Ra. Dietrich et al., A NOVEL ZINC-FINGER PROTEIN IS ENCODED BY THE ARABIDOPSIS LSD1 GENE AND FUNCTIONS AS A NEGATIVE REGULATOR OF PLANT-CELL DEATH, Cell, 88(5), 1997, pp. 685-694
Arabidopsis Isd1 mutants are hyperresponsive to cell death initiators
and fail to limit the extent of cell death. Superoxide is a necessary
and sufficient signal for cell death propagation. Thus, LSD1 monitors
a superoxide-dependent signal and negatively regulates a plant cell de
ath pathway. We isolated LSD1 via its map position. The predicted LSD1
protein contains three zinc finger domains, defined by CxxCxRxxLMYxxG
ASxVxCxxC. These domains are present in three additional Arabidopsis g
enes, suggesting that LSD1 defines a zinc finger protein subclass. LSD
1 is constitutively expressed, consistent with the mutant phenotype. A
lternate splicing gives rise to a low abundance mRNA encoding an extra
five amino-terminal amino acids. We propose that LSD1 regulates trans
cription, via either repression of a prodeath pathway or activation of
an antideath pathway, in response to signals emanating from cells und
ergoing pathogen-induced hypersensitive cell death.