PpHB22, a member of HD-Zip proteins, activates PpDAM1 to regulate bud dormancy transition in 'Suli' pear (Pyrus pyrifolia White Pear Group)

Qinsong Yang; Qingfeng Niu; Jianzhao Li; Xiaoyan Zheng; Yunjing Ma; Songling Bai; Yuanwen Teng

doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2018.04.002

PpHB22, a member of HD-Zip proteins, activates PpDAM1 to regulate bud dormancy transition in 'Suli' pear (Pyrus pyrifolia White Pear Group)

Plant Physiol Biochem. 2018 Jun:127:355-365. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2018.04.002. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Authors

Qinsong Yang¹, Qingfeng Niu¹, Jianzhao Li¹, Xiaoyan Zheng², Yunjing Ma¹, Songling Bai³, Yuanwen Teng⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; The Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development and Quality Improvement, The Ministry of Agriculture of China, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Integrative Biology of Horticultural Plants, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
² Institute of Horticulture and Landscape, College of Ecology, Lishui University, Lishui, Zhejiang 323000, China.
³ Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; The Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development and Quality Improvement, The Ministry of Agriculture of China, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Integrative Biology of Horticultural Plants, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. Electronic address: songlingbai@zju.edu.cn.
⁴ Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; The Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development and Quality Improvement, The Ministry of Agriculture of China, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Integrative Biology of Horticultural Plants, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. Electronic address: ywteng@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 29677681
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2018.04.002

Abstract

Homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) proteins, which form one of the largest and most diverse families, regulate many biological processes in plants, including differentiation, flowering, vascular development, and stress signaling. Abscisic acid (ABA) has been proved to be one of the key regulators of bud dormancy and to influence several HD-Zip genes expression. However, the role of HD-Zip genes in regulating bud dormancy remains unclear. We identified 47 pear (P. pyrifolia White Pear Group) HD-Zip genes, which were classified into four subfamilies (HD-Zip I-IV). We further revealed that gene expression levels of some HD-Zip members were closely related to ABA concentrations in flower buds during dormancy transition. Exogenous ABA treatment confirmed that PpHB22 and several other HD-Zip genes responded to ABA. Yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase assay results combining subcellular localization showed that PpHB22 was present in nucleus and directly induced PpDAM1 (dormancy associated MADS-box 1) expression. Thus, PpHB22 is a negative regulator of plant growth associated with the ABA response pathway and functions upstream of PpDAM1. These findings enrich our understanding of the function of HD-Zip genes related to the bud dormancy transition.

Keywords: ABA; Bud dormancy; HD-Zip family; Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia); PpDAM1; PpHB22.

MeSH terms

Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / physiology*
Homeodomain Proteins* / biosynthesis
Homeodomain Proteins* / genetics
Leucine Zippers
Plant Dormancy / physiology*
Plant Proteins* / biosynthesis
Plant Proteins* / genetics
Pyrus* / genetics
Pyrus* / metabolism

Substances

Homeodomain Proteins
Plant Proteins