Open AccessA reevaluation of the role of the ASIL trihelix transcription factors as repressors of the seed maturation program
Author(s) -
Ruiz Kevin A.,
Pelletier Julie M.,
Wang Yuchi,
Feng Min Jun,
Behr Jacqueline S.,
Ðào Thái Q.,
Li Baohua,
Kliebenstein Daniel,
Harada John J.,
Jenik Pablo D.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plant direct
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.211
H-Index - 11
ISSN - 2475-4455
DOI - 10.1002/pld3.345
Subject(s) - biology , psychological repression , transcriptome , transcription factor , repressor , gene , arabidopsis , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , embryo , gene expression , mutant
Developmental transitions are typically tightly controlled at the transcriptional level. Two of these transitions involve the induction of the embryo maturation program midway through seed development and its repression during the vegetative phase of plant growth. Very little is known about the factors responsible for this regulation during early embryogenesis, and only a couple of transcription factors have been characterized as repressors during the postgerminative phase. Arabidopsis 6b‐INTERACTING PROTEIN‐LIKE1 (ASIL1), a trihelix transcription factor, has been proposed to repress maturation both embryonically and postembryonically. Preliminary data also suggested that its closest paralog, ASIL2, might play a role as well. We used a transcriptomic approach, coupled with phenotypical observations, to test the hypothesis that ASIL1 and ASIL2 redundantly turn off maturation during both phases of growth. Our results indicate that, contrary to what was previously published, neither of the ASIL genes plays a role in the regulation of maturation, at any point during plant development. Analyses of gene ontology (GO)‐enriched terms and published transcriptomic datasets suggest that these genes might be involved in responses during the vegetative phase to certain biotic and abiotic stresses.