Authors: Nath, Pravendra; Sane, Aniruddha P.; Trivedi, Prabodh K.; Sane, Vidhu A.; Asif, Mehar H.

Source: Stewart Postharvest Review, Volume 3, Number 2, April 2007 , pp. 1-14(14)

Publisher: Stewart Postharvest Solutions

Abstract:

Purpose of the review: It is now becoming increasingly evident that plants have a tight regulation of gene expression under normal developmental processes, as well in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. This is brought about through differential expression of hundreds of transcription factors (TFs). This review highlights recent developments in identifying and assigning role to various TFs in processes such as fruit ripening, organ abscission, and dehiscence and senescence. This may help to better understand these phenomena at the molecular level and identify candidate genes for genetic manipulations to improve the postharvest life of fruits and flowers.

Main findings: TFs are proteins that bind 'upstream' of a DNA coding segment, directly or indirectly through other TFs already bound, and exert regulation by recruiting and activating RNA polymerase to start transcription or by repressing transcription. Several common and plant-specific TFs have been identified, categorised and characterised during the processes of fruit ripening, organ abscission, dehiscence and senescence. Incidentally, most of these processes are influenced by the components of the ethylene signalling pathway, hence, several TFs with functional overlaps have been identified. TFs that mediate ethylene signalling such as ERF(s) (ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR), EIN3 (ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3), EIL (ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3 LIKE) and some others belonging to the MADS-box and WRKY families are examples that may have pleiotropic effects in ripening, abscission and senescence.

Limitations: Nearly 6% of the Arabidopsis genes express TFs, however, the function of very few is known. Moreover, homologues/orthologues of very few have been identified from other plants. Non-availability of natural/artificially-generated mutants in most plants and functional redundancy of many TFs have made it difficult to assign a characteristic and specific role for individual TFs in plant growth, development and stress.

Direction of future research: There is a strong need to identify more TFs from plants of agricultural importance, taking clue from the Arabidopsis whole genome dataset, and carry out functional analysis. Information available from the studies carried out in Arabidopsis, rice and tomato indicate that genetic manipulations of TFs may be a more useful and practical approach in the improvement of agronomical traits rather than gene pyramiding.

Keywords: ABSCISSION; DEHISCENCE; ETHYLENE SIGNALLING; FRUIT RIPENING; GENE EXPRESSION; SENESCENCE; TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2212/spr.2007.2.6

Publication date: 2007-04-01

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