How plants sense ethylene gas--the ethylene receptors.
Ethylene is a hormone that affects many processes important for plant growth, development, and responses to stresses. The first step in ethylene signal transduction is when ethylene binds to its receptors. Numerous studies have examined how these receptors function. In this review we summarize many of these studies and present our current understanding about how ethylene binds to the receptors. The biochemical output of the receptors is not known but current models predict that when ethylene binds to the receptors, the activity of the associated protein kinase, CTR1 (constitutive triple response1), is reduced. This results in downstream transcriptional changes leading to ethylene responses. We present a model where a copper cofactor is required and the binding of ethylene causes the receptor to pass through a transition state to become non-signaling leading to lower CTR1 activity.
Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, M407 Walters Life Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States.
Randy F
RF
Lacey
Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, M407 Walters Life Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States. Electronic address: bbinder@utk.edu.
Brad M
BM
Binder
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D005030:Ethylenes; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C083750:ethylene receptors, plant; C036216:ethylene; D011494:Protein Kinases; C477753:CTR1 protein, Arabidopsis
Binding; Copper; Ethylene; Receptors; Transition metals