title: Molecular Characterization and Functional Analysis of Two PetuniaPhEILs.
abstract: Ethylene plays an important role in flower senescence of many plants.ArabidopsisETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) and its homolog EIL1 are the downstream component of ethylene signaling transduction. However, the function of EILs during flower senescence remains unknown. Here, a petuniaEILgene,PhEIL2, was isolated. Phylogenetic tree showed that PhEIL1, whose coding gene is previously isolated, and PhEIL2 are the homologs ofArabidopsisAtEIL3 and AtEIL1, respectively. The expression of bothPhEIL1andPhEIL2is the highest in corollas and increased during corolla senescence. Ethylene treatment increased the mRNA level ofPhEIL1but reduced that ofPhEIL2. VIGS-mediated bothPhEIL1andPhEIL2silencing delayed flower senescence, and significantly reduced ethylene production and the expression ofPhERF3andPhCP2, two senescence-associated genes in petunia flowers. The PhEIL2 protein activating transcription domain is identified in the 353-612-amino acids at C-terminal of PhEIL2 and yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays show that PhEIL2 interacts with PhEIL1, suggesting that PhEIL1 and PhEIL2 might form heterodimers to recognize their targets. These molecular characterizations of PhEIL1 and PhEIL2 in petunia are different with those of inVigna radiataandArabidopsis.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China; College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yuanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Juanxu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China; College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yixun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: EIL; VIGS; ethylene signaling; flower senescence; petunia