title: In vivo imaging of MADS-box transcription factor interactions.
abstract: MADS-box transcription factors are major regulators of development in flowering plants. The factors act in a combinatorial manner, either as homo- or heterodimers, and they control floral organ formation and identity and many other developmental processes through a complex network of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. Despite the fact that many studies have been carried out to elucidate MADS-box protein dimerization by yeast systems, very little information is available on the behaviour of these molecules in planta. Here, evidence for specific interactions between the petunia MADS-box proteins FBP2, FBP11, and FBP24 is provided in vivo. The dimers identified in yeast for the ovule-specific FBP24 protein have been confirmed in living plant cells by means of fluorescence resonance energy transfer-fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and, in addition, some of the most likely, less stable homo- and heterodimers were identified. This in vivo approach revealed that particular dimers could only be detected in specific sub-nuclear domains. In addition, evidence for the in planta assembly of these ovule-specific MADS-box transcription factors into higher-order complexes is provided.
authors.affiliation: Business Unit Bioscience, Plant Research International, PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Isabella A Nougalli
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Tonaco
authors.forename: Jan Willem
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Borst
authors.forename: Sacco C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Gerco C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Angenent
authors.forename: Richard G H
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Immink
mesh_terms: D001667:Binding, Competitive; D019281:Dimerization; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000502:physiology; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry; D032306:Petunia / Q000502:physiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D011523:Protoplasts; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques; D015003:Yeasts
chemical_list: D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D010940:Plant Proteins