Experimental Botany 71(10):3157-3171.

• León J, Costa-Broseta Á (2020)
Present knowledge and controversies, deficiencies and misconceptions on nitric oxide synthesis, sensing and signaling in plants.
Plant Cell & Environment 43: 1-15.

• Costa-Broseta A, Castillo MC, León J (2020)
Nitrite Reductase 1 Is a Target of Nitric Oxide-Mediated Post-Translational Modifications and Controls Nitrogen Flux and Growth in Arabidopsis.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21, 7270.

• León J, Costa-Broseta Á (2020)
Present knowledge and controversies, deficiencies and misconceptions on nitric oxide synthesis, sensing and signaling in plants
Plant Cell & Environment 43: 1-15

• León J, Costa-Broseta Á, Castillo MC (2020)
RAP2.3 negatively regulates nitric oxide biosynthesis and related responses through a rheostat-like mechanism in Arabidopsis
Journal of Experimental Botany 71(10):3157-3171

• Costa-Broseta Á, Perea-Resa C, Castillo MC, Ruíz MF, Salinas J, León J (2019)
Nitric Oxide Deficiency Decreases CBF-dependent and CBF-independent Induction of Cold Acclimation.
Journal of Experimental Botany 70:3283-3296

• Costa-Broseta A, Perea-Resa C, Castillo MC, Ruíz MF, Salinas J, José León (2018)
Nitric Oxide Controls Constitutive Freezing Tolerance in Arabidopsis by Attenuating the Levels of Osmoprotectants, Stress-Related Hormones and Anthocyanins
Scientific Reports 8(1):9268

• Castillo MC, Coego A, Costa-Broseta Á, León J (2018)
Nitric oxide responses in Arabidopsis hypocotyls are mediated by diverse phytohormone pathways
Journal of Experimental Botany 69: 5265-5278

• León J, Costa A, Castillo MC (2016)
Nitric oxide triggers a transient metabolic reprogramming in Arabidopsis
Scientific Reports 6, 37945

• Belda-Palazon B, Rodriguez L, Lorenzo-Orts L, Fernandez MA, Castillo MC, Anderson EM, Gao C, Gonzalez-Guzman M, Zhao Q, De Winne N, Gevaert K, de Jaeger G, Jiang L, León J, Mullen RT, Rodriguez PL (2016)
The ESCRT component FYVE1/FREE1 interacts with the PYL4 ABA receptor and mediates its delivery to the vacuolar degradation pathway
The Plant Cell. DOI: 10.1105/tpc.16.00178

• Castillo MC, Lozano-Juste J, González-Guzmán M, Rodriguez L, Rodriguez PL, León J (2015)
Inactivation of PYR/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors by tyrosine nitration may enable rapid inhibition of ABA signaling by nitric oxide in plants
Science Signaling 8: ra89

• Abbas M, Berckhan S, Rooney DJ, Gibbs DJ, Vicente Conde J, Sousa Correia C, Bassel GW, Marín-de la Rosa N, León J, Alabadí D, Blázquez MA, Holdsworth MJ (2015)
Oxygen sensing coordinates photomorphogenesis to facilitate seedling surviv
Current Biology 25: 1483-1488

• Leon J, Cruz Castillo M, Coego A, Lozano-Juste J, Mir R (2014)
Diverse functional interactions between nitric oxide and abscisic acid in plant development and responses to stress
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 65: 907-921

• Gibbs DJ, Isa NM, Mohavedi M, Lozano-Juste J, Mendiondo GM, Berckham S, Marín-dela Rosa N, Vicente-Conde J, Sousa-Correia C, Pearce S, Bassel GW, Hamali B, Talloji P, Tomé DFA, Coego A, Beynon J, Alabadí D, Bachmair A, León J, Gray JE, Theodoulou FL, Holdsworth MJ (2014)
Nitric oxide sensing in plants is mediated by proteolytic control of group VII ERF transcription factors
Molecular Cell 53: 369-379

• Mir R, León J (2014)
Pathogen and Circadian Controlled 1 (PCC1) Protein Is Anchored to the Plasma Membrane and Interacts with Subunit 5 of COP9 Signalosome in Arabidopsis
PLoS ONE 9: e87216

• Mir R, Hernández ML, Abou-Mansour E, Martínez-Rivas JM, Mauch F, Métraux JP, León J (2013)
Pathogen and Circadian Controlled 1 (PCC1) regulates polar lipid content, ABA-related responses and pathogen defense in Arabidopsis thaliana
Journal of Experimental Botany 64: 3385-3395

• Leon J (2013)
Role of plant peroxisomes in the production of jasmonic Acid-based signals.
Sub-Cellular Biochemistry 69:299-313

• L’Haridon F, Besson-Bard A, Binda M, Serrano M, Abou-Mansour E, Balet F, Schoonbeek HJ, Hess S, Mir R, León J, Lamotte O, Métraux JP (2011)
A Permeable Cuticle Is Associated with the Release of Reactive Oxygen Species and Induction of Innate Immunity
PLoS Pathogens 7: e1002148

• Lozano-Juste J, Colom-Moreno R, León J (2011)
In vivo protein tyrosine nitration in Arabidopsis thaliana
Journal of Experimental Botany 62: 3501-3517

• Alvarez C, Lozano-Juste J, Romero LC, Garcia I, Gotor C, Leon J (2011)
Inhibition Of Arabidopsis O-Acetylserine(Thiol)Lyase A1 By Tyrosine-Nitration
Journal of BiologicalChemistry 286: 578-586

• Peto A, Lehotai N, Lozano-Juste J, León J, Tari I, Erdei L, Kolbert Z (2011)
Involvement of nitric oxide and auxin in signal transduction of copper-induced morphological responses in Arabidopsis seedlings
Annals of Botany 108: 449-457

• Lozano-Juste J, Leon J (2011)
Nitric Oxide Regulates DELLA Content and PIF Expression to Promote Photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis
Plant Physiology 156: 1410-1423

• Lozano-Juste J, Leon J (2010)
Enhanced abscisic acid-mediated responses in nia1nia2noa1-2 triple mutant impaired in NIA/NR- and AtNOA1-mediated nitric oxide biosìntesis in Arabidopsis
Plant Physiology 152: 891-903

• Segarra S, Mir R, Martínez C, León J (2010)
Genome-wide analyses of the transcriptomes of salicylic acid-deficient versus wild type plants uncover Pathogen and Circadian Controlled 1 (PCC1) as a regulator of flowering time in Arabidopsis
Plant Cell & Environment 33: 11-22

• Lozano-Juste J, Leon J (2010)
Nitric oxide modulates sensitivity to ABA
Plant Signaling & Behavior 5: 314-316

• Castillo MC, León J (2008)
Expression of the b-oxidation gene 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase 2 (KAT2) is required for the timely onset of natural and dark-induced leaf senescence in Arabidopsis
Journal of Experimental Botany 59: 2171-2179

• March-Diaz R, García-Domínguez M, Lozano-Juste J, Leon J, Florencio FJ, Reyes JC (2008)
Histone H2A.Z and homologs of components of the SWR1 complex are required to control immunity in Arabidopsis
Plant Journal 53: 475-487

• Leon J (2008)
Peroxisome proliferation in Arabidopsis: The challenging identification of ligand perception and downstream signaling is closer
Plant Signaling & Behavior 3: 671-673

• Castillo MC, Sandalio LM, del Rio, LA, Leon J (2008)
Peroxisome proliferation, wound-activated responses and expresión of peroxisome-associated genes are cross-regulated but uncoupled in Arabidopsis thaliana
Plant Cell & Environment 31: 492-505

• Farmaki T, Sanmartín M, Jiménez P, Paneque M, Sanz C, Vancanneyt G, León J, Sánchez-Serrano JJ (2007)
Differential distribution of the lipoxygenase pathway enzymes within potato chloroplasts
Journal of Experimental Botany 58: 555-568

• Castillo MC, Martínez C, Buchala A, Métraux JP, León J (2004)
Gene-specific involvement of b-oxidation in wound-activated responses in Arabidopsis thaliana
Plant Physiology 135: 85-94

• Martinez C, Pons E, Prats G, Leon J (2004)
Salicylic acid regulates flowering time and links defense responses and reproductive development
Plant Journal 37: 209-217

• Leon J, Rojo E, Sanchez-Serrano JJ (2001)
Wound signalling in plants
Journal of Experimental Botany 52: 1-9