IRT1 degradation factor1, a ring E3 ubiquitin ligase, regulates the degradation of iron-regulated transporter1 in Arabidopsis

Plant Cell. 2013 Aug;25(8):3039-51. doi: 10.1105/tpc.113.115212. Epub 2013 Aug 30.

Abstract

Fe is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development; plants have developed sophisticated strategies to acquire ferric Fe from the soil. Nongraminaceous plants acquire Fe by a reduction-based mechanism, and graminaceous plants use a chelation-based mechanism. In Arabidopsis thaliana, which uses the reduction-based method, iron-regulated transporter1 (IRT1) functions as the most important transporter for ferrous Fe uptake. Rapid and constitutive degradation of IRT1 allows plants to quickly respond to changing conditions to maintain Fe homeostasis. IRT1 degradation involves ubiquitination. To identify the specific E3 ubiquitin ligases involved in IRT1 degradation, we screened a set of insertional mutants in RING-type E3 ligases and identified a mutant that showed delayed degradation of IRT1 and loss of IRT1-ubiquitin complexes. The corresponding gene was designated IRT1 degradation factor1 (IDF1). Evidence of direct interaction between IDF1 and IRT1 in the plasma membrane supported the role of IDF1 in IRT1 degradation. IRT1 accumulation was reduced when coexpressed with IDF1 in yeast or Xenopus laevis oocytes. IDF1 function was RING domain dependent. The idf1 mutants showed increased tolerance to Fe deficiency, resulting from increased IRT1 levels. This evidence indicates that IDF1 directly regulates IRT1 degradation through its RING-type E3 ligase activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological / genetics
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Arabidopsis / enzymology
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / chemistry
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cation Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Half-Life
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Iron Deficiencies
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Phenotype
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Protein Transport
  • Proteolysis*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / growth & development
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Subcellular Fractions / metabolism
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / chemistry
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitination
  • Xenopus laevis

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cation Transport Proteins
  • IRT1 degradation factor1, Arabidopsis
  • IRT1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases