title: A role for nuclear localised proteasomes in mediating auxin action.
abstract: A number of important cellular events in animals and yeast are regulated by protein degradation, and it is becoming apparent that such regulated proteolysis is involved in many facets of plant physiology and development. We have investigated the role of protein degradation by proteasomes in plants using NtPSA1, a tobacco gene that is predominantly expressed in young developing tobacco tissues and has extensive homology to yeast and human alpha-type proteasome subunit genes. The NtPSA1 cDNA was used to complement a lethal mutation of the yeast PRC1 alpha subunit gene indicating that NtPSA1 encodes a functional proteasome subunit, and transient expression of an NtPSA1::GUS protein fusion in onion cells confirmed that the nuclear localisation signal that is present in the NtPSA1 peptide sequence is active in plant cells. Plants transformed with an antisense NtPSA1 gene had reduced levels of NtPSA1 mRNA and exhibited reduced apical dominance. In addition, these low NtPSA1 plants displayed several morphological defects associated with auxin resistance such as reduced stamen length, and showed increased tolerance to high concentrations of auxin. These results support a role for nuclear localised proteasomes in floral development and auxin responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Ahmad R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bahrami
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bastow
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rolfe
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D015084:2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016373:DNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D005298:Fertility / Q000235:genetics; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000254:growth & development; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014452:Ubiquitins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016373:DNA, Antisense; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D014452:Ubiquitins; D015084:2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases