The MADS domain protein AGL15 localizes to the nucleus during early stages of seed development

• Published in: The Plant cell Vol. 8; no. 11; pp. 1977 - 1989
• Main Authors: Perry, S.E. (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.), Nichols, K.W, Fernandez, D.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society of Plant Physiologists 01-11-1996
• Subjects: ADN; Antibodies; Arabidopsis; ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA; BRASSICA NAPUS; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; CHROMOSOME; Corn; CROMOSOMAS; DESARROLLO EMBRIONARIO; DEVELOPPEMENT EMBRYONNAIRE; DNA; DNA, Plant - metabolism; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; EMBRIONES VEGETALES; Embryogenesis; EMBRYON VEGETAL; Embryos; Endosperm; Gels; GRAINE; IMMUNOLOGIE; INMUNOLOGIA; MADS Domain Proteins; Mutagenesis; MUTANT; MUTANTES; NOYAU CELLULAIRE; NUCLEO; Plant cells; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plants; PROTEINAS AGLUTINANTES; PROTEINE DE LIAISON; Seeds; Seeds - growth & development; SEMILLA; ZEA MAYS
• ISSN: 1040-4651; 1532-298X
• DOI: 10.1105/tpc.8.11.1977

Little is known about regulatory factors that act during the earliest stages of plant embryogenesis. The MADS domain protein AGL15 (for AGAMOUS-like) is expressed preferentially during embryogenesis and accumulates during early seed development in monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous flowering plants. AGL15-specific antibodies and immunohistochemistry were used to demonstrate that AGL15 accumulates before fertilization in the cytoplasm in the cells of the egg apparatus and moves into the nucleus during early stages of development in the suspensor, embryo, and endosperm. Relatively high levels of AGL15 are present in the nuclei during embryo morphogenesis and until the seeds start to dry in Brassica, maize, and Arabidopsis. AGL15 is associated with the chromosomes during mitosis, and gel mobility shift assays were used to demonstrate that AGL15 binds DNA in a sequence-specific manner. To assess whether AGL15 is likely to play a role in specifying the seed or embryonic phase of development, AGL15 accumulation was examined in Arabidopsis mutants that prematurely exit embryogenesis. lec1-2 mutants show an embryo-specific loss of AGL15 at the transition stage, suggesting that AGL15 interacts with regulators in the leafy cotyledons pathway