Abstract
The plant hormone ethylene regulates a wide range of developmental processes and the response of plants to stress and pathogens. Genetic studies in Arabidopsis led to a partial elucidation of the mechanisms of ethylene action. Ethylene signal transduction initiates with ethylene binding at a family of ethylene receptors and terminates in a transcription cascade involving the EIN3/EIL and ERF families of plant-specific transcription factors. Here, we identify two Arabidopsis F box proteins called EBF1 and EBF2 that interact physically with EIN3/EIL transcription factors. EBF1 overexpression results in plants insensitive to ethylene. In contrast, plants carrying the ebf1 and ebf2 mutations display a constitutive ethylene response and accumulate the EIN3 protein in the absence of the hormone. Our work places EBF1 and EBF2 within the genetic framework of the ethylene-response pathway and supports a model in which ethylene action depends on EIN3 protein stabilization.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Arabidopsis / drug effects
-
Arabidopsis / genetics
-
Arabidopsis / growth & development*
-
Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
-
Arabidopsis Proteins / isolation & purification*
-
Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
-
Cell Nucleus / genetics
-
Cell Nucleus / metabolism
-
DNA, Complementary / analysis
-
DNA, Complementary / genetics
-
DNA-Binding Proteins
-
Ethylenes / metabolism*
-
Ethylenes / pharmacology
-
F-Box Proteins / genetics
-
F-Box Proteins / isolation & purification*
-
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / drug effects
-
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / genetics
-
Molecular Sequence Data
-
Nuclear Proteins / genetics
-
Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
-
Phenotype
-
Plant Proteins
-
Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism
-
SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases / genetics
-
SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases / isolation & purification*
-
Seedlings / drug effects
-
Seedlings / genetics
-
Seedlings / growth & development
-
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
-
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
-
Signal Transduction / drug effects
-
Signal Transduction / genetics
-
Transcription Factors*
Substances
-
Arabidopsis Proteins
-
DNA, Complementary
-
DNA-Binding Proteins
-
EBF1 protein, Arabidopsis
-
EBF2 protein, Arabidopsis
-
EIN2 protein, Arabidopsis
-
EIN3 protein, Arabidopsis
-
Ethylenes
-
F-Box Proteins
-
Nuclear Proteins
-
Plant Proteins
-
Receptors, Cell Surface
-
Transcription Factors
-
ethylene-responsive element binding protein
-
ethylene
-
SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases