SummaryProtein function is often mediated via formation of stable or transient complexes. Here we report the determination of protein-protein interactions in plants using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC). The yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) was split into two non-overlapping N-terminal (YN) and C-terminal (YC) fragments. Each fragment was cloned in-frame to a gene of interest, enabling expression of fusion proteins. To demonstrate the feasibility of BiFC in plants, two pairs of interacting proteins were utilized: (i) the a and b subunits of the Arabidopsis protein farnesyltransferase (PFT), and (ii) the polycomb proteins, FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT ENDOSPERM (FIE) and MEDEA (MEA). Members of each protein pair were transiently co-expressed in leaf epidermal cells of Nicotiana benthamiana or Arabidopsis. Reconstitution of a fluorescing YFP chromophore occurred only when the inquest proteins interacted. No fluorescence was detected following co-expression of free non-fused YN and YC or non-interacting protein pairs. Yellow fluorescence was detected in the cytoplasm of cells that expressed PFT a and b subunits, or in nuclei and cytoplasm of cells that expressed FIE and MEA. In vivo measurements of fluorescence spectra emitted from reconstituted YFPs were identical to that of a non-split YFP, confirming reconstitution of the chromophore. Expression of the inquest proteins was verified by immunoblot analysis using monoclonal antibodies directed against tags within the hybrid proteins. In addition, protein interactions were confirmed by immunoprecipitations. These results demonstrate that plant BiFC is a simple, reliable and relatively fast method for determining protein-protein interactions in plants.

Flowering plants produce floral meristems in response to intrinsic and extrinsic flowering inductive signals. In Arabidopsis, the floral meristem identity genes LEAFY (LFY) and APETALA1 (AP1) are activated to play a pivotal role in specifying floral meristems during floral transition. We show here that the emerging floral meristems require AP1 to partly specify their floral identities by directly repressing a group of flowering time genes, including SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP), AGAMOUS-LIKE 24 (AGL24) and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO1 (SOC1). In wild-type plants, these flowering time genes are normally downregulated in emerging floral meristems. In the absence of AP1, these genes are ectopically expressed, transforming floral meristems into shoot meristems. By post-translational activation of an AP1-GR fusion protein and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we further demonstrate the repression of these flowering time genes by induced AP1 activity and in vivo AP1 binding to the cis-regulatory regions of these genes. These findings indicate that once AP1 is activated during the floral transition, it acts partly as a master repressor in floral meristems by directly suppressing the expression of flowering time genes, thus preventing the continuation of the shoot developmental program.

The RHO proteins, which regulate numerous signaling cascades, undergo prenylation, facilitating their interaction with membranes and with proteins called RHO·GDP dissociation inhibitors. It has been suggested that prenylation is required for RHO function. Eleven RHO-related proteins were identified in Arabidopsis. Eight of them are putatively prenylated. We show that targeting of the remaining three proteins, AtRAC7, AtRAC8, and AtRAC10, is prenylation independent, requires palmitoylation, and occurs by a cell-specific mechanism. AtRAC8 and AtRAC10 could not be prenylated by either farnesyltransferase or geranylgeranyltransferase I, whereas AtRAC7 could be prenylated by both enzymes in yeast. The association of AtRAC7 with the plasma membrane in plants did not require farnesyltransferase or a functional CaaX box. Recombinant AtRAC8 was palmitoylated in vitro, and inhibition of protein palmitoylation relieved the association of all three proteins with the plasma membrane. Interestingly, AtRAC8 and a constitutively active mutant, Atrac7mV 15 , were not associated with the plasma membrane in root hair cells, whose elongation requires the localization of prenylated RHOs in the plasma membrane at the cell tip. Moreover, Atrac7mV 15 did not induce root hair deformation, unlike its prenylated homologs. Thus, AtRAC7, AtRAC8, and AtRAC10 may represent a group of proteins that have evolved to fulfill unique functions.

Rho GTPases regulate the actin cytoskeleton, exocytosis, endocytosis, and other signaling cascades. Rhos are subdivided into four subfamilies designated Rho, Racs, Cdc42, and a plant-specific group designated RACs/Rops. This research demonstrates that ectopic expression of a constitutive active Arabidopsis RAC, AtRAC10, disrupts actin cytoskeleton organization and membrane cycling. We created transgenic plants expressing either wild-type or constitutive active INTRODUCTIONRho GTPases are molecular switches best known for regulating actin organization (Hall, 1998). Rhos are subdivided into four subfamilies designated Rho, Racs, Cdc42, and a plant-specific group designated RACs or Rops (Hall, 1998;Winge et al., 2000;Yang, 2002). In animal cells, Rhos, Racs, and Cdc42 differentially regulate the actin cytoskeleton (Hall, 1998). Similarly, plant RACs are shown to regulate actin organization (Fu et al., 2001Molendijk et al., 2001;Jones et al., 2002;Yang, 2002;Chen et al., 2003;Cheung et al., 2003).Rhos seem to regulate exocytosis and endocytosis events such as pinocytosis, endocytosis of clathrin-coated pits, and localization of the multiprotein vesicle-tethering complex, the exocyst (Ridley et al., 1992;Lamaze et al., 1996;Di Cesare et al., 2000;Donaldson and Jackson, 2000;Malecz et al., 2000;Guo et al., 2001;Etienne-Manneville and Hall, 2002). Vesicle transport can be divided into five major steps: budding from a source membrane, targeting of the vesicle to specific regions, priming, docking at the target membrane, and fusion of the vesicles with the target membrane (Pfeffer, 1994(Pfeffer, , 2001Jurgens and Geldner, 2002). In yeast, Cdc42 and Rho1 have been shown to regulate homotypic vesicle docking during vacuole formation in an actin-dependent manner (Eitzen et al., 2001(Eitzen et al., . 2002Muller et al., 2001;Eitzen, 2003), whereas Rho3 and Cdc42 regulate vesicle docking late in exocytosis during polar growth in budding yeast independent of their role in actin polarization (Adamo et al., 1999(Adamo et al., , 2001. In addition, it is well established that actin cytoskeleton function is crucial for endocytosis (Engqvist-Goldstein and Drubin, 2003).Like other members of the Ras superfamily of small GTPases, Rhos exist in either GTP-bound active state or GDP-bound inactive state. Rhos have an intrinsic GTPase activity that is enhanced via interaction with GTPase-activating proteins. Activation of the Rhos occurs via interaction with GDP/GTP exchange factors (GEFs). Conserved dominant mutations abolishing the GTPase activity render Rhos constitutive active. Other conserved mutations preventing the GDP/GTP exchange are thought to cause irreversible interactions between the mutant Rhos and GEFs, converting the former dominant negative mutants (Hall, 1998;Winge et al., 2000;Yang, 2002).The plant-specific Rho subfamily, designated either RACs or Rops, is subdivided into two major subgroups called type-I and type-II (Winge et al., 2000;Yang, 2002;Christensen et al., 2003). All type-I RACs are putatively prenylated, whe...

Prenylation is a posttranslational protein modification essential for developmental processes and response to abscisic acid. Following prenylation, the three C-terminal residues are proteoliticaly removed and in turn the free carboxyl group of the isoprenyl cysteine is methylated. The proteolysis and methylation, collectively referred to as CaaX processing, are catalyzed by Ste24 endoprotease or Rce1 endoprotease and by an isoprenyl cysteine methyltransferase (ICMT). Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) contains single STE24 and RCE1 and two ICMT homologs. Here we show that in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) AtRCE1 promoted a-mating factor secretion and membrane localization of a ROP GTPase. Furthermore, green fluorescent protein fusion proteins of AtSTE24, AtRCE1, AtICMTA, and AtICMTB are colocalized in the endoplasmic reticulum, indicating that prenylated proteins reach this compartment and that CaaX processing is likely required for subcellular targeting. AtICMTB can process yeast a-factor more efficiently than AtICMTA. Sequence and mutational analyses revealed that the higher activity AtICMTB is conferred by five residues, which are conserved between yeast Ste14p, human ICMT, and AtICMTB but not in AtICMTA. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and microarray data show that AtICMTA expression is significantly lower compared to AtICMTB. AtICMTA null mutants have a wild-type phenotype, indicating that its function is redundant. However, AtICMT RNAi lines had fasciated inflorescence stems, altered phylotaxis, and developed multiple buds without stem elongation. The phenotype of the ICMT RNAi lines is similar to farnesyltransferase b-subunit mutant enhanced response to abscisic acid2 but is more subtle. Collectively, the data suggest that AtICMTB is likely the major ICMT and that methylation modulates activity of prenylated proteins.Prenylation is a posttranslational protein modification essential for the function of diverse proteins. Plant mutants lacking prenyltransferase function have pleotropic phenotypes including enlargement of the shoot apical meristem, hypersensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA), retarded growth rate, and delayed flowering (Cutler et al