Gene regulation during late embryogenesis: the RY motif of maturation-specific gene promoters is a direct target of the FUS3 gene product.
The Arabidopsis mutants fus3 and abi3 show pleiotropic effects during embryogenesis including reduced levels of transcripts encoding embryo-specific seed proteins. To investigate the interaction between the B3-domain-containing transcription factors FUS3 and ABI3 with the RY cis-motif, conserved in many seed-specific promoters, a promoter analysis as well as band-shift experiments were performed. The analysis of promoter mutants revealed the structural requirements for the function of the RY cis-element. It is shown that both the nucleotide sequence and the alternation of purin and pyrimidin nucleotides (RY character) are essential for the activity of the motif. Further, it was shown that FUS3 and ABI3 can act independently of each other in controlling promoter activity and that the RY cis-motif is a target for both transcription factors. For FUS3, which is so far the smallest known member of the B3-domain family, a physical interaction with the RY motif was established. The functional and biochemical data demonstrate that the regulators FUS3 and ABI3 are essential components of a regulatory network acting in concert through the RY-promoter element to control gene expression during late embryogenesis and seed development.
Reidt
W
W
Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gatersleben, Germany.
Wohlfarth
T
T
Ellerström
M
M
Czihal
A
A
Tewes
A
A
Ezcurra
I
I
Rask
L
L
Bäumlein
H
H
D055516:2S Albumins, Plant; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D019470:Biolistics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018744:DNA, Plant; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development; D014157:Transcription Factors
D055516:2S Albumins, Plant; C091601:ABI3 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018744:DNA, Plant; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C050363:napin protein, Brassica napus; C075580:FUS3 protein, S cerevisiae; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases