RESUMO
Age-regulated microRNA156 (miR156) and targets similarly control the competence to flower in diverse species. By contrast, the diterpene hormone gibberellin (GA) and the microRNA319-regulated TEOSINTE BRANCHED/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) transcription factors promote flowering in the facultative long-day Arabidopsis thaliana, but suppress it in the day-neutral tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). We combined genetic and molecular studies and described a new interplay between GA and two unrelated miRNA-associated pathways that modulates tomato transition to flowering. Tomato PROCERA/DELLA activity is required to promote flowering along with the miR156-targeted SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING-LIKE (SPL/SBP) transcription factors by activating SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) in the leaves and the MADS-Box gene APETALA1(AP1)/MC at the shoot apex. Conversely, miR319-targeted LANCEOLATE represses floral transition by increasing GA concentrations and inactivating SFT in the leaves and AP1/MC at the shoot apex. Importantly, the combination of high GA concentrations/responses with the loss of SPL/SPB function impaired canonical meristem maturation and flower initiation in tomato. Our results reveal a cooperative regulation of tomato floral induction and flower development, integrating age cues (miR156 module) with GA responses and miR319-controlled pathways. Importantly, this study contributes to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effects of GA in controlling flowering time in a day-neutral species.
Assuntos
Flores/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Giberelinas/metabolismo , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Solanum lycopersicum/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Solanum lycopersicum/genética , Inflorescência/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Meristema/crescimento & desenvolvimento , MicroRNAs/genética , Modelos Biológicos , Mutação/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismoRESUMO
Flavones, one of the largest groups of flavonoids, have beneficial effects on human health and are considered of high nutritional value. Previously, we demonstrated that maize type I flavone synthase (ZmFNSI) is one of the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of O-glycosyl flavones in floral tissues. However, in related species such as rice and sorghum, type II FNS enzymes also contribute to flavone biosynthesis. In this work, we provide evidence that maize has both one FNSI and one FNSII flavone synthases. Arabidopsis transgenic plants expressing each FNS enzyme were generated to validate the role of flavones in protecting plants against UV-B radiation. Here, we demostrate that ZmCYP93G7 (FNSII) has flavone synthase activity and is able to complement the Arabidopsis dmr6 mutant, restoring the susceptibility to Pseudomonas syringae. ZmFNSII expression is controlled by the C1/PL1 + R/B anthocyanin transcriptional complexes, and both ZmFNSI and ZmFNSII are regulated by UV-B. Arabidopsis transgenic plants expressing ZmFNSI or ZmFNSII that accumulate apigenin exhibit less UV-B-induced damage than wild-type plants. Together, we show that maize has two FNS-type enzymes that participate in the synthesis of apigenin, conferring protection against UV-B radiation.
Assuntos
Apigenina/fisiologia , Sistema Enzimático do Citocromo P-450/metabolismo , Oxigenases de Função Mista/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/fisiologia , Raios Ultravioleta/efeitos adversos , Zea mays/metabolismo , Apigenina/metabolismo , Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Dano ao DNA/efeitos da radiação , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Plantas Geneticamente Modificadas , Zea mays/enzimologia , Zea mays/efeitos da radiaçãoRESUMO
Flavonoids are specialized compounds widely distributed and with diverse functions throughout the plant kingdom and with several benefits for human health. In particular, flavonols, synthesized by flavonol synthase (FLS), protect plants against UV-B radiation and are essential for male fertility in maize and other plants. We have recently characterized a UV-B inducible ZmFLS1, corresponding to the first to be described in monocot plants. Interestingly, the new assembly of the B73 maize genome revealed the presence of a second putative FLS gene (ZmFLS2), with very high identity with ZmFLS1. ZmFLSs expression was analyzed in different maize tissues, and by combining electrophoretic mobility shift assays and transient expression experiments, we show that both genes are direct targets of anthocyanin (C1/PL1 + R/B) and 3-deoxy flavonoid (P1) transcriptional regulators. ZmFLS expression analyses show higher levels of both transcripts in high altitude landraces than inbred lines, and both genes are regulated by UV-B radiation in all lines analyzed. Moreover, the high sequence conservation of the ZmFLS promoters between maize lines suggests that the differences observed in ZmFLS expression are due to allelic variations in the transcription factors that regulate their activities. Finally, we generated pFLS1::FLS1-RFP transgenic plants and analyzed ZmFLS1 expression in different maize tissues; we found that this enzyme is localized in the ER and the perinuclear region.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Plants living at high altitudes are typically exposed to elevated UV-B radiation, and harbor mechanisms to prevent the induced damage, such as the accumulation of UV-absorbing compounds. The maize R2R3-MYB transcription factor P1 controls the accumulation of several UV-B absorbing phenolics by activating a subset of flavonoid biosynthetic genes in leaves of maize landraces adapted to high altitudes. RESULTS: Here, we studied the UV-B regulation of P1 in maize leaves of high altitude landraces, and we investigated how UV-B regulates P1 binding to the CHS promoter in both low and high altitude lines. In addition, we analyzed whether the expansion in the P1 expression domain between these maize landraces and inbred lines is associated to changes in the molecular structure of the proximal promoter, distal enhancer and first intron of P1. Finally, using transient expression experiments in protoplasts from various maize genotypes, we investigated whether the different expression patterns of P1 in the high altitude landraces could be attributed to trans- or cis-acting elements. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our results demonstrate that, although differences in cis-acting elements exist between the different lines under study, the different patterns of P1 expression are largely a consequence of effects in trans.
Assuntos
Altitude , Mutação INDEL , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Raios Ultravioleta , Zea mays/efeitos da radiação , Alelos , Sequência de Bases , Imunoprecipitação da Cromatina , Clonagem Molecular , Variações do Número de Cópias de DNA , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Íntrons , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Folhas de Planta/genética , Folhas de Planta/metabolismo , Folhas de Planta/efeitos da radiação , Protoplastos/metabolismo , Protoplastos/efeitos da radiação , RNA de Plantas/genética , RNA de Plantas/metabolismo , RNA Interferente Pequeno/genética , RNA Interferente Pequeno/metabolismo , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Alinhamento de Sequência , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Transformação Genética , Zea mays/genética , Zea mays/metabolismoRESUMO
Flavonols are important compounds for conditional male fertility in maize (Zea mays) and other crops, and they also contribute to protecting plants from UV-B radiation. However, little continues to be known on how maize and other grasses synthesize flavonols, and how flavonol biosynthesis is regulated. By homology with an Arabidopsis flavonol synthase (AtFLS1), we cloned a maize gene encoding a protein (ZmFLS1) capable of converting the dihydrokaempferol (DHK) and dihydroquercetin (DHQ) dihydroflavonols to the corresponding flavonols, kaempferol (K) and quercetin (Q). Moreover, ZmFLS1 partially complements the flavonol deficiency of the Arabidopsis fls1 mutant, and restores anthocyanin accumulation to normal levels. We demonstrate that ZmFLS1 is under the control of the anthocyanin (C1/PL1 + R/B) and 3-deoxy flavonoid (P1) transcriptional regulators. Indeed, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments, we establish that ZmFLS1 is an immediate direct target of the P1 and C1/R regulatory complexes, revealing similar control as for earlier steps in the maize flavonoid pathway. Highlighting the importance of flavonols in UV-B protection, we also show that ZmFLS1 is induced in maize seedlings by UV-B, and that this induction is in part mediated by the increased expression of the P1, B and PL1 regulators. Together, our results identify a key flavonoid biosynthetic enzyme so far missed in maize and other monocots, and illustrate mechanisms by which flavonol accumulation is controlled in maize.
Assuntos
Oxirredutases/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Raios Ultravioleta , Zea mays/enzimologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Arabidopsis/enzimologia , Arabidopsis/genética , Clonagem Molecular , Flavonóis/biossíntese , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Teste de Complementação Genética , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Oxirredutases/genética , Oxirredutases/efeitos da radiação , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/efeitos da radiação , RNA de Plantas/genética , Alinhamento de Sequência , Zea mays/genéticaRESUMO
Nitric oxide (NO) can influence the transcriptional activity of a wide set of Arabidopsis genes. The aim of the present work was to investigate if NO modifies DNA-binding activity of AtMYB2 (a typical R2R3-MYB from Arabidopsis thaliana), by a posttranslational modification of its conserved Cys53 residue. We cloned a fully active minimal DNA-binding domain of AtMYB2 spanning residues 19-125, hereafter called M2D. In EMSA assays, M2D binds the core binding site 5'-[A]AACC[A]-3'. The NO donors SNP and GSNO inhibit M2D DNA-binding. As expected for a Cys S-nitrosylation, the NO-mediated inhibitory effect was reversed by DTT, and S-nitrosylation of Cys53 in M2D was detected by biotin switch assays. These results demonstrate that the DNA-binding of M2D is inhibited by S-nitrosylation of Cys53 as a consequence of NO action, thus establishing for the first time a relationship between the redox state and DNA-binding in a plant MYB transcription factor.