EIL1 (ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3-LIKE 1, At2g27050) is a nuclear, plant-specific EIN3-family transcription factor that, together with its closest paralog EIN3, is one of the two master transcription factors of the ethylene response. EIN3/EIL proteins bind as sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins to primary ethylene response elements (EIN3-binding sites) in target promoters such as ERF1 and activate their transcription; EIL1 can complement ein3 and, when overexpressed, confers constitutive ethylene responses. In the absence of ethylene EIL1 protein is continuously degraded by the 26S proteasome via the F-box proteins EBF1 and EBF2; ethylene signalling through EIN2 inhibits EBF1/EBF2 and stabilizes EIL1 in the nucleus. EIL1 acts redundantly but differentially with EIN3 (EIL1 mainly in leaf expansion and stem elongation of adult plants) and the ein3 eil1 double mutant is almost completely ethylene-insensitive. EIL1 also integrates ethylene with jasmonate (repression by JAZ and MYC2/MYC-type proteins), iron uptake (interaction with FIT), photomorphogenic greening (PORA/PORB activation), salicylic-acid-mediated immunity (repression of SID2) and the sulfur-deficiency response.
| GO Term | Evidence | Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| GO:0000976 transcription cis-regulatory region binding | IEA GO_REF:0000117 | ACCEPT | Summary: EIN3/EIL proteins are sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins that bind the primary ethylene response element in target promoters. Consistent with experimental data for the family. Reason: Correct description of the DNA-binding mode of EIL1. Supporting Evidence: PMID:9851977 EIN3 and EILs comprise a family of novel sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins that regulate gene expression by binding directly to a primary ethylene response element (PERE) |
| GO:0000976 transcription cis-regulatory region binding | IPI PMID:25352272 Promoter-based integration in plant defense regulation. | ACCEPT | Summary: Large-scale yeast one-hybrid screen of glucosinolate/defense gene promoters identified EIL1 binding to the GSTF11 (At3g03190) promoter. The MF is correct for EIL1; the specific target is of uncertain physiological significance. Reason: Consistent with the known cis-regulatory binding activity of EIL1 (the MF itself is correct); the particular Y1H target is of unclear in planta relevance. The cached full text describes the screen but does not name EIL1; the EIL1-GSTF11 interaction is in the paper's supplementary interaction tables, which are not in the cache, so the quote below documents the assay only. Supporting Evidence: PMID:25352272 A systematic yeast one-hybrid study was used to identify hundreds of unique potential regulatory interactions with a nearly complete complement of 21 promoters for the aliphatic glucosinolate pathway. |
| GO:0000976 transcription cis-regulatory region binding | IPI PMID:25533953 An Arabidopsis gene regulatory network for secondary cell wa... | ACCEPT | Summary: Enhanced yeast one-hybrid secondary cell wall network screen detected EIL1 binding to promoter fragments (including C4H, At2g30490). Correct MF, but a large-scale screen of uncertain in planta relevance. Reason: Consistent with EIL1's DNA-binding activity (the MF itself is correct); specific promoter targets from Y1H are not part of its core ethylene function. The cached full text does not name EIL1; the EIL1-promoter interactions are in the paper's supplementary network data, which are not in the cache, so no EIL1-specific quote is available and the curator's IPI is deferred to (the MF is independently established for EIL1). |
| GO:0003700 DNA-binding transcription factor activity | IBA GO_REF:0000033 | ACCEPT | Summary: PAINT inference for the EIN3/EIL clade seeded by EIN3 and rice EILs; EIL1 is a close EIN3 paralog with demonstrated sequence-specific DNA binding and transcriptional activation of ethylene-responsive genes. Reason: Sound phylogenetic inference corroborated by EIL1-specific data. Supporting Evidence: PMID:9215635 Overexpression of EIN3 or EIL1 in wild-type or ethylene-insensitive2 plants conferred constitutive ethylene phenotypes |
| GO:0003700 DNA-binding transcription factor activity | IEA GO_REF:0000002 | ACCEPT | Summary: InterPro EIN3 DNA-binding domain mapping; correct. Reason: Consistent with experimental evidence for EIN3/EIL proteins. |
| GO:0003700 DNA-binding transcription factor activity | ISS PMID:11118137 Arabidopsis transcription factors: genome-wide comparative a... | ACCEPT | Summary: Genome-wide comparative classification of Arabidopsis transcription factors placing EIL1 in the EIN3 family. Correct, superseded by direct evidence. Reason: Correct family-based inference. |
| GO:0003700 DNA-binding transcription factor activity | TAS PMID:12606727 Five components of the ethylene-response pathway identified ... | ACCEPT | Summary: The wei5 screen identified EIL1 as an EIN3-related transcription factor gene required for full ethylene response. Reason: Correct; EIL1 is a DNA-binding transcription factor. Supporting Evidence: PMID:12606727 wei5, a semidominant mutant, was caused by a mutation in the EIN3-related transcription factor gene EIL1 |
| GO:0003700 DNA-binding transcription factor activity | TAS PMID:9215635 Activation of the ethylene gas response pathway in Arabidops... | ACCEPT | Summary: Chao et al. cloned EIN3 and EILs; EIL1 complements ein3 and its overexpression activates ethylene responses. Reason: Correct; core MF. Supporting Evidence: PMID:9215635 EIL1 orEIL2 were able to complement ein3, suggesting their participation in the ethylene signaling pathway |
| GO:0005515 protein binding | IPI PMID:21586684 Interaction between the bHLH transcription factor FIT and ET... | REMOVE | Summary: EIL1 (and EIN3) physically interact with the bHLH iron-uptake regulator FIT (At2g28160), and EIN3/EIL1 are required for full FIT accumulation. The interaction is real but "protein binding" is uninformative. Reason: Uninformative term; no specific MF term captures the FIT-stabilizing interaction. Removal does not mean the interaction is false; the iron-ethylene link is recorded in the description. Supporting Evidence: PMID:21586684 We identified ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) and ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3-LIKE1 (EIL1) in a screen for direct FIT interaction partners |
| GO:0005515 protein binding | IPI PMID:24399301 Interaction between MYC2 and ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 modulates... | REMOVE | Summary: Interaction with a MYC-type bHLH (At5g46760, MYC3) reported in the study of MYC2-EIN3/EIL1 antagonism, where MYC proteins repress EIN3/EIL1 transcriptional activity. "protein binding" is uninformative. Reason: Uninformative term; the interaction is a regulatory input to EIL1 and is not a molecular function of EIL1 that can be named more specifically. Removal does not mean the interaction is false. Supporting Evidence: PMID:24399301 MYC2 interacts with and represses EIN3 and EIL1 |
| GO:0005634 nucleus | IBA GO_REF:0000033 | ACCEPT | Summary: Phylogenetic inference for nuclear EIN3/EIL proteins; EIL1 accumulates in the nucleus when stabilized. Reason: Consistent with EIL1-specific nuclear accumulation. Supporting Evidence: PMID:20647342 When EBF1 and EBF2 are disrupted, EIL1 and EIN3 constitutively accumulate in the nucleus |
| GO:0005634 nucleus | IEA GO_REF:0000120 | ACCEPT | Summary: Automated nuclear localization consistent with experimental data. Reason: Consistent with nuclear accumulation of EIL1. |
| GO:0005634 nucleus | ISM GO_REF:0000122 | ACCEPT | Summary: AtSubP prediction of nuclear localization; correct. Reason: Consistent with experimental nuclear accumulation. |
| GO:0009723 response to ethylene | IMP PMID:12606727 Five components of the ethylene-response pathway identified ... | ACCEPT | Summary: wei5/eil1 mutants are weakly ethylene-insensitive, and eil1 ein3 double mutants almost completely lack the seedling ethylene response. Reason: Direct genetic evidence for EIL1 in the ethylene response. Supporting Evidence: PMID:12606727 The simultaneous loss of functional WEI5EIL1 and EIN3 nearly completely abolished the ethylene response in etiolated seedlings |
| GO:0009873 ethylene-activated signaling pathway | IEA GO_REF:0000117 | ACCEPT | Summary: EIL1 is a terminal transcriptional component of the ethylene-activated signaling pathway. Reason: Consistent with genetic and biochemical evidence. |
| GO:0009873 ethylene-activated signaling pathway | TAS PMID:12606727 Five components of the ethylene-response pathway identified ... | ACCEPT | Summary: wei5 eil1 ein3 double mutants fully suppress constitutive ctr1 signalling, placing EIL1 downstream in the pathway. Reason: Core process. Supporting Evidence: PMID:12606727 wei5eil1 ein3 double mutants were able to fully suppress constitutive signaling caused by ctr1 |
| GO:0009873 ethylene-activated signaling pathway | TAS PMID:9215635 Activation of the ethylene gas response pathway in Arabidops... | ACCEPT | Summary: EIL1 complements ein3 and activates the pathway when overexpressed. Reason: Core process. Supporting Evidence: PMID:9215635 indicating their sufficiency for activation of the pathway in the absence of ethylene |
| GO:0009970 cellular response to sulfate starvation | IGI PMID:33060195 The Transcription Factor EIL1 Participates in the Regulation... | KEEP AS NON CORE | Summary: EIL1 acts as a second transcriptional activator of the sulfur-deficiency response, subordinate to SLIM1/EIL3 (At1g73730), with additive genetic contributions shown by RNA-seq of single and double mutants. Reason: Experimentally supported but a secondary, subordinate role outside the core ethylene function. Supporting Evidence: PMID:33060195 we identified EIL1 as a second transcriptional activator regulating the sulfur-deficiency response, subordinate to SLIM1/EIL3 |
| GO:0009970 cellular response to sulfate starvation | IMP PMID:33060195 The Transcription Factor EIL1 Participates in the Regulation... | KEEP AS NON CORE | Summary: eil1 mutant analysis of the sulfur-deficiency transcriptome. Reason: Real but non-core role. Supporting Evidence: PMID:33060195 RNA sequencing showed an additive contribution of EIL1 to the regulation of the sulfur-deficiency response |
| GO:0010104 regulation of ethylene-activated signaling pathway | IBA GO_REF:0000033 | MODIFY | Summary: PAINT inference for the EIN3/EIL clade. EIL1 is a core transducing component (the terminal transcription factor) of the pathway rather than a modulator; EIN3/EIL proteins do also drive feedback (e.g. EBF2 induction), but the more accurate assertion is participation in the pathway itself. Reason: The direct process term better reflects EIL1's role as the transcriptional output of the ethylene pathway. GO:0009873 is already carried by EIL1 on separate accepted rows, so this MODIFY is a merge into that existing annotation, not a request to mint a new one. Propagation Review Root cause: TERM SCOPING PROBLEM Failure modes: GRANULARITY MISMATCH Sources checked: PANTHER:PTN008654589 · EIN3/EIL clade node SUPPORTS TRANSFER EIL1 is correctly inside the EIN3/EIL clade; the issue is only that the regulation term understates the role of EIN3/EIL proteins as core transducers of the pathway. Proposed replacements: ethylene-activated signaling pathway |
| GO:0042742 defense response to bacterium | IGI PMID:19717619 ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 and ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3-LIKE1 repres... | KEEP AS NON CORE | Summary: ein3 eil1 double mutants show enhanced PAMP-triggered immunity and resistance to Pseudomonas, through derepression of SID2 and SA accumulation; EIN3/EIL1 negatively regulate this defense. Reason: Genetically supported (the qualifier acts_upstream_of_or_within covers the negative regulatory role) but downstream of the core ethylene transcriptional function. Supporting Evidence: PMID:19717619 In this study, we demonstrate that EIN3 and EIL1 negatively regulate PTI resistance. |
| GO:0045893 positive regulation of DNA-templated transcription | IBA GO_REF:0000033 | ACCEPT | Summary: EIN3/EIL proteins activate transcription of ethylene-responsive targets such as ERF1, PORA and PORB. Reason: Consistent with activator function of EIL1. Supporting Evidence: PMID:19948955 Both EIN3/EIL1 and PIF1 activate POR gene expression in which EIN3/EIL1 directly bind to the promoters of PORA and PORB |
| GO:0001228 DNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase II-specific | IDA PMID:9851977 Nuclear events in ethylene signaling: a transcriptional casc... | NEW | Summary: Proposed precise MF: EIN3/EILs bind the primary ethylene response element and activate target genes such as ERF1; EIL1 overexpression activates the pathway and EIL1 directly activates PORA/PORB promoters. Reason: Captures both sequence-specific binding and activator function, matching the core function used for EIN3. Supporting Evidence: PMID:9851977 EIN3 and EILs comprise a family of novel sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins that regulate gene expression by binding directly to a primary ethylene response element (PERE) PMID:19948955 Both EIN3/EIL1 and PIF1 activate POR gene expression in which EIN3/EIL1 directly bind to the promoters of PORA and PORB |
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Download this section (compressed HTML)Q: What determines the differential contribution of EIL1 versus EIN3 to adult leaf expansion and stem elongation compared with seedling responses: target specificity, expression pattern, or differential protein stability?
Experiment: Compare genome-wide EIL1 and EIN3 binding (ChIP-seq or DAP-seq) in adult leaves with and without ethylene, in ein3 and eil1 single mutant backgrounds, to identify EIL1-specific targets.
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