AUTHOR=Wang Gao-Qi , Wei Peng-Cheng , Tan Feng , Yu Man , Zhang Xiao-Yan , Chen Qi-Jun , Wang Xue-Chen 

TITLE=The Transcription Factor AtDOF4.7 Is Involved in Ethylene- and IDA-Mediated Organ Abscission in Arabidopsis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2016.00863

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2016.00863

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Organ abscission is an important plant developmental process that occurs in response to environmental stress or pathogens. In <italic>Arabidopsis</italic>, ligand signals, such as ethylene or <italic>INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA)</italic>, can regulate organ abscission. Previously, we reported that overexpression of <italic>AtDOF4.7</italic>, a transcription factor gene, directly suppresses the expression of the abscission-related gene <italic>ARABIDOPSIS DEHISCENCE ZONE POLYGALACTURONASE 2 (ADPG2)</italic>, resulting in a deficiency of floral organ abscission. However, the relationship between <italic>AtDOF4.7</italic> and abscission pathways still needs to be investigated. In this study, we showed that ethylene regulates the expression of <italic>AtDOF4.7</italic>, and the peptide ligand, <italic>IDA</italic> negatively regulates <italic>AtDOF4.7</italic> at the transcriptional level. Genetic evidence indicates that <italic>AtDOF4.7</italic> and <italic>IDA</italic> are involved in a common pathway, and a MAPK cascade can phosphorylate AtDOF4.7 <italic>in vitro</italic>. Further <italic>in vivo</italic> data suggest that AtDOF4.7 protein levels may be regulated by this phosphorylation. Collectively, our results indicate that ethylene regulates <italic>AtDOF4.7</italic> that is involved in the <italic>IDA</italic>-mediated floral organ abscission pathway.</p>