O-GlcNAc-mediated interaction between VER2 and TaGRP2 elicits TaVRN1 mRNA accumulation during vernalization in winter wheat

作  者:Xiao J, Xu SJ, Li CH, Xu YY, Xing LJ, Niu YD, Huan Q, Tang YM, Zhao CP, Wagner D, Gao CX, Chong K*
影响因子:10.742
刊物名称:Nature Communications
出版年份:2014
卷:  期:  页码:Doi:10.1038/ncomms5572

论文摘要:

Vernalization, sensing of prolonged cold, is important for seasonal flowering in eudicots and monocots. While vernalization silences a repressor (​FLC, MADS-box transcription factor) in eudicots, it induces an activator (​TaVRN1, an AP1 clade MADS-box transcription factor) in monocots. The mechanism for TaVRN1 induction during vernalization is not well understood. Here we reveal a novel mechanism for controlling TaVRN1 mRNA accumulation in response to prolonged cold sensing in wheat. The carbohydrate-binding protein ​VER2, a jacalin lectin, promotes TaVRN1upregulation by physically interacting with the RNA-binding protein ​TaGRP2. ​TaGRP2 binds to TaVRN1 pre-mRNA and inhibits TaVRN1 mRNA accumulation. The physical interaction between ​VER2and ​TaGRP2 is controlled by ​TaGRP2 O-GlcNAc modification, which gradually increases during vernalization. The interaction between ​VER2 and O-GlcNAc-​TaGRP2 reduces ​TaGRP2 protein accumulation in the nucleus and/or promotes ​TaGRP2 dissociation from TaVRN1, leading to TaVRN1 mRNA accumulation. Our data reveal a new mechanism for sensing prolonged cold in temperate cereals.