Eto1 and related proteins, and methods of regulating ethylene biosynthesis

摘要

The invention provides a negative regulator of ethylene biosynthesis in plants, which is embodied by ETHYLENE-OVERPRODUCER1 (ETO1), a recessive gene, which controls the expression of the synthesis of the plant hormone ethylene. ETO1 is a member of a novel gene family, which is highly conserved in the plant kingdom, and which is unique in that it comprises both BTB and TPR domains. Two-hybrid experiments, together with in vitro binding experiments and double mutant analyses in planta revealed direct interaction of ETO1 with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS), a key enzyme of ethylene biosynthesis. Furthermore, functional assay in E. coli showed that members of the related ETO1-LIKE (EOL) proteins also significantly inhibit ethylene biosynthesis. Thus, the invention further provides methods of controlling, regulating and modulating ethylene biosynthesis in plants, plant cells, and the like.