title: Transcriptional and Post-transcriptional Modulation of SQU and KEW Activities in the Control of Dorsal-Ventral Asymmetric Flower Development in Lotus japonicus.
abstract: In Papilionoideae legume, Lotus japonicus, the development of dorsal-ventral (DV) asymmetric flowers is mainly controlled by two TB1/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) genes, SQUARED STANDARD (SQU) and KEELED WINGS IN LOTUS (KEW), which determine dorsal and lateral identities, respectively. However, the molecular basis of how these two highly homologous genes orchestrate their diverse functions remains unclear. Here, we analyzed their expression levels, and investigated the transcriptional activities of SQU and KEW. We demonstrated that SQU possesses both activation and repression activities, while KEW acts only as an activator. They form homo- and heterodimers, and then collaboratively regulate their expression at the transcription level. Furthermore, we identified two types of post-transcriptional modifications, phosphorylation and ATP/GTP binding, both of which could affect their transcriptional activities. Mutations in ATP/GTP binding motifs of SQU and KEW lead to failure of phosphorylation, and transgenic plants bearing the mutant proteins display defective DV asymmetric flower development, indicating that the two conjugate modifications are essential for their diverse functions. Altogether, SQU and KEW activities are precisely modulated at both transcription and post-transcription levels, which might link DV asymmetric flower development to different physiological status and/or signaling pathways.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; Modality of LFIA, Research and Application Marketing, Healthcare Group of General Electric, China Technology Park, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors: Zhiyong
authors: Z
authors: Xu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Cheng
authors: Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Yang
authors: Laboratory of Cancer Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Tianjin 300060, China.
authors: Shilei
authors: S
authors: Xu
authors: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Xiangling
authors: X
authors: Cao
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors: Xiaohe
authors: X
authors: Hu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.
authors: Ling
authors: L
authors: Yuan
authors: Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Ambrose
authors: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Genyun
authors: G
authors: Chen
authors: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Hualing
authors: H
authors: Mi
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China. Electronic address: dluo@sibs.ac.cn.
authors: Da
authors: D
authors: Luo
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000070116:Lotus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate
keywords: DV asymmetric flower development; KEW; Lotus japonicus; SQU; post-transcriptional modification; transcriptional activity