Membrane protein MHZ3 stabilizes OsEIN2 in rice by interacting with its Nramp-like domain (PNAS)

Much of the ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathway has been characterized from study of  the dicot Arabidopsis. In this study, Ma et al. have characterized the ethylene insensitive mutant mhz3 from rice. MHZ3 is a membrane protein localized to the endoplasmic reticulum that interacts with OsEIN2 (ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE2). OsEIN2 contains a Nramp-like membrane-spanning domain and nuclear-localization signal. MHZ3 interacts with OsEIN2 through the Nramp-like domain and stabilizes the protein by preventing its ubiquitination. This work introduces the role of Nramp-like domain of OsEIN2 in ethylene signaling. (Summary by Arif Ashraf) PNAS: 10.1073/pnas.1718377115