The Citrus transcription factor, CitERF13, regulates citric acid accumulation via a protein-protein interaction with the vacuolar proton pump, CitVHA-c4

Organic acids are essential to fruit flavor. The vacuolar H(+) transporting adenosine triphosphatase (V-ATPase) plays an important role in organic acid transport and accumulation. However, less is known of V-ATPase interacting proteins and their relationship with organic acid accumulation. The relat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2016-02, Vol.6 (1), p.20151-20151, Article 20151
Main Authors: Li, Shao-jia, Yin, Xue-ren, Xie, Xiu-lan, Allan, Andrew C, Ge, Hang, Shen, Shu-ling, Chen, Kun-song
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acids
Adenosine triphosphatase
Arabidopsis - genetics
Citric acid
Citric Acid - metabolism
Citrus - genetics
Citrus - metabolism
Complementation
Ethylene
Flavor
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
H+-transporting ATPase
Nicotiana - genetics
Organic acids
Overexpression
Plant Proteins - genetics
Plant Proteins - metabolism
Protein Binding
Protein interaction
Proteins
Tobacco
Transcription Factors - genetics
Transcription Factors - metabolism
Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases - genetics
Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases - metabolism
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Summary:Organic acids are essential to fruit flavor. The vacuolar H(+) transporting adenosine triphosphatase (V-ATPase) plays an important role in organic acid transport and accumulation. However, less is known of V-ATPase interacting proteins and their relationship with organic acid accumulation. The relationship between V-ATPase and citric acid was investigated, using the citrus tangerine varieties 'Ordinary Ponkan (OPK)' and an early maturing mutant 'Zaoshu Ponkan (ZPK)'. Five V-ATPase genes (CitVHA) were predicted as important to citric acid accumulation. Among the genes, CitVHA-c4 was observed, using a yeast two-hybrid screen, to interact at the protein level with an ethylene response factor, CitERF13. This was verified using bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. A similar interaction was also observed between Arabidopsis AtERF017 (a CitERF13 homolog) and AtVHA-c4 (a CitVHA-c4 homolog). A synergistic effect on citric acid levels was observed between V-ATPase proteins and interacting ERFs when analyzed using transient over-expression in tobacco and Arabidopsis mutants. Furthermore, the transcript abundance of CitERF13 was concomitant with CitVHA-c4. CitERF13 or AtERF017 over-expression leads to significant citric acid accumulation. This accumulation was abolished in an AtVHA-c4 mutant background. ERF-VHA interactions appear to be involved in citric acid accumulation, which was observed in both citrus and Arabidopsis.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/srep20151