Spatiotemporal control of axillary meristem formation by interacting transcriptional regulators

TY - JOUR

T1 - Spatiotemporal control of axillary meristem formation by interacting transcriptional regulators

AU - Zhang, Cui

AU - Wang, Jin

AU - Wenkel, Stephan

AU - Chandler, John W.

AU - Werr, Wolfgang

AU - Jiao, Yuling

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Branching is a common feature of plant development. In seed plants, axillary meristems (AMs) initiate in leaf axils to enable lateral shoot branching. AM initiation requires a high level of expression of the meristem marker SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) in the leaf axil. Here, we show that modules of interacting transcriptional regulators control STM expression and AM initiation. Two redundant AP2-type transcription factors, DORNRÖSCHEN (DRN) and DORNRÖSCHENLIKE (DRNL), controlAMinitiation by regulating STMexpression.DRN and DRNL directly upregulate STM expression in leaf axil meristematic cells, as does another transcription factor, REVOLUTA (REV). The activation of STM expression by DRN/DRNL depends on REV, and vice versa. DRN/DRNL and REV have overlapping expression patterns and protein interactions in the leaf axil, which are required for the upregulation of STM expression. Furthermore, LITTLE ZIPPER3, another REV-interacting protein, is expressed in the leaf axil and interferes with the DRN/DRNL-REV interaction to negatively modulate STM expression. Our results support a model in which interacting transcriptional regulators fine-tune the expression of STMto precisely regulate AM initiation. Thus, shoot branching recruits the same conserved protein complexes used in embryogenesis and leaf polarity patterning.

AB - Branching is a common feature of plant development. In seed plants, axillary meristems (AMs) initiate in leaf axils to enable lateral shoot branching. AM initiation requires a high level of expression of the meristem marker SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) in the leaf axil. Here, we show that modules of interacting transcriptional regulators control STM expression and AM initiation. Two redundant AP2-type transcription factors, DORNRÖSCHEN (DRN) and DORNRÖSCHENLIKE (DRNL), controlAMinitiation by regulating STMexpression.DRN and DRNL directly upregulate STM expression in leaf axil meristematic cells, as does another transcription factor, REVOLUTA (REV). The activation of STM expression by DRN/DRNL depends on REV, and vice versa. DRN/DRNL and REV have overlapping expression patterns and protein interactions in the leaf axil, which are required for the upregulation of STM expression. Furthermore, LITTLE ZIPPER3, another REV-interacting protein, is expressed in the leaf axil and interferes with the DRN/DRNL-REV interaction to negatively modulate STM expression. Our results support a model in which interacting transcriptional regulators fine-tune the expression of STMto precisely regulate AM initiation. Thus, shoot branching recruits the same conserved protein complexes used in embryogenesis and leaf polarity patterning.

KW - Arabidopsis

KW - Axillary meristem

KW - Branching

KW - Stem cell

KW - Transcription

U2 - 10.1242/dev.158352

DO - 10.1242/dev.158352

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30446629

AN - SCOPUS:85058606145

SN - 0950-1991

VL - 145

JO - Development (Cambridge)

JF - Development (Cambridge)

M1 - dev158352

ER -