Log in

Diverse mechanisms for the regulation of ethylene-inducible gene expression

  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We have investigated the mechanism of action of the plant hormone ethylene by analyzing the expression of ethylene-inducible genes isolated from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). We have found that the expression of each cloned gene is regulated by ethylene in a unique manner. That is, for certain genes ethylene affects transcriptional processes, while for another gene it affects both transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes. Furthermore, induction of gene transcription by ethylene is organ specific for one gene, while for others it is not. In addition, we have measured gene expression as a function of ethylene concentration and have found that each gene displays a unique ethylene dose-response curve. Our results suggest that ethylene modulates gene expression by a variety of mechanisms.

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

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Germany)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

MG:

mature green

[32P]nRNA:

in vitro 32P-labeled nuclear RNA transcripts

References

  • Abeles FB (1973) Ethylene in plant biology. Academic Press, New York, pp 1–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Biale JB, Young RE (1981) Respiration and ripening in fruits-retrospect and prospect. In: Friend J, Rhodes MJC (eds) Recent advances in the biochemistry of fruit and vegetables. Academic Press, London, pp 1–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggs MS, Harriman RW, Handa AK (1986) Changes in gene expression during tomato fruit ripening. Plant Physiol 81:395–403

    Google Scholar 

  • Burg SP, Burg EA (1967) Molecular requirements for the biological activity of ethylene. Plant Physiol 42: 144–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron AC, Yang SF (1982) A simple method for the determination of resistance to gas diffusion in plant organs. Plant Physiol 70:21–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg RB, Hoschek G, Tam SH, Ditta GS, Breidenbach RW (1981) Abundance, diversity, and regulation of mRNA sequence sets in soybean embryogenesis. Dev Biol 83:201–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Grierson D (1985) Gene expression in ripening tomato fruit. CRC Crit Rev Plant Sci 3:113–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Groudine M, Peretz M, Weintraub H (1981) Transcriptional regulation of hermoglobin switching in chicken embryos. Mol Cell Biol 1:281–288

    Google Scholar 

  • Guilfoyle TJ (1986) Auxin-regulated gene expression in higher plants. CRC Crit Rev Plant Sci 4:247–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagen G, Guilfoyle TJ (1985) Rapid induction of selective transcription by auxins. Mol Cell Biol 5:1197–1203

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofer E, Darnell JE (1981) The primary transcription unit of the mouse Beta-major globin gene. Cell 23:585–593

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofer E, Hofer-Warbinek R, Darnell JE (1982) Globin RNA transcription: a possible termination site and demonstration of transcriptional control correlated with altered chromatin structure. Cell 29:887–893

    Google Scholar 

  • Katzenellenbogen BS, Gorski J (1972) Estrogen action in vitro. J Biol Chem 247:1299–1305

    Google Scholar 

  • Kende H, Gardner G (1976) Hormone binding in plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 27:267–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Key JL, Kroner P, Walker J, Hong LC, Ulrich TH, Ainley WM, Gantt JS, Nagao RT (1986) Auxin-regulated gene expression. Philos Trans R Soc Lond Series B. 314:427–440

    Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman M (1979) Biosynthesis and action of ethylene. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 30:533–591

    Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln JE, Cordes S, Read E, Fischer RL (1987) Regulation of gene expression by ethylene during Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) fruit development. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84:2793–2797

    Google Scholar 

  • Luthe DS, Quatrano RS (1980a) Transcription in isolated wheat nuclei I. Plant Physiol 65:305–308

    Google Scholar 

  • Luthe DS, Quatrano RS (1980b) Transcription in isolated wheat nuclei II. Plant Physiol 65:309–313

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyons JM, Pratt HK (1964) Effect of stage of maturity and ethylene treatment on respiration and ripening of tomato fruits. Proc Am Soc Hort Sci 84:491–500

    Google Scholar 

  • Maunders MJ, Holdsworth MJ, Slater A, Knapp JE, Bird CR, Schuch W, Grierson D (1987) Ethylene stimulates the accumulation of ripening-related mRNAs in tomatoes. Plant Cell Environ 10:177–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Nichols SE, Laties GG (1984) Ethylene-regulated gene transcription in carrot roots. Plant Mol Biol 3:393–401

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmiter RD, Mulvihill ER, McKnight GS, Senear AW (1977) Regulation of gene expression in the chick oviduct by steroid hormones. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 42:639–649

    Google Scholar 

  • Payvar F, DeFranco D, Firestone GL, Edgar B, Wrange O, Okret S, Gustafsson J, Yamamoto KR (1983) Sequence-specific binding of glucocorticoid receptor to MTV DNA at sites within and upstream of the transcribed region. Cell 35:381–392

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhodes MJC (1980) The maturation and ripening of fruits. In: Thimann KV (ed) Senescence in plants. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 157–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheidereit C, Beato M (1984) Contact between hormone receptor and DNA double helix within a glucocorticoid regulatory element of mouse mammary tumor virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81:3029–3033

    Google Scholar 

  • Southern EM (1975) Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J Mol Biol 98:503–517

    Google Scholar 

  • Su L-Y, McKeon T, Grierson D, Cantwell M, Yang SF (1984) Development of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase and polygalacturonase activities during maturation and ripening of tomato fruit. Hort Sci 19:576–578

    Google Scholar 

  • Theologis A, Huynh TV, Davis RW (1985) Rapid induction of specific mRNAs by auxin in pea epicotyl tissue. J Mol Biol 183:53–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas PS (1983) Hybridization of denatured RNA transferred or dotted to nitrocellulose paper. Methods Enzymol 100:255–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobin AJ (1979) Evaluating the contribution of posttranscriptional processing to differential gene expression. Dev Biol 68:47–58

    Google Scholar 

  • von der Ahe D, Janich S, Scheidereit C, Renkawitz R, Schütz G, Beato M (1985) Glucocorticoid and progesterone receptors bind to the same sites in two hormonally regulated promoters. Nature 313:706–709

    Google Scholar 

  • Walling L, Drews GN, Goldberg RB (1986) Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of soybean seed protein mRNA levels. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83:2123–2127

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto KR, Stallcup MR, Ring J, Ringold GM (1977) Mammary tumor virus DNA: a glucocorticoid-responsive transposable element. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 42:625–638

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang SF (1985) Biosynthesis and action ethylene. Hort Sci 20:41–45

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Communicated by R.B. Goldberg

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lincoln, J.E., Fischer, R.L. Diverse mechanisms for the regulation of ethylene-inducible gene expression. Molec. Gen. Genet. 212, 71–75 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00322446

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00322446

Key words

Navigation