Characterization of the molecular mechanism underlying gibberellin perception complex formation in rice

Making sense of hormone-mediated defense networking: from rice to Arabidopsis

Phytohormones are not only essential for plant growth and development but also play central roles in triggering the plant immune signaling network. Historically, research aimed at elucidating the defense-associated role of hormones has tended to focus on the use of experimentally tractable dicot plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Emerging from these studies is a picture whereby complex crosstalk and induced hormonal changes mold plant health and disease, with outcomes largely dependent on the lifestyle and infection strategy of invading pathogens. However, recent studies in monocot plants are starting to provide additional important insights into the immune-regulatory roles of hormones, often revealing unique complexities. In this review, we address the latest discoveries dealing with hormone-mediated immunity in rice, one of the most important food crops and an excellent model for molecular genetic studies in monocots. Moreover, we highlight interactions between hormone signaling, rice defense and pathogen virulence, and discuss the differences and similarities with findings in Arabidopsis. Finally, we present a model for hormone defense networking in rice and describe how detailed knowledge of hormone crosstalk mechanisms can be used for engineering durable rice disease resistance.

A DELLA gene, RhGAI1, is a direct target of EIN3 and mediates ethylene-regulated rose petal cell expansion via repressing the expression of RhCesA2

Ethylene plays an important role in organ growth. In Arabidopsis, ethylene can inhibit root elongation by stabilizing DELLA proteins. In previous work, it was found that ethylene suppressed cell expansion in rose petals, and five unisequences of DELLA genes are induced by ethylene. However, the mechanism of transcriptional regulation of DELLA genes by ethylene is still not clear. The results showed that the expression of RhGAI1 was induced in both ethylene-treated and ETR gene-silenced rose petals, and the promoter activity of RhGAI1 was strongly induced by RhEIN3-3 in Arabidopsis protoplasts. What is more, RhEIN3-3 could bind to the promoter of RhGAI1 directly in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Cell expansion was suppressed in RhGAI1-Δ17-overexpressed Arabidopsis petals and promoted in RhGAI1-silenced rose petals. Moreover, in RhGAI1-silenced petals, the expression of nine cell expansion-related genes was clearly changed, and RhGAI1 can bind to the promoter of RhCesA2 in an EMSA. These results suggested that RhGAI1 was regulated by ethylene at the transcriptional level, and RhGAI1 was a direct target of RhEIN3-3. Also, RhGAI1 was shown to be involved in cell expansion partially through regulating the expression of cell expansion-related genes. Furthermore, RhCesA2 was a direct target of RhGAI1. This work uncovers the transcriptional regulation of RhGAI1 by ethylene and provides a better understanding of how ethylene regulates petal expansion in roses.

Novel natural allelic variations at the Rht-1 loci in wheat

Plant height is an important agronomic trait. Dramatic increase in wheat yield during the "green revolution" is mainly due to the widespread utilization of the Reduced height (Rht)-1 gene. We analyzed the natural allelic variations of three homoeologous loci Rht-A1, Rht-B1, and Rht-D1 in Chinese wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) micro-core collections and the Rht-B1/D1 genotypes in over 1,500 bred cultivars and germplasms using a modified EcoTILLING. We identified six new Rht-A1 allelic variations (Rht-A1b-g), eight new Rht-B1 allelic variations (Rht-B1h-o), and six new Rht-D1 allelic variations (Rht-D1e-j). These allelic variations contain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or small insertions and deletions in the coding or uncoding regions, involving two frame-shift mutations and 15 missenses. Of which, Rht-D1e and Rht-D1h resulted in the loss of interactions of GID1-DELLA-GID2, Rht-B1i could increase plant height. We found that the Rht-B1h contains the same SNPs and 197 bp fragment insertion as reported in Rht-B1c. Further detection of Rht-B1h in Tibet wheat germplasms and wheat relatives indicated that Rht-B1c may originate from Rht-B1h. These results suggest rich genetic diversity at the Rht-1 loci and provide new resources for wheat breeding.

Lifting della repression of Arabidopsis seed germination by nonproteolytic gibberellin signaling

DELLA repression of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seed germination can be lifted either through DELLA proteolysis by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway or through proteolysis-independent gibberellin (GA) hormone signaling. GA binding to the GIBBERELLIN-INSENSITIVE DWARF1 (GID1) GA receptors stimulates GID1-GA-DELLA complex formation, which in turn triggers DELLA protein ubiquitination and proteolysis via the SCF(SLY1) E3 ubiquitin ligase and 26S proteasome. Although DELLA cannot be destroyed in the sleepy1-2 (sly1-2) F-box mutant, long dry after-ripening and GID1 overexpression can relieve the strong sly1-2 seed dormancy phenotype. It appears that sly1-2 seed dormancy results from abscisic acid (ABA) signaling downstream of DELLA, since dormant sly1-2 seeds accumulate high levels of ABA hormone and loss of ABA sensitivity rescues sly1-2 seed germination. DELLA positively regulates the expression of XERICO, an inducer of ABA biosynthesis. GID1b overexpression rescues sly1-2 germination through proteolysis-independent DELLA down-regulation associated with increased expression of GA-inducible genes and decreased ABA accumulation, apparently as a result of decreased XERICO messenger RNA levels. Higher levels of GID1 overexpression are associated with more efficient sly1 germination and increased GID1-GA-DELLA complex formation, suggesting that GID1 down-regulates DELLA through protein binding. After-ripening results in increased GA accumulation and GID1a-dependent GA signaling, suggesting that after-ripening triggers GA-stimulated GID1-GA-DELLA protein complex formation, which in turn blocks DELLA transcriptional activation of the XERICO inhibitor of seed germination.

'Overgrowth' mutants in barley and wheat: new alleles and phenotypes of the 'Green Revolution' DELLA gene

A suppressor screen using dwarf mutants of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) led to the isolation of 'overgrowth' derivatives, which retained the original dwarfing gene but grew at a faster rate because of a new mutation. The new mutations were in the Slender1 (Sln1) gene (11/13 cases), which encodes the DELLA protein central to gibberellin (GA) signalling, showed 100% genetic linkage to Sln1 (1/13), or were in the Spindly1 (Spy1) gene (1/13), which encodes another protein involved in GA signalling. The overgrowth mutants were characterized by increased GA signalling, although the extent still depended on the background GA biosynthesis capacity, GA receptor function, and DELLA activity. A comparison between two GA responses, α-amylase production and leaf growth rate, revealed degrees of specificity for both the overgrowth allele and the GA response under consideration. Many overgrowth mutants were also isolated in a dwarf line of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and 19 new alleles were identified in the Rht-B1 gene, one of the 'Green Revolution' semi-dwarfing genes and the orthologue of Sln1. The sites of amino acid substitutions in the DELLA proteins of both species provide insight into DELLA function, and included examples where identical but independent substitutions were observed. In both species, the starting lines were too dwarfed to be directly useful in breeding programmes, but new overgrowth derivatives with semidwarf heights have now been characterized. The variation they exhibit in GA-influenced traits identifies novel alleles with perfect markers that are of potential use in breeding.

Gibberellin signaling in plants

The plant hormone gibberellin (GA) regulates major aspects of plant growth and development. The role of GA in determining plant stature had major impacts on agriculture in the 1960s, and the development of semi-dwarf varieties that show altered GA responses contributed to a huge increase in grain yields during the ‘green revolution’. The past decade has brought great progress in understanding the molecular basis of GA action, with the cloning and characterization of GA signaling components. Here, we review the molecular basis of the GA signaling pathway, from the perception of GA to the regulation of downstream genes.

Transcriptome analysis of Gerbera hybrida ray florets: putative genes associated with gibberellin metabolism and signal transduction

In this study, the transcriptome of the Gerbera hybrida ray floret was constructed using a high-throughput Illumina sequencing platform. All 47,104 UniGenes with an average length of 845 nt and an N50 equaling 1321 nt were generated from 72,688,546 total primary reads after filtering and assembly. A total of 36,693 transcripts were annotated by comparison with non-redundant National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) protein (Nr), non-redundant NCBI nucleotide (Nt), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases after removing exogenous contaminated sequences. The majority of the genes that are associated with gibberellin metabolism and signal transduction were identified. The targets for signal transduction of other plant hormones were also enumerated. Our study provides a systematic overview of the hormone signal transduction genes that are involved in ray floral development in Asteraceae and should facilitate further understanding of the crucial roles of phytohormones in plant growth.

Molecular characterization of three GIBBERELLIN-INSENSITIVE DWARF1 homologous genes in hexaploid wheat

GIBBERELLIN-INSENSITIVE DWARF1 (GID1) functions as a gibberellin (GA) receptor and is a key component in the GA signaling pathway. In this paper, three TaGID1 genes, orthologous to rice OsGID1 (the first identified GA receptor GID1 gene), were isolated from hexaploid wheat using homology cloning. Like OsGID1, the three homologous TaGID1 genes consisted of two exons and one intron. Physical location analyses using nullisomic-tetrasomic and deletion lines derived from the wheat cultivar Chinese Spring revealed that the three homologous TaGID1 genes reside in the chromosome bins 1AL3-0.61-1, 1BL1-0.47-0.69, and 1DL2-0.41-1. Accordingly, they were named TaGID1-A1, TaGID1-B1, and TaGID1-D1, respectively. The expression patterns of the three TaGID1 genes were determined by real-time PCR in various wheat tissues at the heading stage, including flag leaves, young spikes, peduncles, and the third and fourth internodes. The three TaGID1 genes had similar transcript patterns, and all exhibited greater expression in flag leaves than in the other tissues. Moreover, they were all down-regulated after treatment with exogenous gibberellic acid (GA(3)) in young seedlings, suggesting a feedback regulation of TaGID1 in wheat. Yeast two-hybrid assays demonstrated strong interactions between each putative TaGID1 and the wheat DELLA proteins RHT-A1, RHT-B1, and RHT-D1 in the presence of GA(3), and weak interactions in the absence of GA(3) in yeast cells. Furthermore, over-expression of each TaGID1 gene in the Arabidopsis double mutant gid1a/1c partially rescued the dwarf phenotype. These results suggest that the three TaGID1 homologous genes are all functional GA receptor genes in wheat.

Characterization of the procera tomato mutant shows novel functions of the SlDELLA protein in the control of flower morphology, cell division and expansion, and the auxin-signaling pathway during fruit-set and development

procera (pro) is a tall tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) mutant carrying a point mutation in the GRAS region of the gene encoding SlDELLA, a repressor in the gibberellin (GA) signaling pathway. Consistent with the SlDELLA loss of function, pro plants display a GA-constitutive response phenotype, mimicking wild-type plants treated with GA₃. The ovaries from both nonemasculated and emasculated pro flowers had very strong parthenocarpic capacity, associated with enhanced growth of preanthesis ovaries due to more and larger cells. pro parthenocarpy is facultative because seeded fruits were obtained by manual pollination. Most pro pistils had exserted stigmas, thus preventing self-pollination, similar to wild-type pistils treated with GA₃ or auxins. However, Style2.1, a gene responsible for long styles in noncultivated tomato, may not control the enhanced style elongation of pro pistils, because its expression was not higher in pro styles and did not increase upon GA₃ application. Interestingly, a high percentage of pro flowers had meristic alterations, with one additional petal, sepal, stamen, and carpel at each of the four whorls, respectively, thus unveiling a role of SlDELLA in flower organ development. Microarray analysis showed significant changes in the transcriptome of preanthesis pro ovaries compared with the wild type, indicating that the molecular mechanism underlying the parthenocarpic capacity of pro is complex and that it is mainly associated with changes in the expression of genes involved in GA and auxin pathways. Interestingly, it was found that GA activity modulates the expression of cell division and expansion genes and an auxin signaling gene (tomato AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR7) during fruit-set.

The suppressive function of the rice DELLA protein SLR1 is dependent on its transcriptional activation activity

When the gibberellin (GA) receptor GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE DWARF 1 (GID1) binds to GA, GID1 interacts with DELLA proteins, repressors of GA signaling. This interaction inhibits the suppressive function of DELLA protein and thereby activates the GA response. However, how DELLA proteins exert their suppressive function and how GID1s inhibit suppressive function of DELLA proteins is unclear. By yeast one-hybrid experiments and transient expression of the N-terminal region of rice DELLA protein (SLR1) in rice callus, we established that the N-terminal DELLA/TVHYNP motif of SLR1 possesses transactivation activity. When SLR1 proteins with various deletions were over-expressed in rice, the severity of dwarfism correlated with the transactivation activity observed in yeast, indicating that SLR1 suppresses plant growth through transactivation activity. This activity was suppressed by the GA-dependent GID1-SLR1 interaction, which may explain why GA responses are induced in the presence of GA. The C-terminal GRAS domain of SLR1 also exhibits a suppressive function on plant growth, possibly by directly or indirectly interacting with the promoter region of target genes. Our results indicate that the N-terminal region of SLR1 has two roles in GA signaling: interaction with GID1 and transactivation activity.

Gibberellin biosynthesis and its regulation

The GAs (gibberellins) comprise a large group of diterpenoid carboxylic acids that are ubiquitous in higher plants, in which certain members function as endogenous growth regulators, promoting organ expansion and developmental changes. These compounds are also produced by some species of lower plants, fungi and bacteria, although, in contrast to higher plants, the function of GAs in these organisms has only recently been investigated and is still unclear. In higher plants, GAs are synthesized by the action of terpene cyclases, cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenases and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases localized, respectively, in plastids, the endomembrane system and the cytosol. The concentration of biologically active GAs at their sites of action is tightly regulated and is moderated by numerous developmental and environmental cues. Recent research has focused on regulatory mechanisms, acting primarily on expression of the genes that encode the dioxygenases involved in biosynthesis and deactivation. The present review discusses the current state of knowledge on GA metabolism with particular emphasis on regulation, including the complex mechanisms for the maintenance of GA homoeostasis.

Growth-induced hormone dilution can explain the dynamics of plant root cell elongation

In the elongation zone of the Arabidopsis thaliana plant root, cells undergo rapid elongation, increasing their length by ∼10-fold over 5 h while maintaining a constant radius. Although progress is being made in understanding how this growth is regulated, little consideration has been given as to how cell elongation affects the distribution of the key regulating hormones. Using a multiscale mathematical model and measurements of growth dynamics, we investigate the distribution of the hormone gibberellin in the root elongation zone. The model quantifies how rapid cell expansion causes gibberellin to dilute, creating a significant gradient in gibberellin levels. By incorporating the gibberellin signaling network, we simulate how gibberellin dilution affects the downstream components, including the growth-repressing DELLA proteins. We predict a gradient in DELLA that provides an explanation of the reduction in growth exhibited as cells move toward the end of the elongation zone. These results are validated at the molecular level by comparing predicted mRNA levels with transcriptomic data. To explore the dynamics further, we simulate perturbed systems in which gibberellin levels are reduced, considering both genetically modified and chemically treated roots. By modeling these cases, we predict how these perturbations affect gibberellin and DELLA levels and thereby provide insight into their altered growth dynamics.

Mathematical modeling elucidates the role of transcriptional feedback in gibberellin signaling

The hormone gibberellin (GA) is a key regulator of plant growth. Many of the components of the gibberellin signal transduction [e.g., GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE DWARF 1 (GID1) and DELLA], biosynthesis [e.g., GA 20-oxidase (GA20ox) and GA3ox], and deactivation pathways have been identified. Gibberellin binds its receptor, GID1, to form a complex that mediates the degradation of DELLA proteins. In this way, gibberellin relieves DELLA-dependent growth repression. However, gibberellin regulates expression of GID1, GA20ox, and GA3ox, and there is also evidence that it regulates DELLA expression. In this paper, we use integrated mathematical modeling and experiments to understand how these feedback loops interact to control gibberellin signaling. Model simulations are in good agreement with in vitro data on the signal transduction and biosynthesis pathways and in vivo data on the expression levels of gibberellin-responsive genes. We find that GA-GID1 interactions are characterized by two timescales (because of a lid on GID1 that can open and close slowly relative to GA-GID1 binding and dissociation). Furthermore, the model accurately predicts the response to exogenous gibberellin after a number of chemical and genetic perturbations. Finally, we investigate the role of the various feedback loops in gibberellin signaling. We find that regulation of GA20ox transcription plays a significant role in both modulating the level of endogenous gibberellin and generating overshoots after the removal of exogenous gibberellin. Moreover, although the contribution of other individual feedback loops seems relatively small, GID1 and DELLA transcriptional regulation acts synergistically with GA20ox feedback.

Rapid and orthogonal logic gating with a gibberellin-induced dimerization system

Using a newly synthesized gibberellin analog containing an acetoxymethyl group (GA(3)-AM) and its binding proteins, we developed an efficient chemically inducible dimerization (CID) system that is completely orthogonal to existing rapamycin-mediated protein dimerization. Combining the two systems should allow applications that have been difficult or impossible with only one CID system. By using both chemical inputs (rapamycin and GA(3)-AM), we designed and synthesized Boolean logic gates in living mammalian cells. These gates produced output signals such as fluorescence and membrane ruffling on a timescale of seconds, substantially faster than earlier intracellular logic gates. The use of two orthogonal dimerization systems in the same cell also allows for finer modulation of protein perturbations than is possible with a single dimerizer.

GRAS proteins: the versatile roles of intrinsically disordered proteins in plant signalling

IDPs (intrinsically disordered proteins) are highly abundant in eukaryotic proteomes and important for cellular functions, especially in cell signalling and transcriptional regulation. An IDR (intrinsically disordered region) within an IDP often undergoes disorder-to-order transitions upon binding to various partners, allowing an IDP to recognize and bind different partners at various binding interfaces. Plant-specific GRAS proteins play critical and diverse roles in plant development and signalling, and act as integrators of signals from multiple plant growth regulatory and environmental inputs. Possessing an intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain, the GRAS proteins constitute the first functionally required unfoldome from the plant kingdom. Furthermore, the N-terminal domains of GRAS proteins contain MoRFs (molecular recognition features), short interaction-prone segments that are located within IDRs and are able to recognize their interacting partners by undergoing disorder-to-order transitions upon binding to these specific partners. These MoRFs represent potential protein-protein binding sites and may be acting as molecular bait in recognition events during plant development. Intrinsic disorder provides GRAS proteins with a degree of binding plasticity that may be linked to their functional versatility. As an overview of structure-function relationships for GRAS proteins, the present review covers the main biological functions of the GRAS family, the IDRs within these proteins and their implications for understanding mode-of-action.

Comparison of phytohormone signaling mechanisms

Plant hormones are crucial signaling molecules that coordinate all aspects of plant growth, development and defense. A great deal of attention has been attracted from biologists to study the molecular mechanisms for perception and signal transduction of plant hormones during the last two decades. Tremendous progress has been made in identifying receptors and key signaling components of plant hormones. The holistic picture of hormone signaling pathways is extremely complicated, this review will give a general overview of perception and signal transduction mechanisms of auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid, ethylene, brassinosteroid, and jasmonate.

An unusual spliced variant of DELLA protein, a negative regulator of gibberellin signaling, in lettuce

DELLA proteins are negative regulators of the signaling of gibberellin (GA), a phytohormone regulating plant growth. DELLA degradation is triggered by its interaction with GID1, a soluble GA receptor, in the presence of bioactive GA. We isolated cDNA from a spliced variant of LsDELLA1 mRNA in lettuce, and named it LsDELLA1sv. It was deduced that LsDELLA1sv encodes truncated LsDELLA1, which has DELLA and VHYNP motifs at the N terminus but lacks part of the C-terminal GRAS domain. The recombinant LsDELLA1sv protein interacted with both Arabidopsis GID1 and lettuce GID1s in the presence of GA. A yeast two-hybrid assay suggested that LsDELLA1sv interacted with LsDELLA1. The ratio of LsDELLA1sv to LsDELLA1 transcripts was higher in flower samples at the late reproductive stage and seed samples (dry seeds and imbibed seeds) than in the other organ samples examined. This study suggests that LsDELLA1sv is a possible modulator of GA signaling in lettuce.

Strigolactone and karrikin signal perception: receptors, enzymes, or both?

The signaling molecules strigolactone (SL) and karrikin are involved in seed germination, development of axillary meristems, senescence of leaves, and interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The signal transduction pathways for both SLs and karrikins require the same F-box protein (MAX2) and closely related α/β hydrolase fold proteins (DAD2 and KAI2). The crystal structure of DAD2 has been solved revealing an α/β hydrolase fold protein with an internal cavity capable of accommodating SLs. DAD2 responds to the SL analog GR24 by changing conformation and binding to MAX2 in a GR24 concentration-dependent manner. DAD2 can also catalyze hydrolysis of GR24. Structure activity relationships of analogs indicate that the butenolide ring common to both SLs and karrikins is essential for biological activity, but the remainder of the molecules can be significantly modified without loss of activity. The combination of data from the study of DAD2, KAI2, and chemical analogs of SLs and karrikins suggests a model for binding that requires nucleophilic attack by the active site serine of the hydrolase at the carbonyl atom of the butenolide ring. A conformational change occurs in the hydrolase that results in interaction with the F-box protein MAX2. Downstream signal transduction is then likely to occur via SCF (Skp-Cullin-F-box) complex-mediated ubiquitination of target proteins and their subsequent degradation. The role of the catalytic activity of the hydrolase is unclear but it may be integral in binding as well as possibly allowing the signal to be cleared from the receptor. The α/β hydrolase fold family consists mostly of active enzymes, with a few notable exceptions. We suggest that DAD2 and KAI2 represent an intermediate stage where some catalytic activity is retained at the same time as a receptor role has evolved.

Molecular characterization of Rht-1 dwarfing genes in hexaploid wheat

The introduction of the Reduced height (Rht)-B1b and Rht-D1b semidwarfing genes led to impressive increases in wheat (Triticum aestivum) yields during the Green Revolution. The reduction in stem elongation in varieties containing these alleles is caused by a limited response to the phytohormone gibberellin (GA), resulting in improved resistance to stem lodging and yield benefits through an increase in grain number. Rht-B1 and Rht-D1 encode DELLA proteins, which act to repress GA-responsive growth, and their mutant alleles Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b are thought to confer dwarfism by producing more active forms of these growth repressors. While no semidwarfing alleles of Rht-A1 have been identified, we show that this gene is expressed at comparable levels to the other homeologs and represents a potential target for producing novel dwarfing alleles. In this study, we have characterized additional dwarfing mutations in Rht-B1 and Rht-D1. We show that the severe dwarfism conferred by Rht-B1c is caused by an intragenic insertion, which results in an in-frame 90-bp insertion in the transcript and a predicted 30-amino acid insertion within the highly conserved amino-terminal DELLA domain. In contrast, the extreme dwarfism of Rht-D1c is due to overexpression of the semidwarfing Rht-D1b allele, caused by an increase in gene copy number. We show also that the semidwarfing alleles Rht-B1d and Rht-B1e introduce premature stop codons within the amino-terminal coding region. Yeast two-hybrid assays indicate that these newly characterized mutations in Rht-B1 and Rht-D1 confer "GA-insensitive" dwarfism by producing DELLA proteins that do not bind the GA receptor GA INSENSITIVE DWARF1, potentially compromising their targeted degradation.

Oryza sativa cytochrome P450 family member OsCYP96B4 reduces plant height in a transcript dosage dependent manner

Background

Plant cytochromes P450 are involved in a wide range of biosynthetic reactions and play various roles in plant development. However, little is known about the biological functions of the subfamily CYP96 in plants.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here, we report a novel semi-dwarf rice mutant, in which a single copy of transposon dissociator (Ds) was inserted into the gene OsCYP96B4 (Oryza sativa Cytochrome P450 96B4). The mutant exhibits the defects in cell elongation and pollen germination, which can be complemented by the wild type OsCYP96B4 and be rescued by remobilization of the Ds element with the presence of the transposase Activator (Ac). Transgenic plants harboring OsCYP96B4 double-stranded RNA interference construct mimicked the mutant phenotype. The oscyp96b4 mutant phenotype could not be rescued by all the tested phytohormones and it was found that OsCYP96B4 reduced plant height in a transcript dosage dependent manner. Heterologous expression of OsCYP96B4 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe resulted in missegregation and wider cells. Further investigation showed that the mutant exhibited the defects in the metabolism of some lipid molecular species when compared with the wild type.

Conclusions/Significance

The oscyp96b4 mutant is a novel rice semi-dwarf mutant. Our data suggest that OsCYP96B4 might be involved in lipid metabolism and regulate cell elongation.

A functionally required unfoldome from the plant kingdom: intrinsically disordered N-terminal domains of GRAS proteins are involved in molecular recognition during plant development

The intrinsic disorder is highly abundant in eukaryotic genomes. In the animal kingdom, numerous intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) have been characterized, especially in cell signalling and transcription regulation. An intrinsically disordered region often folds in different structures allowing an IDP to recognize and bind different partners at various binding interfaces. In contrast, there have only been a few reports of IDPs from the plant kingdom. Plant-specific GRAS proteins play critical and diverse roles in plant development and signalling and often act as integrators of signals from multiple plant growth regulatory inputs. Using computational and bioinformatics tools, we demonstrate here that the GRAS proteins are intrinsically disordered, thus forming the first functionally required unfoldome in the plant kingdom. Furthermore, the N-terminal domains of GRAS proteins are predicted to contain numerous Molecular Recognition Features (MoRFs), short interaction-prone segments that are located within extended disorder regions and are able to recognize their interacting partners and to undergo disorder-to-order transitions upon binding to these specific partners. Overlapping with the relatively conserved motifs in the N-terminal domains of GRAS proteins, these predicted MoRFs represent the potential protein-protein binding sites and may be involved in molecular recognition during plant development. This study enables us to propose a conceptual framework that guides future experimental approaches to understand structure-function relationships of the entire GRAS family.

DELLA-induced early transcriptional changes during etiolated development in Arabidopsis thaliana

The hormones gibberellins (GAs) control a wide variety of processes in plants, including stress and developmental responses. This task largely relies on the activity of the DELLA proteins, nuclear-localized transcriptional regulators that do not seem to have DNA binding capacity. The identification of early target genes of DELLA action is key not only to understand how GAs regulate physiological responses, but also to get clues about the molecular mechanisms by which DELLAs regulate gene expression. Here, we have investigated the global, early transcriptional response triggered by the Arabidopsis DELLA protein GAI during skotomorphogenesis, a developmental program tightly regulated by GAs. Our results show that the induction of GAI activity has an almost immediate effect on gene expression. Although this transcriptional regulation is largely mediated by the PIFs and HY5 transcription factors based on target meta-analysis, additional evidence points to other transcription factors that would be directly involved in DELLA regulation of gene expression. First, we have identified cis elements recognized by Dofs and type-B ARRs among the sequences enriched in the promoters of GAI targets; and second, an enrichment in additional cis elements appeared when this analysis was extended to a dataset of early targets of the DELLA protein RGA: CArG boxes, bound by MADS-box proteins, and the E-box CACATG that links the activity of DELLAs to circadian transcriptional regulation. Finally, Gene Ontology analysis highlights the impact of DELLA regulation upon the homeostasis of the GA, auxin, and ethylene pathways, as well as upon pre-existing transcriptional networks.

Plant ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and its role in gibberellin signaling

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in plants, like in other eukaryotes, targets numerous intracellular regulators and thus modulates almost every aspect of growth and development. The well-known and best-characterized outcome of ubiquitination is mediating target protein degradation via the 26S proteasome, which represents the major selective protein degradation pathway conserved among eukaryotes. In this review, we will discuss the molecular composition, regulation and function of plant UPS, with a major focus on how DELLA protein degradation acts as a key in gibberellin signal transduction and its implication in the regulation of plant growth.

Inter- and intra-molecular interactions of Arabidopsis thaliana DELLA protein RGL1

The phytohormone gibberellin and the DELLA proteins act together to control key aspects of plant development. Gibberellin induces degradation of DELLA proteins by recruitment of an F-box protein using a molecular switch: a gibberellin-bound nuclear receptor interacts with the N-terminal domain of DELLA proteins, and this event primes the DELLA C-terminal domain for interaction with the F-box protein. However, the mechanism of signalling between the N- and C-terminal domains of DELLA proteins is unresolved. In the present study, we used in vivo and in vitro approaches to characterize di- and tri-partite interactions of the DELLA protein RGL1 (REPRESSOR OF GA1-3-LIKE 1) of Arabidopsis thaliana with the gibberellin receptor GID1A (GIBBERELLIC ACID-INSENSITIVE DWARF-1A) and the F-box protein SLY1 (SLEEPY1). Deuterium-exchange MS unequivocally showed that the entire N-terminal domain of RGL1 is disordered prior to interaction with the GID1A; furthermore, association/dissociation kinetics, determined by surface plasmon resonance, predicts a two-state conformational change of the RGL1 N-terminal domain upon interaction with GID1A. Additionally, competition assays with monoclonal antibodies revealed that contacts mediated by the short helix Asp-Glu-Leu-Leu of the hallmark DELLA motif are not essential for the GID1A–RGL1 N-terminal domain interaction. Finally, yeast two- and three-hybrid experiments determined that unabated communication between N- and C-terminal domains of RGL1 is required for recruitment of the F-box protein SLY1.

An updated GA signaling 'relief of repression' regulatory model

Gibberellic acid (GA) regulates many aspects of plant growth and development. The DELLA proteins act to restrain plant growth, and GA relieves this repression by promoting their degradation via the 26S proteasome pathway. The elucidation of the crystalline structure of the GA soluble receptor GID1 protein represents an important breakthrough for understanding the way in which GA is perceived and how it induces the destabilization of the DELLA proteins. Recent advances have revealed that the DELLA proteins are involved in protein-protein interactions within various environmental and hormone signaling pathways. In this review, we highlight our current understanding of the 'relief of repression' model that aims to explain the role of GA and the function of the DELLA proteins, incorporating the many aspects of cross-talk shown to exist in the control of plant development and the response to stress.

The role of two f-box proteins, SLEEPY1 and SNEEZY, in Arabidopsis gibberellin signaling

The SLEEPY1 (SLY1) F-box gene is a positive regulator of gibberellin (GA) signaling in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Loss of SLY1 results in GA-insensitive phenotypes including dwarfism, reduced fertility, delayed flowering, and increased seed dormancy. These sly1 phenotypes are partially rescued by overexpression of the SLY1 homolog SNEEZY (SNE)/SLY2, suggesting that SNE can functionally replace SLY1. GA responses are repressed by DELLA family proteins. GA relieves DELLA repression when the SCF(SLY1) (for Skp1, Cullin, F-box) E3 ubiquitin ligase ubiquitinates DELLA protein, thereby targeting it for proteolysis. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments using constitutively expressed 35S:hemagglutinin (HA)-SLY1 and 35S:HA-SNE translational fusions in the sly1-10 background suggest that SNE can function similarly to SLY1 in GA signaling. Like HA-SLY1, HA-SNE interacted with the CULLIN1 subunit of the SCF complex, and this interaction required the F-box domain. Like HA-SLY1, HA-SNE coimmunoprecipitated with the DELLA REPRESSOR OF GA1-3 (RGA), and this interaction required the SLY1 or SNE carboxyl-terminal domain. Whereas HA-SLY1 overexpression resulted in a decrease in both DELLA RGA and RGA-LIKE2 (RGL2) protein levels, HA-SNE caused a decrease in DELLA RGA but not in RGL2 levels. This suggests that one reason HA-SLY1 is able to effect a stronger rescue of sly1-10 phenotypes than HA-SNE is because SLY1 regulates a broader spectrum of DELLA proteins. The FLAG-SLY1 fusion protein was found to coimmunoprecipitate with the GA receptor HA-GA-INSENSITIVE DWARF1b (GID1b), supporting the model that SLY1 regulates DELLA through interaction with the DELLA-GA-GID1 complex.