First published online December 22, 2006; 10.1105/tpc.106.044537
The Plant Cell 18:3429-3442 (2006)
© 2006 American Society of Plant Biologists
OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE
Identification of Important Regions for Ethylene Binding and Signaling in the Transmembrane Domain of the ETR1 Ethylene Receptor of Arabidopsis[W],[OA]
Wuyi Wanga,1,
Jeff J. Escha,2,
Shin-Han Shiub,
Hasi Agulaa,3,
Brad M. Bindera,c,
Caren Changd,
Sara E. Pattersonc,4 and
Anthony B. Bleeckera,2
a Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
b Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
c Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
d Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
4 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail spatters{at}wisc.edu; fax 608-262-4743.
The ethylene binding domain (EBD) of the Arabidopsis thaliana ETR1 receptor is modeled as three membrane-spanning helices. We surveyed ethylene binding activity in different kingdoms and performed a bioinformatic analysis of the EBD. Ethylene binding is confined to land plants, Chara, and a group of cyanobacteria but is largely absent in other organisms, consistent with our finding that EBD-like sequences are overrepresented among plant and cyanobacterial species. We made amino acid substitutions in 37 partially or completely conserved residues of the EBD and assayed their effects on ethylene binding and signaling. Mutations primarily in residues in Helices I and II midregions eliminated ethylene binding and conferred constitutive signaling, consistent with the inverse-agonist model of ethylene receptor signaling and indicating that these residues define the ethylene binding pocket. The largest class of mutations, clustered near the cytoplasmic ends of Helices I and III, gave normal ethylene binding activity yet still conferred constitutive signaling. Therefore, these residues may play a role in turning off the signal transmitter domain of the receptor. By contrast, only two mutations were loss of function with respect to signaling. These findings yield insight into the structure and function of the EBD and suggest a conserved role of the EBD as a negative regulator of the signal transmitter domain.
Related articles in Plant Cell:
- The Contributions of Anthony B. Bleecker to Ethylene Signaling and Beyond
- Edgar P. Spalding
Plant Cell 2006 18: 3347-3349.
[Full Text]
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
T. Chen, J. Liu, G. Lei, Y.-F. Liu, Z.-G. Li, J.-J. Tao, Y.-J. Hao, Y.-R. Cao, Q. Lin, W.-K. Zhang, et al.
Effects of Tobacco Ethylene Receptor Mutations on Receptor Kinase Activity, Plant Growth and Stress Responses
Plant Cell Physiol.,
September 1, 2009;
50(9):
1636 - 1650.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Z. Lin, S. Zhong, and D. Grierson
Recent advances in ethylene research
J. Exp. Bot.,
August 1, 2009;
60(12):
3311 - 3336.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Rivarola, C. A. McClellan, J. S. Resnick, and C. Chang
ETR1-Specific Mutations Distinguish ETR1 from Other Arabidopsis Ethylene Receptors as Revealed by Genetic Interaction with RTE1
Plant Physiology,
June 1, 2009;
150(2):
547 - 551.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
H. Wuriyanghan, B. Zhang, W.-H. Cao, B. Ma, G. Lei, Y.-F. Liu, W. Wei, H.-J. Wu, L.-J. Chen, H.-W. Chen, et al.
The Ethylene Receptor ETR2 Delays Floral Transition and Affects Starch Accumulation in Rice
PLANT CELL,
May 1, 2009;
21(5):
1473 - 1494.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Zhong, Z. Lin, and D. Grierson
Tomato ethylene receptor-CTR interactions: visualization of NEVER-RIPE interactions with multiple CTRs at the endoplasmic reticulum
J. Exp. Bot.,
March 1, 2008;
59(4):
965 - 972.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. A. Rensing, D. Lang, A. D. Zimmer, A. Terry, A. Salamov, H. Shapiro, T. Nishiyama, P.-F. Perroud, E. A. Lindquist, Y. Kamisugi, et al.
The Physcomitrella Genome Reveals Evolutionary Insights into the Conquest of Land by Plants
Science,
January 4, 2008;
319(5859):
64 - 69.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
I. El-Sharkawy, W. S. Kim, A. El-Kereamy, S. Jayasankar, A. M. Svircev, and D. C. W. Brown
Isolation and characterization of four ethylene signal transduction elements in plums (Prunus salicina L.)
J. Exp. Bot.,
October 1, 2007;
58(13):
3631 - 3643.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
X. Zhou, Q. Liu, F. Xie, and C.-K. Wen
RTE1 Is a Golgi-Associated and ETR1-Dependent Negative Regulator of Ethylene Responses
Plant Physiology,
September 1, 2007;
145(1):
75 - 86.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|
|