title: Is a cysteine proteinase inhibitor involved in the regulation of petal wilting in senescing carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) flowers?
abstract: Senescence of carnation petals is accompanied by autocatalytic ethylene production and wilting of the petals; the former is caused by the expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase and ACC oxidase genes and the latter is related to the expression of a cysteine proteinase (CPase) gene. CPase is probably responsible for the degradation of proteins, leading to the decomposition of cell components and resultant cell death during the senescence of petals. The carnation plant also has a gene for the CPase inhibitor (DC-CPIn) that is expressed abundantly in petals at the full opening stage of flowers. In the present study, DC-CPIn cDNA was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The recombinant DC-CPIn protein completely inhibited the activities of a proteinase (CPase) extracted from carnation petals and papain. Northern blot analysis showed that the mRNA for CPase (DC-CP1) accumulated in large amounts, whereas that for DC-CPIn disappeared, corresponding to the onset of petal wilting in flowers undergoing natural senescence and exogenous ethylene-induced senescence. Based on these findings, a role of DC-CPIn in the regulation of petal wilting is suggested; DC-CPIn acts as a suppressor of petal wilting, which probably functions to fine-tune petal wilting in contrast to coarse tuning, the up-regulation of CPase activity by gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bio-adaptation, Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tohoku University, Tsutsumidori-amamiyamachi 1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: Toshihito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Teruyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashiba
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satoh
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D029749:Dianthus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D008190:Lyases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005030:Ethylenes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C036216:ethylene; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; C059460:1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D008190:Lyases; C021773:1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylate synthase