title: Differential expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase genes during orchid flower senescence induced by the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid.
abstract: Applying 10 pmol of okadaic acid (OA), a specific inhibitor of type 1 or type 2A serine/threonine protein phosphatases, to the orchid (Phalaenopsis species) stigma induced a dramatic increase in ethylene production and an accelerated senescence of the whole flower. Aminoethoxyvinylglycine or silver thiosulfate, inhibitors of ethylene biosynthesis or action, respectively, effectively inhibited the OA-induced ethylene production and retarded flower senescence, suggesting that the protein phosphatase inhibitor induced orchid flower senescence through an ethylene-mediated signaling pathway. OA treatment induced a differential expression pattern for the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase multigene family. Accumulation of Phal-ACS1 transcript in the stigma, labelum, and ovary induced by OA were higher than those induced by pollination as determined by "semiquantitative" reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. In contrast, the transcript levels of Phal-ACS2 and Phal-ACS3 induced by OA were much lower than those induced by pollination. Staurosporine, a protein kinase inhibitor, on the other hand, inhibited the OA-induced Phal-ACS1 expression in the stigma and delayed flower senescence. Our results suggest that a hyper-phosphorylation status of an unidentified protein(s) is involved in up-regulating the expression of Phal-ACS1 gene resulting in increased ethylene production and accelerated the senescence process of orchid flower.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Charng
mesh_terms: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects*; D008190:Lyases / Q000235:genetics*; D019319:Okadaic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019319:Okadaic Acid; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D008190:Lyases; C021773:1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylate synthase