AtGA3ox2, a key gene responsible for bioactive gibberellin biosynthesis, is regulated during embryogenesis by LEAFY COTYLEDON2 and FUSCA3 in Arabidopsis.
Embryonic regulators LEC2 (LEAFY COTYLEDON2) and FUS3 (FUSCA3) are involved in multiple aspects of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seed development, including repression of leaf traits and premature germination and activation of seed storage protein genes. In this study, we show that gibberellin (GA) hormone biosynthesis is regulated by LEC2 and FUS3 pathways. The level of bioactive GAs is increased in immature seeds of lec2 and fus3 mutants relative to wild-type level. In addition, we show that the formation of ectopic trichome cells on lec2 and fus3 embryos is a GA-dependent process as in true leaves, suggesting that the GA pathway is misactivated in embryonic mutants. We next demonstrate that the GA-biosynthesis gene AtGA3ox2, which encodes the key enzyme AtGA3ox2 that catalyzes the conversion of inactive to bioactive GAs, is ectopically activated in embryos of the two mutants. Interestingly, both beta-glucuronidase reporter gene expression and in situ hybridization indicate that FUS3 represses AtGA3ox2 expression mainly in epidermal cells of embryo axis, which is distinct from AtGA3ox2 pattern at germination. Finally, we show that the FUS3 protein physically interacts with two RY elements (CATGCATG) present in the AtGA3ox2 promoter. This work suggests that GA biosynthesis is directly controlled by embryonic regulators during Arabidopsis embryonic development.
Curaba
Julien
J
Laboratoire de Plastes et Différenciation Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 5575, Université Joseph Fourier, Centre Etude et de Recherche sur les Macromolécules Organiques B.P. 53, F-38041 Grenoble 9, France.
Moritz
Thomas
T
Blervaque
Renaud
R
Parcy
François
F
Raz
Vered
V
Herzog
Michel
M
Vachon
Gilles
G
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018525:Germination; D005875:Gibberellins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D036226:Seedlings / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D005875:Gibberellins