Fig. 6: Potential implication of PIFs in preventing bacterial induction of water-soaked lesions under light.

a Water-soaking phenotypes of Arabidopsis WT (Col-0), blus1 and pifq mutant plants syringe-infiltrated with Pst 3000 (1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml) under the indicated light settings. Photos were taken at 24 h post infiltration (hpi). b Stomatal aperture measurements from infected leaves displayed in a (n = 192 stomata for all LD DC3000 data, n = 196 stomata for all control data, n = 199 stomata for all LL DC3000 data). Expression levels, assessed by qRT-PCR, of ICS1 (c) and PR1 (d) marker genes in Arabidopsis WT (Col-0), blus1 and pifq mutant plants infected with Pst DC3000 (1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml) or with control solution (MgCl₂ 10 mM) in plants that were placed in the identified light settings. Samples were harvested at 24 hpi (n = 3 biologically independent replicates). Asterisks indicate statistically significant differences compared to control, ns non-significant, *p < 0.05, ****p < 2.2 × 10⁻¹⁶, Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test (b) or ****p < 0.0001, Student’s t test (d). All statistical tests are two-sided. In box plots, box edges delineate lower and upper quartiles, the center line represents the median, and whiskers extend to 1.5 times the interquartile range (IQR). In non-box-plot graphs, boxes and error bars represent mean ± S.E.M.