Ethylene-Binding Activity, Gene-Expression Levels, and Receptor-System Output for Ethylene-Receptor Family Members from Arabidopsis and Tomato

Ethylene signaling in plants is mediated by a family of ethylene receptors related to bacterial two-component regulators. Expression in yeast of ethylene-binding domains from the five receptor isoforms from Arabidopsis thaliana and five-receptor isoforms from tomato confirmed that all members of the family are capable of high-affinity ethylene-binding activity. All receptor isoforms displayed a similar level of ethylene binding on a per unit protein basis, while members of both subfamily I and subfamily II from Arabidopsis showed similar slow-release kinetics for ethylene. Quantification of receptor-isoform mRNA levels in receptor-deficient Arabidopsis lines indicated a direct correlation between total message level and total ethylene-binding activity in planta. Increased expression of remaining receptor isoforms in receptor-deficient lines tended to compensate for missing receptors at the level of mRNA expression and ethylene-binding activity, but not at the level of receptor signaling, consistent with specialized roles for family members in receptor signal output.