ASIL1 is required for proper timing of seed filling in Arabidopsis

In flowering plants, seed development and seed filling are intricate genetically programmed processes that correlate with changes in metabolite levels and that are spatially and temporally regulated by a complex signaling network mediated mainly by sugars and hormones. ASIL1, a member of the plant-specific trihelix family of DNA-binding transcription factors, was isolated based on its interaction with the GT-element of the Arabidopsis thaliana 2S albumin At2S3 promoter. Mutation of ASIL1 derepressed expression of a subset of embryonic genes resulting in accumulation of 2S albumin and embryo-specific lipids in leaves. It was recently reported that mutation of ASIL1 led to early embryo development in Arabidopsis. In this study, we demonstrated that ASIL1 acts as a temporal regulator of seed filling. In developing siliques, mutation of ASIL1 led to earlier expression of master regulatory genes LEC2, FUS3 and ABI3 as well as genes for seed storage reserves. Moreover, the 12S globulin accumulated to a much higher level in the developing seeds of asil1-1 compared to wild type. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that ASIL1 not only functions as a negative regulator of embryonic traits in seedlings but also contributes to the maintenance of precise temporal control of seed filling. Thus, ASIL1 represents a novel component of the regulatory framework controlling embryonic gene expression in Arabidopsis.