Nuclear localization of five MaERF proteins
Potential nuclear localization signals (NLS) sequences were predicted for all banana ERFs based on the sequence analysis. To examine the subcellular localization of MaERFs in vivo, five MaERF genes from different subfamilies, including MaERF1 (subfamily IXc), MaERF4 (subfamily IXb), MaERF5 (subfamily X), MaERF9 (subfamily II), and MaERF11 (subfamily VIII) were selected, and then the full-length coding sequences of these five MaERF genes were fused in frame with the GFP gene. Transient expression of these constructs in tobacco BY-2 protoplasts showed that the fluorescence of all these MaERF proteins was localized exclusively in the nucleus (Fig. 1). By contrast, the GFP control showed ubiquitous distribution of GFP signal in the whole cells. Similar results were also obtained in tobacco leaves (Supplementary Fig. S4).