Overexpression of tomato LeAGP-1 arabinogalactan-protein promotes lateral branching and hampers reproductive development

Plant J. 2004 Dec;40(6):870-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2004.02274.x.

Abstract

LeAGP-1 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored arabinogalactan-protein (AGP) in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Patterns of mRNA expression and protein localization for LeAGP-1 indicate that it likely functions in certain aspects of plant growth and development. To elucidate LeAGP-1 function(s), transgenic tomato plants expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to LeAGP-1 [GFP-LeAGP-1] or two LeAGP-1 variants, one lacking the C-terminal GPI-anchor domain [GFP-LeAGP-1DeltaC] and the other lacking the lysine-rich domain [GFP-LeAGP-1DeltaK], under the control of the CaMV35S promoter were produced using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic T0 and T1 lines with high levels of both GFP-LeAGP-1 mRNA and protein: (i) were significantly shorter; (ii) were highly branched; (iii) produced more flower buds, but most of these flowers did not mature, resulting in less fruit production; and (iv) produced seeds that were significantly smaller than normal seeds. Overexpression of LeAGP-1DeltaK had a similar or even more pronounced effect on plant vegetative and reproductive growth, while the effect of LeAGP-1DeltaC overexpression on plant reproduction was minimal. These results indicate that the GPI anchor is critical for LeAGP-1 function. As the phenotype of GFP-LeAGP-1 overexpressing transgenic plants is similar to that of cytokinin-overproducing plants, mRNA expression patterns of LeAGP-1 under different hormone treatments were examined. Cytokinins upregulated LeAGP-1 mRNA expression, while auxins and ABA inhibited LeAGP-1 mRNA expression. Based on these results, GPI-anchored LeAGP-1 most likely functions in plant growth and development in concert with auxin/cytokinin signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Down-Regulation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Mucoproteins / genetics
  • Mucoproteins / metabolism*
  • Phenotype
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Solanum lycopersicum / genetics*
  • Solanum lycopersicum / growth & development
  • Solanum lycopersicum / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Mucoproteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • arabinogalactan proteins