Our results provide a novel function for the SLK1 and SLK2 in the abiotic stress re sponse outside their role in the development. Double mutant analysis with slk1 1/luh 4 and slk2 1/luh 4 for salt and osmotic stress indicated that selleck chem Ponatinib slk1, slk2 and luh functions in the same genetic pathway. Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries We did not ob serve differential responses in slk1, slk2 and luh com pared to wild type plants during freezing and plant hormone ABA treatment. Genetic analysis indicated that LUH function Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries is dependent on SLK1 and SLK2. Yeast two hybrid and in planta analyses in protoplasts indicated that the LUH interacts with SLK1 and SLK2 confirming an earlier study. Interestingly, LUFS domain in LUH is suffi cient for interaction with SLK1 and SLK2 which is simi lar to the interaction of SEU with the LUFS domain in LUG.

SEU, SLK1 and SLK2 are highly similar with a Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries centrally positioned Q rich region containing a Ldb1/ chip conserved domain that is likely to interact with the LUFS domain. Phylogenetic analysis indi cated that SEU is more closely related to SLK2 than to SLK1 which could explain the stronger interaction be tween LUH and SLK2 compared to SLK1. The molecular functions of SLK1, SLK2 and LUH were unknown. Our results indicate that only LUH has transcriptional repressor activity. Interestingly, co transfection with either SLK1 BD or SLK2 BD with CaMV 35S LUH gave repressor activity. These results indicate that SLK1 and SLK2 function as adaptors to re cruit LUH, which serves as the repressor within this complex. A recent study showed that LUH functions as an activator in Arabidopsis protoplasts in contrast to the repressor function observed in our study.

One possi bility for this observed function of LUH could be due to the different reporter systems used in the protoplast assay. In our assay, the reporter has 5X Gal sequence upstream of constitutive CaMV Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries 35S promoter. in contrast, the pub lished study used 4X Gal sequence with the reporter gene without constitutive promoter in between 4X Gal se quence and the reporter gene. In our view, LUH functions as the repressor and this is supported by the ob servation that in the luh mutant, expression of LUG which has repressor activity restores Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries the mucilage defi ciency phenotype in the luh plants. It is possible that in some cellular or developmental contexts LUH may function as an activator, although this mode of regulation has little empirical support.

The repressor activity of the LUH in protoplasts is elim inated by addition of TSA suggesting that the repression is mediated by recruiting HDAC. Arabidopsis encodes 18 HDACs and plays critical role in development, growth and hormone signaling. Recent studies sellckchem indicate that HDA19 genetically and physically interacts with co repressors LUG and TPL, and has been implicated in flower development. Our preliminary results in dicate that LUH does not interact with the HDA19 and the identity of the HDAC that interacts with the LUH remains to be established.