title: ZmMADS47 Regulates Zein Gene Transcription through Interaction with Opaque2.
abstract: Zeins, the predominent storage proteins in maize endosperm, are encoded by multiple genes and gene families. However, only a few transcriptional factors for zein gene regulation have been functionally characterized. In this study, a MADS-box protein, namely ZmMADS47, was identified as an Opaque2 (O2) interacting protein via yeast two-hybrid screening. The N-terminal portion of ZmMADS47 contains a nuclear localization signal (NLS), and its C-terminal portion contains a transcriptional activation domain (AD). Interestingly, the transcriptional activation activity is blocked in its full length form, suggesting conformational regulation of the AD. Molecular and RNA-seq analyses of ZmMADS47 RNAi lines revealed down regulation of α-zein and 50-kD γ-zein genes. ZmMADS47 binds the CATGT motif in promoters of these zein genes, but ZmMADS47 alone is not able to transactivate the promoters. However, when both O2 and ZmMADS47 are present, the transactivation of these promoters was greatly enhanced. This enhancement was dependent on the AD function of ZmMADS47 and the interaction between ZmMADS47 and O2, but it was independent from the AD function of O2. Therefore, it appears interaction with O2 activates ZmMADS47 on zein gene promoters.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhenyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.|Coordinated Crop Biology Research Center (CBRC), Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ya'nan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yuanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.|Coordinated Crop Biology Research Center (CBRC), Beijing, China.|National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Rentao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics*; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*; D015028:Zein / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C102290:OHP1 protein, Zea mays; D010940:Plant Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015028:Zein