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LOS2 , a genetic locus required for cold‐responsive gene transcription encodes a bi‐functional enolase
Author(s) -
Lee Hojoung,
Guo Yan,
Ohta Masaru,
Xiong Liming,
Stevenson Becky,
Zhu JianKang
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/21.11.2692
Subject(s) - biology , genetics , gene , locus (genetics) , transcription (linguistics) , microbiology and biotechnology , philosophy , linguistics
The Arabidopsis mutation, los2 , impairs cold‐responsive gene transcription, acquired freezing tolerance and plant resistance to chilling under certain conditions. LOS2 was isolated through positional cloning and shown to encode an enolase in the glycolytic pathway. In animal cells, enolase has also been known to function as a transcription factor that represses the expression of c‐ myc by binding to the c‐ myc gene promoter. LOS2 fused to green fluorescent protein is targeted to the nucleus as well as to the cytoplasm. LOS2/enolase protein can bind to the cis ‐element of the human c‐ myc gene promoter and to the gene promoter of STZ/ZAT10, a zinc finger transcriptional repressor from Arabidopsis. STZ/ZAT10 expression is induced rapidly and transiently by cold in the wild type, and this induction is stronger and more sustained in the los2 mutant. Furthermore, the expression of a RD29A‐LUC reporter gene is repressed significantly by STZ/ZAT10 in transient expression assays in Arabidopsis leaves. Our results demonstrate that cold‐responsive gene transcription in plants is controlled by a bi‐functional enolase.