Isolation and characterization of four ethylene signal transduction elements in plums (Prunus salicina L.)

Abstract

Plums are climacteric fruits: their ripening is associated with a burst of ethylene production and respiration rate. Stone fruits, including plum, have a distinct pattern of growth and development, described as a double sigmoid pattern. In order to understand the developmental control of ethylene perception in plum, four ethylene perception and signal transduction components (EPSTCs) were characterized, including two ETR1-like proteins (Ps-ETR1 and Ps-ERS1), a CTR1-like protein, and an ethylene-responsive element-binding factor (ERF). Their regulation was studied throughout fruit development and ripening in early and late cultivars. Analysis of transcript levels revealed that only Ps-ERF1 and Ps-ERS1 accumulated immediately after fertilization. Increases in Ps-ETR1 and Ps-CTR1 transcript levels could not be detected before S3 of fruit development. Marked differences associated with the ripening behaviour of early ('Early Golden') and late ('Shiro') Japanese plum cultivars were observed. The early cultivar showed ripening patterns typical of climacteric fruits accompanied by sharp increases of the four transcript levels in an ethylene-dependent manner. However, the late cultivar exhibited a suppressed-climacteric pattern, with a slight increase in ethylene production related to ripening. The accumulation of the Ps-ETR1 (and not Ps-CTR1) mRNA in the late cultivar was ethylene independent. Ps-ERS1 mRNA was expressed at low, constant levels, while, Ps-ERF1 remained undetectable. The differences between the two plum cultivars in the date and rate of ripening in relation to the differences in the accumulation patterns of the four mRNAs are discussed.

Isolation and expression analysis of ethylene receptor genes from melon(Cucumis melo) fruit

“…Only Cm-ETR1 had the ethylene response regulator domain. A similar finding was reported from ETR1 genes previously characterized from species such as watermelon, cucumber, pear, peach, and plum (Guo and Ecker, 2004;El-Sharkawy et al, 2007). Moreover, three membrane binding sites reported for ETR1 genes isolated from other species were determined in the Cm-ETR1 gene of melon.…”

“…The isolated genes showed significant homologies to the ethylene receptor genes previously isolated from various plant species such as watermelon, peach, tomato, and Arabidopsis. The genes showed 70%-99% homology both at the nucleotide and amino acid levels to the receptor genes isolated from Cucumis melo, Cucumis sativus, Pyrus communis, Prunus persica, Prunus salicina, Prunus domestica, Zizyphus jujuba, Lycopersicon esculentum, and Arabidopsis thaliana (Yamasaki et al, 2000;Wang et al, 2006;El-Sharkawy et al, 2007). The two genes possessed an ethylene binding domain that uses Cu as cofactor and required for high affinity ethylene binding (Rodriguez et al, 1999) a conserved histidine kinase domain and a GAF domain (Wang et al, 2006).…”

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

“…Fruits when treated with 1-MCP did not show any rise in either respiration or ethylene unless exogenous propylene was applied. Fruits of an early cultivar 'Early Golden' and late cultivar 'Shiro' of Japanese plum also showed typical climacteric and suppressed climacteric patterns respectively (El-Sharkawy et al 2007). The differences between these two cultivars of Japanese plum were explained by differences in the accumulation pattern of four mRNAs of the ethylene signal transduction components including ethylene receptors Peach Peach is classified as a climacteric fruit.…”

Role of ethylene receptors during senescence and ripening in horticultural crops

“…Unlike other climacteric fruits, stone fruit plum, exhibit a double sigmoid growth pattern during fruit development stages (S1-S4). Two Japanese plum cultivars "Early Golden" ("EG") with normal climacteric pattern and "Shiro" ("SH") with suppressed climacteric pattern were chosen by ElSharkawy et al (2007,2009) 151,152 for isolation and molecular characterization of 11 ethylene signaling elements, which includes two receptors (ETR1 like proteins, Ps-ETR1, Ps-ERS1), one CTR1 like protein (Ps-CTR1), an ethylene responsive element binding factor (Ps-ERF). Ps-ETR1 and Ps-ERF1 were absent in the late cultivar 'SH'.…”

“…A positive correlation was established between the Ps-ERS1 and Ps-ERF1 expression. 151 As many as seven Ps-ERFs were characterized during fruit development and ripening.…”