PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Marc Jakoby

Publications and source records attributed to Marc Jakoby.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

FRU (BHLH029) is required for induction of iron mobilization genes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Iron mobilization responses are induced by low iron supply at transcriptional level. In tomato, the basic helix-loop-helix gene FER is required for induction of iron mobilization. Using molecular-genetic techniques, we analyzed the function of BHLH029, named FRU (FER-like regulator of iron uptake), the Arabidopsis thaliana homolog of the tomato FER gene. The FRU gene was mainly expressed in roots in a cell-specific pattern and induced by iron deficiency. FRU mutant plants were chlorotic, and the FRU gene was found necessary for induction of the essential iron mobilization genes FRO2 (ferric chelate reductase gene) and IRT1 (iron-regulated transporter gene). Overexpression of FRU resulted in an increase of iron mobilization responses at low iron supply. Thus, the FRU gene is a mediator in induction of iron mobilization responses in Arabidopsis, indicating that regulation of iron uptake is conserved in dicot species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cell cycle and differentiation.

The development of multicellular organisms relies on the temporal and spatial control of cell proliferation and cell growth. The relationship between cell-cycle progression and development is complex and characterized by mutual dependencies. On the level of the individual cell, this interrelationship has implications for pattern formation and cell morphogenesis. On a supercellular level, this interrelationship affects meristem function and organ growth. Often, developmental signals not only direct cell-cycle progression but also set the frame for cell-cycle regulation by determining cell-type-specific cell-cycle modes. In other cases, however, cell-cycle progression appears to be required for the further differentiation of some cell types. There are also examples in which cell cycle and differentiation seem to be controlled at the same level and progress rather independently from each other or are linked by the same regulator or pathway. Furthermore, different relationships between cell cycle and differentiation can be combined in a succession of events during development, leading to complex developmental programs.

Cell Cycle↗

The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor family in plants: a genome-wide study of protein structure and functional diversity.

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) belong to a family of transcriptional regulators present in three eukaryotic kingdoms. Many different functions have been identified for these proteins in animals, including the control of cell proliferation and development of specific cell lineages. Their mechanism for controlling gene transcription often involves homodimerization or heterodimerization. In plants, little is known about the bHLH family, but we have determined that there are 133 bHLH genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and have confirmed that at least 113 of them are expressed. The AtbHLH genes constitute one of the largest families of transcription factors in A. thaliana with significantly more members than are found in most animal species and about an equivalent number to those in vertebrates. Comparisons with animal sequences suggest that the majority of plant bHLH genes have evolved from the ancestral group B class of bHLH genes. By studying the AtbHLH genes collectively, twelve subfamilies have been identified. Within each of these main groups, there are conserved amino acid sequence motifs outside the DNA binding domain. Potential gene redundancy among members of smaller subgroups has been analyzed, and the resulting information is presented to provide a simplified visual interpretation of the gene family, identifying related genes that are likely to share similar functions. Based on the current characterization of a limited number of plant bHLH proteins, we predict that this family of TFs has a range of different roles in plant cell and tissue development as well as plant metabolism.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

bZIP transcription factors in Arabidopsis.

In plants, basic region/leucine zipper motif (bZIP) transcription factors regulate processes including pathogen defence, light and stress signalling, seed maturation and flower development. The Arabidopsis genome sequence contains 75 distinct members of the bZIP family, of which approximately 50 are not described in the literature. Using common domains, the AtbZIP family can be subdivided into ten groups. Here, we review the available data on bZIP functions in the context of subgroup membership and discuss the interacting proteins. This integration is essential for a complete functional characterization of bZIP transcription factors in plants, and to identify functional redundancies among AtbZIP factors.

Arabidopsis↗