Polypyrimidine tract-binding proteins of potato mediate tuberization through an interaction with StBEL5 RNA

Polypyrimidine tract-binding (PTB) proteins are a family of RNA-binding proteins that function in a wide range of RNA metabolic processes by binding to motifs rich in uracils and cytosines. A PTB protein of pumpkin was identified as the core protein of an RNA–protein complex that trafficks RNA. The biological function of the PTB–RNA complex, however, has not been demonstrated. In potato, six PTB proteins have been identified, and two, designated StPTB1 and StPTB6, are similar to the phloem-mobile pumpkin type. RNA binding assays confirmed the interaction of StPTB1 and StPTB6 with discrete pyrimidine-rich sequences of the 3′-untranslated regions of the phloem-mobile mRNA, StBEL5. The promoter of StPTB1 was active in companion cells of phloem in both stem and petioles. Expression of both types was evident in phloem cells of roots and in stolons during tuber formation. RNA accumulation of both PTB proteins was induced by short days in leaves in correlation with enhanced accumulation of StBEL5 RNA. StPTB suppression lines exhibited reduced tuber yields and decreased StBEL5 RNA accumulation, whereas StPTB overexpression lines displayed an increase in tuber production correlated with the enhanced production in stolons of steady-state levels of StBEL5 transcripts and RNA of key tuber identity genes. In StPTB overexpression lines, both the stability and long-distance transport of StBEL5 transcripts were enhanced, whereas in suppression lines stability and transport decreased. Using a transgenic approach, it is shown that the StPTB family of RNA-binding proteins regulate specific stages of development through an interaction with phloem-mobile transcripts of StBEL5.