2′,3′-cAMP treatment mimics abiotic stress response

For many years, 2′,3′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (2′,3′-cAMP), a positional isomer of the second messenger 3′,5′-cAMP, has not received enough attention. Recent studies have reported that 2′,3′-cAMP exists in plants and might be involved in stress signaling because 1) its level increases upon wounding and 2) it was shown to participate in stress granule formation. Although 2′,3′-cAMP is known as RNA-degradation product, the effect of its accumulation in the cell remains unknown. Here, we unprecedentedly evaluate responses at the transcriptome, metabolome, and proteome levels to the accumulation of 2′,3′-cAMP in Arabidopsis plants. Data revealed that 2′,3′-cAMP is metabolized into adenosine, suggesting that a well-known cyclic nucleotide - adenosine pathway from human cells might exist also in plants. However, the control transcriptomic data indicated that, despite fewer overlaps, responses to 2′,3′-cAMP and to adenosine differ. Analysis of the transcriptome and proteome in response to 2′,3′-cAMP showed similar changes, known as signatures for abiotic stress response. This is further supported by the fact that adding to the role in facilitating of stress granules (SGs) formation, 2′,3′-cAMP induces changes at the level of proteins known as key components of SGs and can also induce movement of processing bodies (PBs) in the cell.