title: Characterization of the plant Notchless homolog, a WD repeat protein involved in seed development.
abstract: We have isolated a plant NOTCHLESS (NLE) homolog from the wild potato species Solanum chacoense Bitt., encoding a WD-repeat containing protein initially characterized as a negative regulator of the Notch receptor in animals. Although no Notch signaling pathway exists in plants, the NLE gene is conserved in animals, plants, and yeast. Overexpression of the plant ScNLE gene in Drosophila similarly affected bristle formation when compared to the overexpression of the endogenous Drosophila NLE gene, suggesting functional conservation. Expression analyses showed that the ScNLE gene was fertilization-induced and primarily expressed in ovules after fertilization, mainly in the integumentary tapetum (endothelium). Significant expression was also detected in the shoot apex. Promoter deletion analysis revealed that the ScNLE promoter had a complex modulatory architecture with both positive, negative, and tissue specific regulatory elements. Transgenic plants with reduced levels of ScNLE transcripts displayed pleitotropic phenotypes including a severe reduction in seed set, consistent with ScNLE gene expression pattern.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale (IRBV), Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, 4101 rue Sherbrooke est, H1X 2B2, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Sier-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chantha
authors.forename: B Starling
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Emerald
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Matton
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005298:Fertility / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D020449:Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid / Q000235:genetics; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D032322:Solanum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D005966:Glucuronidase