Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers
Published on: September 20, 2018
The MdERF17-MdbHLH149 Module Mediates Ethylene-Induced Starch Degradation Through the Transcriptional Repression of
Fan Xiao1, Chu-Kun Wang1, Jiu-Cheng Zhang1
1National Research Center for Apple Engineering and Technology; Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center of Fruit & Vegetable Quality and Efficient Production; College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China.
Abstract:
The ripening of climacteric fruits is characterised by a sharp increase in ethylene production, coinciding with the conversion of starch into soluble sugars. However, the regulatory interplay between ethylene and starch degradation in apple remains largely unclear. Here, we report a negative correlation between starch accumulation and ethylene levels during late fruit development. Integrated transcriptomic analysis identified the α-amylase gene MdAMY1 as a key component of the ethylene-starch regulatory pathway. Functional characterisation confirmed that MdAMY1, an ethylene-responsive gene, acts as a positive regulator of starch-to-sugar conversion. Biochemical assays showed that the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor MdbHLH149 directly represses MdAMY1 transcription. Furthermore, MdERF17-a negative regulator in ethylene signalling-interacts with MdbHLH149 and synergistically enhances this repression. A combination of GUS staining, quantitative enzyme activity assays and VIGS-based transient transformation demonstrated that the MdERF17-MdbHLH149-MdAMY1 module acts downstream of ethylene signalling to control starch degradation. Collectively, these findings establish that ethylene facilitates starch degradation by negatively regulating the MdERF17-MdbHLH149-MdAMY1 repression module.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a...
Proteins: From Genes to Degradation
Transcription is the synthesis of RNA...
Transcription Factors
Regulated Protein Degradation
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...
Repressed Memory
Eukaryotic Transcription Activators
The binding domains are capable of recognizing and interacting with regulatory sequences on the DNA. These...

