title: A stable JAZ protein from peach mediates the transition from outcrossing to self-pollination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Variations in floral display represent one of the core features associated with the transition from allogamy to autogamy in angiosperms. The promotion of autogamy under stress conditions suggests the potential involvement of a signaling pathway with a dual role in both flower development and stress response. The jasmonic acid (JA) pathway is a plausible candidate to play such a role because of its involvement in many plant responses to environmental and developmental cues. In the present study, we used peach (Prunus persica L.) varieties with showy and non-showy flowers to investigate the role of JA (and JA signaling suppressors) in floral display.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results show that PpJAZ1, a component of the JA signaling pathway in peach, regulates petal expansion during anthesis and promotes self-pollination. PpJAZ1 transcript levels were higher in petals of the non-showy flowers than those of showy flowers at anthesis. Moreover, the ectopic expression of PpJAZ1 in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) converted the showy, chasmogamous tobacco flowers into non-showy, cleistogamous flowers. Stability of PpJAZ1 was confirmed in vivo using PpJAZ1-GFP chimeric protein. PpJAZ1 inhibited JA-dependent processes in roots and leaves of transgenic plants, including induction of JA-response genes to mechanical wounding. However, the inhibitory effect of PpJAZ1 on JA-dependent fertility functions was weaker, indicating that PpJAZ1 regulates the spatial localization of JA signaling in different plant organs. Indeed, JA-related genes showed differential expression patterns in leaves and flowers of transgenic plants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results reveal that under stress conditions – for example, herbivore attacks – stable JAZ proteins such as PpJAZ1 may alter JA signaling in different plant organs, resulting in autogamy as a reproductive assurance mechanism. This represents an additional mechanism by which plant hormone signaling can modulate a vital developmental process in response to stress.
authors: Sherif
authors: S
authors: Sherif
authors: Islam
authors: I
authors: El-Sharkawy
authors: Jaideep
authors: J
authors: Mathur
authors: Pratibha
authors: P
authors: Ravindran
authors: Prakash
authors: P
authors: Kumar
authors: Gopinadhan
authors: G
authors: Paliyath
authors: Subramanian
authors: S
authors: Jayasankar
mesh_terms: D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D035264:Flowers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005638:Fruit / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D017343:Genes, Plant; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D054817:Pollination / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D055550:Protein Stability / Q000187:drug effects; D059748:Proteolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D027861:Prunus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D057945:Self-Fertilization / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C011006:jasmonic acid