The NTT transcription factor promotes replum development in Arabidopsis fruits

Plant J. 2014 Oct;80(1):69-81. doi: 10.1111/tpj.12617. Epub 2014 Aug 27.

Abstract

Fruits are complex plant structures that nurture seeds and facilitate their dispersal. The Arabidopsis fruit is termed silique. It develops from the gynoecium, which has a stigma, a style, an ovary containing the ovules, and a gynophore. Externally, the ovary consists of two valves, and their margins lay adjacent to the replum, which is connected to the septum that internally divides the ovary. In this work we describe the role for the zinc-finger transcription factor NO TRANSMITTING TRACT (NTT) in replum development. NTT loss of function leads to reduced replum width and cell number, whereas increased expression promotes replum enlargement. NTT activates the homeobox gene BP, which, together with RPL, is important for replum development. In addition, the NTT protein is able to bind the BP promoter in yeast, and when this binding region is not present, NTT fails to activate BP in the replum. Furthermore, NTT interacts with itself and different proteins involved in fruit development: RPL, STM, FUL, SHP1 and SHP2 in yeast and in planta. Moreover, its genetic interactions provide further evidence about its biological relevance in replum development.

Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; NO TRANSMITTING TRACT; fruit development; fruit patterning; replum; transcription factors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / cytology
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Fruit / cytology
  • Fruit / genetics*
  • Fruit / growth & development
  • Fruit / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Models, Biological
  • Mutation
  • Organ Specificity
  • Phenotype
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Seeds / cytology
  • Seeds / genetics
  • Seeds / growth & development
  • Seeds / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Zinc Fingers

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • At3g57670 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Transcription Factors