Summary
The plant hormone ethylene elicits many biochemical changes in target tissues. To investigate ethylene effects on expression of genetic information, cDNA clones corresponding to ethylene-induced carrot root mRNAs were constructed and isolated. RNA dot blot analysis showed that for the three clones studied peak cytosolic mRNA prevalence occurred at 21 h of treatment followed thereafter by rapid messenger decay. DNA filter excess hybridization to in vitro synthesized nuclear RNA showed that the ethylene-induced mRNA increase is engendered by transcription of previously quiescent genes. The kinetics and magnitude of changes in mRNA prevalence parallel changes in transcriptional activity; therefore the ethylene effect is primarily at the level of transcription. In vivo pulse labelling with [35S]-methionine showed that between 18 and 27 h of ethylene treatment a 2.5 fold increase in translational efficiency occurred for one message studied. The resulting protein is the predominant protein synthesized in carrots treated with ethylene for 27 h. Thus ethylene seemingly exerts multiple regulatory controls on the expression of genetic information.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abeles FB: Ethylene in plant biology. Academic Press, New York and London, 1973.
Bolivar F, Rodriguez RL, Greene PJ, Betlach MC, Heyneker HL, Boyer HW, Crosa JH, Falkow S: Construction and characterization of new cloning vehicles II. A Multipurpose Cloning System. Gene 2:95–113, 1977.
Boller T, Gehri A, Mauch F, Vogeli U: Chitinase in bean leaves: induction by ethylene, purification, properties, and possible function. Planta 157:22–31, 1983.
Brock ML, Shapiro DJ: Estrogen stabilizes vitellogenin mRNA against cytoplasmic degradation. Cell 34:207–214, 1983.
Chalutz E: Ethylene-induced phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity in carrot roots. Plant Physiol 51:1033–1036, 1973.
Christofferson RE, Laties GG: Ethylene regulation of gene expression in carrots. Proc Natl Acad Sci 79:4060–4063, 1982.
Christofferson RE: PhD Dissertation UCLA, 1983.
Darnell JE: Variety in the level of gene control in eucaryotic cells. Nature 297:365–371, 1982.
Goldberg RB, Hoschek G, Kamalay JC, Timberlake WE: Sequence complexity of nuclear and polysomal RNA in leaves of the tobacco plant. Cell 14:123–131, 1978.
Grunstein M, Wallis J: Colony Hybridization. Methods in enzymology 68:379–389, 1979.
Hall TC: Plant Messenger RNA. In: Hall TC, Davies JW (eds) Nucleic acids in plants. CRC Press, Boca Roton, Florida, 1979, pp 217–251.
Higgins TJV, Jacobsen JV, Zwar JA: Gibberellic acid and abscisic acid modulate protein synthesis and mRNA levels in barley aleurone layers. Plant Molecular Biology 1:191–215, 1982.
Laemmli UK: Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227: 680–685, 1970.
Langridge J, Langridge P, Berquist PL: Extraction of nucleic acids from agarose gels. Anal Biochem 103:264–271, 1980.
Lowry OH, Rosebrough NL, Farr AL, Randall RJ: Protein measurement with the folin phenol ragent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275, 1957.
Luthe DS, Quatrano RS: Transcription in isolated wheat nuclei I. Isolation of nuclei and elimination of endogenous robonuclease activity. Plant Physiol 65:305–308, 1980.
Luthe DS, Quatrano RS: Transcription in isolated wheat nuclei II. Characterization of RNA synthesized in vitro. Plant Physiol 65:309–313, 1980.
Maniatis T, Fritsch EF, Sambrook J: Molecular Cloning. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1982.
McKnight SM, Palmiter RD: Transcriptional regulation of the ovalbumin and conalbumin genes by steroid hormones in chick oviduct. J Biol Chem 254:9050–9058, 1979.
Norgard MV, Tocci MJ, Monahan JJ: On the cloning of eucaryotic total poly(A)-RNA populations in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 255:7665–7672, 1980.
Sisler EC: Partial purification of an ethylene-binding component from plant tissue. Plant Physiol 66:404–406, 1980.
Sisler EC: Ethylene-binding properties of a Triton-X-100 extract of mung bean sprouts. J Plant Growth Regulation 1:211–218, 1982.
Smith BG, Rubery PH: Changes in phenylalanine ammonialyase levels in excised potato tuber tissue: effects of the gaseous environment and desensitization to cinnamate repression by in situ pre-incubation. Plant, Cell and Environment 4:377–381, 1981.
Smith SM, Ellis RJ: Light-stimulated accumulation of transcripts of nuclear and chloroplast genes for ribulosebis-phosphate carboxylase. J Mol Appl Genet 1: 127–137, 1981.
Swaneck GE, Nordstrom JL, Kreuzaler F, Tsai M-J, O'Malley BO: Effect of estrogen on gene expression in chicken oviduct: evidence for transcriptional control of ovalbumin gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci 76:1049–1053, 1979.
Theologis A, Laties GG: Potentiating effect of pure oxygen on the enhancement of respiration by ethylene in plant storage organs: a comparative study. Plant Physiol 69:1031–1035, 1982.
Tucker ML, Laties GG: Interrelationship of gene expression, polysome prevalence and respiration during ripening of ethylene and/or cyanide treated avocado fruit. Plant Physiol: in press, 1983.
Zurfluh LL, Guilfoyle TJ: Auxin- and ethylene-induced changes in the population of translatable messenger RNA in basal sections and intact soybean hypocotyl. Plant Physiol 69:338–340, 1982.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nichols, S.E., Laties, G.G. Ethylene-regulated gene transcription in carrot roots. Plant Mol Biol 3, 393–401 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00033387
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00033387