Identification, molecular characterization and expression of JAZ genes in Lycoris aurea.

Peng Wang,Qingyuan He,Junya Xu,Ren Wang,Xiaokang Han,Sheng Xu,Shuojun Yu,Dinesh Nagegowda

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0230177

Abstract

Jasmonates (JAs) are key phytohormones involved in regulation of plant growth and development, stress responses, and secondary metabolism. It has been reported that treatments with JAs could increase the contents of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids in Amaryllidaceae plants. Jasmonate ZIM (zinc-finger inflorescence meristem) domain (JAZ) proteins are key components in JA signal processes. However, JAZ proteins have not been characterized in genus Lycoris. In this study, we identified and cloned seven differentially expressed JAZ genes (namely LaJAZ1–LaJAZ7) from Lycoris aurea. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that these seven LaJAZ proteins contain the ZIM domain and JA-associated (Jas, also named CCT_2) motif. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that these LaJAZ genes display different expression patterns in L. aurea tissues, and most of them are inducible when treated with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment. Subcellular localization assay demonstrated that LaJAZ proteins are localized in the cell nucleus or cytoplasm. In addition, LaJAZ proteins could interact with each other to form homodimer and/or heterodimer. The findings in this study may facilitate further functional research of the LaJAZ genes, especially the potential regulatory mechanism of plant secondary metabolites including Amaryllidaceae alkaloids in L. aurea.

Highlights

Jasmonates (JAs), including jasmonic acid (JA) and related precursors and derivatives, are important phytohormones that regulate plant growth and development, metabolism and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses [1,2,3]
To date, limited information is available about the expression and functions of jasmonate-ZIM (zinc-finger inflorescence meristem) domain (JAZ) gene family in L. aurea
LaJAZ4 displays the LxLxL type of EAR-motif at the N-terminus (S2 Fig) suggesting that LaJAZ4 would be implicated in the TPL-recruited repression machinery without Novel Interactor of JAZ (NINJA)

Summary

Introduction

Jasmonates (JAs), including jasmonic acid (JA) and related precursors and derivatives, are important phytohormones that regulate plant growth and development, metabolism and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses [1,2,3]. Vascular plants generate JA via the octadecanoid and hexadecanoid biosynthetic pathway from polyunsaturated fatty acids to accumulate the bioactive jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine (JA-Ile) molecule, the (+)-7-iso-JA-Ile [4,5,6]. JA-Ile triggers an interaction between the F-box CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1 (COI1) and the jasmonate-ZIM (zinc-finger inflorescence meristem) domain (JAZ) family proteins, leading to the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of the JAZ proteins via 26S proteasome [7].

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Results

Conclusion