title: A Petunia homeodomain-leucine zipper protein, PhHD-Zip, plays an important role in flower senescence.
abstract: Flower senescence is initiated by developmental and environmental signals, and regulated by gene transcription. A homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor, PhHD-Zip, is up-regulated during petunia flower senescence. Virus-induced gene silencing of PhHD-Zip extended flower life by 20% both in unpollinated and pollinated flowers. Silencing PhHD-Zip also dramatically reduced ethylene production and the abundance of transcripts of genes involved in ethylene (ACS, ACO), and ABA (NCED) biosynthesis. Abundance of transcripts of senescence-related genes (SAG12, SAG29) was also dramatically reduced in the silenced flowers. Over-expression of PhHD-Zip accelerated petunia flower senescence. Furthermore, PhHD-Zip transcript abundance in petunia flowers was increased by application of hormones (ethylene, ABA) and abiotic stresses (dehydration, NaCl and cold). Our results suggest that PhHD-Zip plays an important role in regulating petunia flower senescence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China ; Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Xiaoxiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Crops Pathology and Genetic Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China ; Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Daoyang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Jingping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Crops Pathology and Genetic Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Cai-Zhong
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D055864:Droughts; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D035264:Flowers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000187:drug effects; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016350:Leucine Zippers; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D032306:Petunia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D054817:Pollination / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005030:Ethylenes; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000040:Abscisic Acid; C036216:ethylene