The involvement of Ein3-binding F-box protein PbrEBF3 in regulating ethylene signaling during Cuiguan pear fruit ripening

Ein3-binding F-box (EBF) proteins have been determined to modulate ethylene response processes by regulating EIN3/EIL protein degradation in Arabidopsis and tomato. However, the function of pear PbrEBFs in ethylene-dependent responses during fruit ripening remains unclear. In this study, PbrEBF1, PbrEBF2, and PbrEBF3 display contrasting expression patterns in response to ethylene and 1-MCP treatment. PbrEBF3 displayed potential fruit ripening-associated function in a transient expression experiment. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and Firefly luciferase complementation imaging (LCI) assays indicated that PbrEBF3 interacts with PbrEIL1, PbrEIL2, and PbrEIL3 proteins. In turn, the transcription of PbrEBF3 is directly regulated by PbrEILs via a feedback loop. PbrEILs trigger a transcriptional cascade of PbrERF24 and finally affect ethylene synthesis. Overall, PbrEBF3 plays a central role in pear fruit ripening through mediation of the ethylene signaling pathway.