Researchers have discovered compounds that can prolong the lifespan of Japanese morning glory flowers by inhibiting a key transcription factor. This breakthrough could lead to the development of chemicals that extend the longevity of cut flowers, benefiting the horticultural industry. The study, published in Nature Plants, highlights the potential of innovative technologies like cell-free protein synthesis and molecular interaction analysis to unlock the mysteries of plant senescence.
Deciphering the Secrets of Flower Longevity
In horticulture industry, the long life of flowers is an important factor to decide the commercial value of ornamental plants. An important aspect of the natural aging process in a flower is programmed cell death, but researchers have long been interested in the genetic mechanisms that regulate natural senescence of a flower.
From this landmark study comes a first report by a group of researchers on the Japanese morning glory, an important ornamental plant. Previously, they discovered a major transcription factor Ephemeral1 (EPH1) as one of the regulators for flower longevity. The idea being that if one could find a chemical that inhibits EPH1, you may offer away to get the flowers to live longer.
A novel model for chemical screening
To do this, the researchers used new technologies developed by PROS, a research organisation. Here, a high-yield wheat cell-free protein synthesis system was employed for production of the recalcitrant EPH1 transcription factor.
Utilizing the EPH1 protein, the researchers utilized an AlphaScreen system to screen for compounds that might block EPH1 from DNA ( here is a link to this technology : —-link to tech_sheets/alphascreen-technology-overview [That link appears broken. The compounds Everlastin1 and Everlastin2, which blocked EPH1 dimerization without influencing binding to DNA but inhibited the regulation of gene expression, were considered possible candidates identified by this method.
The team then tested these compounds on cut morning glory flowers and discovered that treating the flowers with Everlastin1 or Everlastin2 significantly extended their longevity, almost doubling the life of the blooms.
some implications and future directions.
According to Michele — coming from a field where routine transplantations of plants are done with the resolute focus on salvaging a precious genome being ruined by diseases and pests, success in this study is tantamount to “validation” for the entire horticulture industry. By a similar strategy, also EPH1 homolog in major cut flowers like lily could be a targeted protein for its longevity. The study may find applications in the future, however, regarding chemicals to prolong the life of flowers before they are sold as cut blooms in flower shops.
Finally, the methods applied — cell-free protein synthesis and biophysical interaction analysis — are thought to drive the development of chemicals for the transcription factors that have been viewed as “undruggable”. This discovery will facilitate new activities from researchers to study senescence in the regulation of plant life, potentially opening ways to implement these findings. in the horticultural sector and scientific community as a whole.
