Proteolytic Activation of Plant Membrane-Bound Transcription Factors

Abstract

Due to the presence of a transmembrane domain, the subcellular mobility plan of membrane-bound or membrane-tethered transcription factors (MB-TFs) differs from that of their cytosolic counterparts. The MB-TFs are mostly locked in (sub)cellular membranes, until they are released by a proteolytic cleavage event or when the transmembrane domain (TMD) is omitted from the transcript due to alternative splicing. Here, we review the current knowledge on the proteolytic activation mechanisms of MB-TFs in plants, with a particular focus on regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP), and discuss the analogy with the proteolytic cleavage of MB-TFs in animal systems. We present a comprehensive inventory of all known and predicted MB-TFs in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and examine their experimentally determined or anticipated subcellular localizations and membrane topologies. We predict proteolytically activated MB-TFs by the mapping of protease recognition sequences and structural features that facilitate RIP in and around the TMD, based on data from metazoan intramembrane proteases. Finally, the MB-TF functions in plant responses to environmental stresses and in plant development are considered and novel functions for still uncharacterized MB-TFs are forecasted by means of a regulatory network-based approach.

H2O2-dependent oxidation of the transcription factor GmNTL1 promotes salt tolerance in soybean

“…factor MfNACsa is crucial for its nuclear import (Duan et al, 2017). A K-acetylation (in RINGLET 2, RLT2) and an N-glycosylation (in AT5G63280) sites also were found between the transcription factor family domain(TFFD)and the TMD domain (De Backer et al, 2022). In our study, we demonstrate that the oxidative PTM of GmNTL1 at cys-247 under salt stress enhances its translocation to the nucleus (Figure 9).…”

Genome-wide characterization of the SHORT INTER-NODES/STYLISH and Shi-Related Sequence family in Gossypium hirsutum and functional identification of GhSRS21 under salt stress

“…Besides, GhSRS22 is a unique member of the GhSRSs, containing the transmembrane domain ( Figure 3C ) and belonging to plant membrane-bound transcription factors. The plant membrane-bound transcription factors are usually located in cellular membranes and represented in inactive state ( Liu et al., 2018 ; De Backer et al., 2022 ). However, the plant membrane-bound transcription factors are activated and relocate to the nucleus by protease cleavage of themselves in response to an intra- or extra-cellular trigger ( Kim et al., 2010 ; De Backer et al., 2022 ).…”

“…The plant membrane-bound transcription factors are usually located in cellular membranes and represented in inactive state ( Liu et al., 2018 ; De Backer et al., 2022 ). However, the plant membrane-bound transcription factors are activated and relocate to the nucleus by protease cleavage of themselves in response to an intra- or extra-cellular trigger ( Kim et al., 2010 ; De Backer et al., 2022 ). Consequently, GhSRS22 could play a crucial role in the regulation of the gene expression process under specific conditions.…”

MYB Transcription Factor Family in Pearl Millet: Genome-Wide Identification, Evolutionary Progression and Expression Analysis under Abiotic Stress and Phytohormone Treatments

“…Membrane-bound TFs (MTFs) are known to play a significant role in biotic and abiotic stress responses. The MTFs get activated by proteolytic cleavage during environmental stresses [ 57 , 58 ].…”