Skip to main content
Log in

Mapping sequences required for nuclear localization and the transcriptional activation function of the Arabidopsis protein AINTEGUMENTA

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Planta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Arabidopsis thaliana floral development protein AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) is a member of a large family of DNA binding proteins (AP2/ERF family) that control plant growth and development in response to developmental or environmental signals. Transcriptional activation and/or repression activities have been demonstrated for several members of this protein family. We have used fusions between ANT and the GAL4 DNA binding domain to identify an 80 amino acid sequence important for the transcriptional activation function of ANT. This region shows similarity to transcriptional activation domains in other proteins, as it is rich in Ser/Thr, Gln/Asn, and acidic amino acids. We also demonstrate that ANT can activate gene expression in Arabidopsis plants through binding to a DNA sequence corresponding to an in vitro determined ANT binding site. Finally, we show that ANT is nuclear localized and that the sequence KKKR (amino acids 252–255) is required for nuclear localization of the protein.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

Ler :

Landsberg erecta

GBD:

GAL4 DNA binding domain

References

  • Baker SC, Robinson-Beers K, Villanueva JM, Gaiser JC, Gasser CS (1997) Interactions among genes regulating ovule development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetics 145:1109–1124

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bechtold N, Ellis J, Pelletier G (1993) In planta Agrobacterium mediated gene transfer by infiltration of adult Arabidopsis thaliana plants. CR Acad Sci Ser III Sci Vie 316:1194–1199

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott RC, Betzner AS, Huttner E, Oakes MP, Tucker WQJ, Gerentes D, Perez P, Smyth DR (1996) AINTEGUMENTA, an APETALA2-like gene of Arabidopsis with pleiotropic roles in ovule development and floral organ growth. Plant Cell 8:155–168

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fujimoto SY, Ohta M, Usui A, Shinshi H, Ohme-Takagi M (2000) Arabidopsis ethylene-responsive element binding factors act as transcriptional activators or repressors of GCC box-mediated gene expression. Plant Cell 12:393–404

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gietz D, St. Jean A, Woods RA, Schiestl RH (1992) Improved method for high efficiency transformation of intact yeast cells. Nucleic Acids Res 20:1425

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johansen F-E, Prywes R (1993) Identification of transcriptional activation and inhibitory domains in serum response factor (SRF) by using GAL4-SRF constructs. Mol Cell Biol 13:4640–4647

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klucher KM, Chow H, Reiser L, Fischer RL (1996) The AINTEGUMENTA gene of Arabidopsis required for ovule and female gametophyte development is related to the floral homeotic gene APETALA2. Plant Cell 8:137–153

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krizek BA (1999) Ectopic expression of AINTEGUMENTA in Arabidopsis plants results in increased growth of floral organs. Dev Genet 25:224–236

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krizek BA (2003) AINTEGUMENTA utilizes a mode of DNA recognition distinct from that used by proteins containing a single AP2 domain. Nucleic Acids Res 31:1859–1868

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krizek BA, Meyerowitz EM (1996) The Arabidopsis genes APETALA3 and PISTILLATA are sufficient to specify the B class organ identity function. Development 122:11–22

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krizek BA, Prost V, Macias A (2000) AINTEGUMENTA promotes petal identity and acts as a negative regulator of AGAMOUS. Plant Cell 12:1357–1366

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu L, White MJ, MacRae TH (1999) Transcription factors and their genes in higher plants: functional domains, evolution and regulation. Eur J Biochem 262:247–257

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Z, Franks RG, Klink VP (2000) Regulation of gynoecium marginal tissue formation by LEUNIG and AINTEGUMENTA. Plant Cell 12:1879–1891

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mizukami Y, Fischer RL (2000) Plant organ size control: AINTEGUMENTA regulates growth and cell numbers during organogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:942–947

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nole-Wilson S, Krizek BA (2000) DNA binding properties of the Arabidopsis floral development protein AINTEGUMENTA. Nucleic Acids Res 28:4076–4082

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nole-Wilson S, Tranby T, Krizek BA (2005) AINTEGUMENTA-like (AIL) genes are expressed in young tissues and may specify meristematic or division-competent states. Plant Mol Biol 57:613–628

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohta M, Matsui K, Hiratsu K, Shinshi H, Ohme-Takagi M (2001) Repression domains of class II ERF transcriptional repressors share an essential motif for active repression. Plant Cell 13:1959–1968

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rieu I, Bots M, Mariani C, Weterings KAP (2005) Isolation and expression analysis of a tobacco AINTEGUMENTA ortholog (NtANTL). Plant Cell Physiol 46:803–805

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schneitz K, Hulskamp M, Kopczak SD, Pruitt RE (1997) Dissection of sexual organ ontogenesis: a genetic analysis of ovule development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Development 124:1367–1376

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sridhar VV, Surendrarao A, Gonzalez D, Conlan RS, Liu Z (2004) Transcriptional repression of target genes by LEUNIG and SEUSS, two interacting regulatory proteins for Arabidopsis flower development. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101:11494–11499

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Triezenberg SJ (1995) Structure and function of transcriptional activation domains. Curr Biol 5:190–196

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vergani P, Morandinin P, Soave C (1997) Complementation of a yeast Dpkc1 mutant by the Arabidopsis protein ANT. FEBS Lett 400:243–246

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z, Triezenberg SJ, Thomashow MF, Stockinger EJ (2005) Multiple hydrophobic motifs in Arabidopsis CBF1 COOH-terminus provide functional redundancy in trans-activation. Plant Mol Biol 58:543–559

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Sandra Snyder for technical assistance with the gene gun experiments, Inhwan Hwang for the 326 GFP-3G plasmid, Natasha Grotz and Mary Lou Guerinot for advice on the leek bombardment experiments, and Deanna Smith for assistance with the GFP localization experiments. This work was supported by Department of Energy (Grant no. 98ER20312).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beth A. Krizek.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Krizek, B.A., Sulli, C. Mapping sequences required for nuclear localization and the transcriptional activation function of the Arabidopsis protein AINTEGUMENTA. Planta 224, 612–621 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-006-0253-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-006-0253-9

Keywords

Navigation