Molecular characterization of seven genes encoding ethylene-responsive transcriptional factors during plum fruit development and ripening

Abstract

Seven ERF cDNAs were cloned from two Japanese plum (Prunus salicina L.) cultivars, ‘Early Golden’ (EG) and ‘Shiro’ (SH). Based on the sequence characterization, these Ps-ERFs could be classified into three of the four known ERF families. Their predicted amino acid sequences exhibited similarities to ERFs from other plant species. Functional nuclear localization signal analyses of two Ps-ERF proteins (Ps-ERF1a and -1b) were carried out using confocal microscopy. Expression analyses of Ps-ERF mRNAs were studied in the two plum cultivars in order to determine the role of this gene family in fruit development and ripening. The seven Ps-ERFs displayed differential expression pattern and levels throughout the various stages of flower and fruit development. The diversity in Ps-ERFs accumulation was largely due to the differences in their responses to the levels of ethylene production. However, other plant hormones such as cytokinin and auxin, which accumulate strongly throughout the various developmental stages, also influence the Ps-ERFs expression. The effect of the plant hormones, gibberellin, cytokinin, auxin, and ethylene in regulating the different Ps-ERF transcripts was investigated. A model was proposed in which the role played by the plant hormone auxin is as important as that of ethylene in initiating and determining the date and rate of ripening in Japanese plums.

The fading distinctions between classical patterns of ripening in climacteric and non-climacteric fruit and the ubiquity of ethylene—An overview

“…Higher levels of auxin were found to be associated with climacteric nature while lower level of auxin caused suppression in climacteric behaviour. These results, on the role of auxin in regulating the ripening of peaches, are similar to the results for plums (El-Sharkawy et al 2009, 2010. Similarly, auxin and ethylene interactions during fruit growth and ripening were also demonstrated in kiwifruit (Bregoli et al 2007).…”

Ethylene control of fruit ripening: revisiting the complex network of transcriptional regulation

“…In other climacteric fruits, such as apple (Malus domestica), banana (Musa spp. ), plum (Prunus salicina), and papaya (Carica papaya), although direct evidence showing the involvement of ERF family genes in fruit ripening is lacking, some ERFs were reported to exhibit a ripening-associated expression pattern (Wang et al, 2007;El-Sharkawy et al, 2009;. In concert with the master regulator RIN, ERFs regulate autocatalytic ethylene biosynthesis in climacteric fruit ripening, and can directly modulate the expression of ripening-related genes involved in various metabolic pathways activated during fruit ripening.…”

Comparison of the genetic determinism of two key phenological traits, flowering and maturity dates, in three Prunus species: peach, apricot and sweet cherry

“…On the whole peach genome, 74 ERF genes were predicted including only one copy of ERF4. Most reported fruit ERFs have been shown to be induced with ripening or ethylene treatment, including plum, apple, tomato and kiwi (Tournier et al, 2003;Wang et al, 2007;El-Sharkawy et al, 2009;Yin et al, 2010). Subfamily VII (comprising ERF4) of ERF genes has been particularly associated with fruit ripening.…”