Underexpression of the plant NOTCHLESS gene, encoding a WD-repeat protein, causes pleitropic phenotype during plant development.
WD-repeat proteins are involved in a breadth of cellular processes. While the WD-repeat protein encoding gene NOTCHLESS has been involved in the regulation of the Notch signaling pathway in Drosophila, its yeast homolog Rsa4p was shown to participate in 60S ribosomal subunit biogenesis. The plant homolog ScNLE was previously characterized in Solanum chacoense (ScNLE) as being involved in seed development. However, expression data and reduced size of ScNLE underexpressing plants suggested in addition a role during shoot development. We here report the detailed phenotypic characterization of ScNLE underexpressing plants during shoot development. ScNLE was shown to be expressed in actively dividing cells of the shoot apex. Consistent with this, ScNLE underexpression caused pleiotropic defects such as a reduction in aerial organ size, a reduction in some organ numbers, delayed flowering, and an increase in stomatal index. Analysis of adaxial epidermal cells revealed that both cell number and cell size were reduced in mature leaves of ScNLE underexpressing lines. Two-hybrid screens with the Nle domain and the WD-repeat domain of ScNLE allowed the isolation of homologs of yeast MIDASIN and NSA2 genes, the products of which are involved in 60S ribosomal subunit biogenesis in yeast. A ScNLE-GFP chimeric protein was localized in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. These data altogether suggest that ScNLE likely plays a role in 60S ribosomal subunit biogenesis, which is essential for proper cellular growth and proliferation during plant development.
Chantha
Sier-Ching
SC
Département de Sciences Biologiques, Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale (IRBV), Université de Montréal, 4101 rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal, QC, Canada H1X 2B2.
Matton
Daniel P
DP
D000818:Animals; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D017931:DNA Primers; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000235:genetics; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000254:growth & development*; D010957:Plasmids; D032322:Solanum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D017931:DNA Primers; D018744:DNA, Plant; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C117007:Nle protein, Drosophila; D010940:Plant Proteins; D005966:Glucuronidase