Analysis of the Ethylene Signal-Transduction Pathway in Arabidopsis

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

The hormone ethylene regulates a number of processes in higher plants including fruit ripening, tissue aging, shedding of fruits and leaves, wound responses, and growth. This research is a continuation of previous efforts by this lab to investigate the mechanisms by which the Arabidopsis ETR family of ethylene receptors sense ethylene and trigger responses in the plant cells. Toward this end several important new tools have been or are being developed, including: 1) mutant plants that are deficient in each of the 5 receptor proteins; 2) a system for producing receptor proteins in yeast cells for biochemical analysis; and 3) a high resolution method for assessing rapid changes in seedling growth in response to ethylene. Using these basic systems, the mechanisms by which ethylene is perceived by the ETR receptors and how this binding is transmitted through the receptor protein to downstream effector proteins is being investigated. Effort is also being devoted to sorting out the specific roles that the different isoforms of the receptor play in the transduction of the ethylene signal. This research will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which ethylene works and allow us to develop new, less toxic ways to prevent crop spoilage and control ripening processes.