The effects of Group 11 transition metals, including gold, on ethylene binding to the ETR1 receptor and growth of Arabidopsis thaliana

Edited by Julian Schroeder

Received 31 August 2007; received in revised form 25 September 2007; accepted 26 September 2007. published online 04 October 2007.

Abstract

It has been previously shown that Cu(I) and the ethylene response antagonist, Ag(I), support ethylene binding to exogenously expressed ETR1 ethylene receptors. Both are Group 11 transition metals that also include gold. We compared the effects of gold ions with those of Cu(I) and Ag(I) on ethylene binding in exogenously expressed ETR1 receptors and on ethylene growth responses in etiolated Arabidopsis seedlings. We find that gold ions also support ethylene binding but, unlike Ag(I), do not block ethylene action on plants. Instead, like Cu(I), gold ions affect seedlings independently of ethylene signaling.

Keywords: Copper, Ethylene, ETR1 receptor, Gold, Silver, Transition metals

Abbreviations: EIN, ethylene insensitive, ERS, ethylene response sensor, ETR, ethylene response, RAN, responsive to agonist

a Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, United States

b Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, United States

Corresponding author. Fax: +1 608 262 4743.

1 Present address: BD Biosciences, Puerto Rico.

✠ Deceased.

PII: S0014-5793(07)01041-1

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2007.09.057

18 of 28