LEAFY COTYLEDON 2 activation is sufficient to trigger the accumulation of oil and seed specific mRNAs in Arabidopsis leaves

LEAFY COTYLEDON 2 (LEC2) is a key regulator of seed maturation in Arabidopsis. To unravel some of its complex pleiotropic functions, analyses were performed with transgenic plants expressing an inducible LEC2:GR protein. The chimeric protein is functional and can complement lec2 mutation. Interestingly, the induction of LEC2 leads to the accumulation of storage oil in leaves. In addition, short-term induction and use of translation inhibitors allowed to demonstrate that LEC2 can directly trigger the accumulation of seed specific mRNAs. Consistent with these results, the expression of three other major seed regulators namely, LEC1, FUS3, and ABI3 were also induce by LEC2 activation. (c) 2005 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.