1Myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX) is the first enzyme in the inositol route to ascorbate (L-2 ascorbic acid, AsA, vitamin C). We have previously shown that Arabidopsis plants 3 constitutively expressing MIOX have elevated foliar AsA content and displayed enhanced 4 growth rate, biomass accumulation, and increased tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. 5In this work, we used a combination of transcriptomics, chromatography, microscopy, 6 and physiological measurements to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying 7 mechanisms mediating the phenotype of the AtMIOX4 line. Transcritpomic analysis 8 revealed increased expression of genes involved in auxin synthesis, hydrolysis, transport, 9 and metabolism, which are supported by elevated auxin levels both in vitro and in vivo, 10 and confirmed by assays demonstrating their effect on epidermal cell elongation in the 11AtMIOX4 over-expresser plants. Additionally, we detected up-regulation of transcripts 12 involved in photosynthesis that was validated by increased efficiency of the photosystem 13 II and proton motive force. We also found increased expression of amylase leading to 14 higher intracellular glucose levels. Multiple gene families conferring plants tolerance to 15 cold, water limitation, and heat stresses were found to be elevated in the AtMIOX4 line. 16Interestingly, the high AsA plants also displayed up-regulation of transcripts and 17 hormones involved in defense including jasmonates, defensin, glucosinolates, and 18 transcription factors that are known to be important for biotic stress tolerance. These 19 results overall indicate that elevated levels of auxin and glucose, and enhanced 20 photosynthetic efficiency in combination with up-regulation of abiotic stresses response 21 genes underly the higher growth rate and abiotic stresses tolerance phenotype of the 22 AtMIOX4 over-expressers. 23 (Keywords: ascorbate, ascorbic acid, vitamin C, abiotic stress, redox biology) 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 related (PR) genes via reduced glutathione accumulation (Pavet et al., 2006).