Weird fingers: Functional analysis of WIP domain proteins

Abstract

a b s t r a c t WIP proteins form a plant specific subfamily of C2H2 zinc finger (ZF) proteins. In this study, we functionally characterized the WIP domain, which consists of four ZF motifs, and discuss molecular functions for WIP proteins. Mutations in each of the ZFs lead to loss of function of the TT1/WIP1 protein in Arabiopsis thaliana. SV40 type nuclear localisation signals were detected in two of the ZFs and functionally characterized using GFP fusions as well as new mutant alleles identified by TILLING. Promoter swap experiments showed that selected WIP proteins are partially able to take over TT1 function. Activity of the AtBAN promoter, a potential TT1 target, could be increased by the addition of TT1 to the TT2-TT8-TTG1 regulatory complex.

GhWIP2, a WIP zinc finger protein, suppresses cell expansion in Gerbera hybrida by mediating crosstalk between gibberellin, abscisic acid, and auxin

“…Previous studies show that AtWIP2/NTT localize in the nucleus (Appelhagen et al ., ) or in both the nucleus and cytoplasm (Chung et al ., ). Additionally, AtWIP2 forms a homodimer outside of the nucleus and functions mainly as a transcriptional activator (Marsch‐Martinez et al ., ).…”

TRANSPARENT TESTA 13 is a tonoplast P3A‐ATPase required for vacuolar deposition of proanthocyanidins in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds

“…An Nco I site (131 bp upstream of the TT13 coding sequence) was removed by site‐directed mutagenesis (A–131 → T–131). The promoter was ligated as an EcoR I/ Nco I fragment in front of the uidA ORF in the binary vector pANGUS (Appelhagen et al ., ). To construct ProTT13‐GFP , the uidA fragment of ProTT13‐uidA was replaced by GFP5 (GenBank accession number U87973).…”

One Hundred Ways to Invent the Sexes: Theoretical and Observed Paths to Dioecy in Plants

“…All but one of the characterized genes encode ethylene synthesis enzymes that favor femininity. The exception is WIP1, a Cys2-His2 zinc-finger transcription factor of the WIP protein subfamily (6), which represses femininity by binding at least some of the ethylene genes' promoters (23) and may have other actions (17). Ethylene in turn suppresses WIP1.…”