GeBP and GeBP-like proteins are noncanonical leucine-zipper transcription factors that regulate cytokinin response in Arabidopsis

Plant Physiol. 2008 Mar;146(3):1142-54. doi: 10.1104/pp.107.110270. Epub 2007 Dec 27.

Abstract

Understanding the role of transcription factors (TFs) is essential in reconstructing developmental regulatory networks. The plant-specific GeBP TF family of Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) comprises 21 members, all of unknown function. A subset of four members, the founding member GeBP and GeBP-like proteins (GPL) 1, 2, and 3, shares a conserved C-terminal domain. Here we report that GeBP/GPL genes represent a newly defined class of leucine-zipper (Leu-zipper) TFs and that they play a redundant role in cytokinin hormone pathway regulation. Specifically, we demonstrate using yeast, in vitro, and split-yellow fluorescent protein in planta assays that GeBP/GPL proteins form homo- and heterodimers through a noncanonical Leu-zipper motif located in the C-terminal domain. A triple loss-of-function mutant of the three most closely related genes gebp gpl1 gpl2 shows a reduced sensitivity to exogenous cytokinins in a subset of cytokinin responses such as senescence and growth, whereas root inhibition is not affected. We find that transcript levels of type-A cytokinin response genes, which are involved in the negative feedback regulation of cytokinin signaling, are higher in the triple mutant. Using a GPL version that acts as a constitutive transcriptional activator, we show that the regulation of Arabidopsis response regulators (ARRs) is mediated by at least one additional, as yet unknown, repressor acting genetically downstream in the GeBP/GPL pathway. Our results indicate that GeBP/GPL genes encode a new class of unconventional Leu-zipper TF proteins and suggest that their role in the cytokinin pathway is to antagonize the negative feedback regulation on ARR genes to trigger the cytokinin response.

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cytokinins / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Dimerization
  • Feedback, Physiological / physiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Leucine Zippers
  • Multigene Family
  • Mutation
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • ARR1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Cytokinins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • STKR1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Transcription Factors