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Kong S, Zhu M, Pan D, Lane B, Smith RS, Roeder AHK. Tradeoff between speed and robustness in primordium initiation mediated by auxin-CUC1 interaction. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5911. [PMID: 39003301 PMCID: PMC11246466 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50172-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Robustness is the reproducible development of a phenotype despite stochastic noise. It often involves tradeoffs with other performance metrics, but the mechanisms underlying such tradeoffs were largely unknown. An Arabidopsis flower robustly develops four sepals from four precisely positioned auxin maxima. The development related myb-like 1 (drmy1) mutant generates noise in auxin signaling that disrupts robustness in sepal initiation. Here, we find that increased expression of CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON1 (CUC1), a boundary specification transcription factor, in drmy1 underlies this loss of robustness. CUC1 surrounds and amplifies stochastic auxin noise in drmy1 to form variably positioned auxin maxima and sepal primordia. Removing CUC1 from drmy1 provides time for noisy auxin signaling to resolve into four precisely positioned auxin maxima, restoring robust sepal initiation. However, removing CUC1 decreases the intensity of auxin maxima and slows down sepal initiation. Thus, CUC1 increases morphogenesis speed but impairs robustness against auxin noise. Further, using a computational model, we find that the observed phenotype can be explained by the effect of CUC1 in repolarizing PIN FORMED1 (PIN1), a polar auxin transporter. Lastly, our model predicts that reducing global growth rate improves developmental robustness, which we validate experimentally. Thus, our study illustrates a tradeoff between speed and robustness during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyao Kong
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Mingyuan Zhu
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - David Pan
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Brendan Lane
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Richard S Smith
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Adrienne H K Roeder
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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2
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Maio KA, Moubayidin L. 'Organ'ising Floral Organ Development. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1595. [PMID: 38931027 PMCID: PMC11207604 DOI: 10.3390/plants13121595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Flowers are plant structures characteristic of the phylum Angiosperms composed of organs thought to have emerged from homologous structures to leaves in order to specialize in a distinctive function: reproduction. Symmetric shapes, colours, and scents all play important functional roles in flower biology. The evolution of flower symmetry and the morphology of individual flower parts (sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels) has significantly contributed to the diversity of reproductive strategies across flowering plant species. This diversity facilitates attractiveness for pollination, protection of gametes, efficient fertilization, and seed production. Symmetry, the establishment of body axes, and fate determination are tightly linked. The complex genetic networks underlying the establishment of organ, tissue, and cellular identity, as well as the growth regulators acting across the body axes, are steadily being elucidated in the field. In this review, we summarise the wealth of research already at our fingertips to begin weaving together how separate processes involved in specifying organ identity within the flower may interact, providing a functional perspective on how identity determination and axial regulation may be coordinated to inform symmetrical floral organ structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laila Moubayidin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK;
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3
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Kong S, Zhu M, Pan D, Lane B, Smith RS, Roeder AHK. Tradeoff Between Speed and Robustness in Primordium Initiation Mediated by Auxin-CUC1 Interaction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.30.569401. [PMID: 38076982 PMCID: PMC10705432 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.30.569401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Robustness is the reproducible development of a phenotype despite stochastic noise. It often involves tradeoffs with other performance metrics, but the mechanisms underlying such tradeoffs were largely unknown. An Arabidopsis flower robustly develops four sepals from four precisely positioned auxin maxima. The development related myb-like 1 (drmy1) mutant generates noise in auxin signaling that disrupts robustness in sepal initiation. Here, we found that increased expression of CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON1 (CUC1), a boundary specification transcription factor, in drmy1 underlies this loss of robustness. CUC1 surrounds and amplifies stochastic auxin noise in drmy1 to form variably positioned auxin maxima and sepal primordia. Removing CUC1 from drmy1 provides time for noisy auxin signaling to resolve into four precisely positioned auxin maxima, restoring robust sepal initiation. However, removing CUC1 decreases auxin maxima intensity and slows down sepal initiation. Thus, CUC1 increases morphogenesis speed but impairs robustness against auxin noise. Further, using a computational model, we found that the observed phenotype can be explained by the effect of CUC1 in repolarizing PIN FORMED1 (PIN1), a polar auxin transporter. Lastly, our model predicts that reducing global growth rate improves developmental robustness, which we validated experimentally. Thus, our study illustrates a tradeoff between speed and robustness during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyao Kong
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Mingyuan Zhu
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Present address: Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - David Pan
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Brendan Lane
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Richard S. Smith
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Adrienne H. K. Roeder
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Lead Contact
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4
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Lindsay P, Swentowsky KW, Jackson D. Cultivating potential: Harnessing plant stem cells for agricultural crop improvement. MOLECULAR PLANT 2024; 17:50-74. [PMID: 38130059 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Meristems are stem cell-containing structures that produce all plant organs and are therefore important targets for crop improvement. Developmental regulators control the balance and rate of cell divisions within the meristem. Altering these regulators impacts meristem architecture and, as a consequence, plant form. In this review, we discuss genes involved in regulating the shoot apical meristem, inflorescence meristem, axillary meristem, root apical meristem, and vascular cambium in plants. We highlight several examples showing how crop breeders have manipulated developmental regulators to modify meristem growth and alter crop traits such as inflorescence size and branching patterns. Plant transformation techniques are another innovation related to plant meristem research because they make crop genome engineering possible. We discuss recent advances on plant transformation made possible by studying genes controlling meristem development. Finally, we conclude with discussions about how meristem research can contribute to crop improvement in the coming decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope Lindsay
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | | | - David Jackson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.
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5
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Leso M, Kokla A, Feng M, Melnyk CW. Pectin modifications promote haustoria development in the parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 194:229-242. [PMID: 37311199 PMCID: PMC10762509 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic plants are globally prevalent pathogens with important ecological functions but also potentially devastating agricultural consequences. Common to all parasites is the formation of the haustorium which requires parasite organ development and tissue invasion into the host. Both processes involve cell wall modifications. Here, we investigated a role for pectins during haustorium development in the facultative parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum. Using transcriptomics data from infected Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa), we identified genes for multiple P. japonicum pectin methylesterases (PMEs) and their inhibitors (PMEIs) whose expression was upregulated by haustoria formation. Changes in PME and PMEI expression were associated with tissue-specific modifications in pectin methylesterification. While de-methylesterified pectins were present in outer haustorial cells, highly methylesterified pectins were present in inner vascular tissues, including the xylem bridge that connects parasite to host. Specifically blocking xylem bridge formation in the haustoria inhibited several PME and PMEI genes from activating. Similarly, inhibiting PME activity using chemicals or by overexpressing PMEI genes delayed haustoria development. Our results suggest a dynamic and tissue-specific regulation of pectin contributes to haustoria initiation and to the establishment of xylem connections between parasite and host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Leso
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas allé 5, 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Kokla
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas allé 5, 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ming Feng
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas allé 5, 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Charles W Melnyk
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas allé 5, 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
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6
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Smith ES, Nimchuk ZL. What a tangled web it weaves: auxin coordination of stem cell maintenance and flower production. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:6950-6963. [PMID: 37661937 PMCID: PMC10690728 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Robust agricultural yields require consistent flower production throughout fluctuating environmental conditions. Floral primordia are produced in the inflorescence meristem, which contains a pool of continuously dividing stem cells. Daughter cells of these divisions either retain stem cell identity or are pushed to the SAM periphery, where they become competent to develop into floral primordia after receiving the appropriate signal. Thus, flower production is inherently linked to regulation of the stem cell pool. The plant hormone auxin promotes flower development throughout its early phases and has been shown to interact with the molecular pathways regulating stem cell maintenance. Here, we will summarize how auxin signaling contributes to stem cell maintenance and promotes flower development through the early phases of initiation, outgrowth, and floral fate establishment. Recent advances in this area suggest that auxin may serve as a signal that integrates stem cell maintenance and new flower production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Sarkel Smith
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Zachary L Nimchuk
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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7
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Choudury SG, Husbands AY. Pick a side: Integrating gene expression and mechanical forces to polarize aerial organs. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 76:102460. [PMID: 37775406 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
How organs acquire their shapes is a central question in developmental biology. In plants, aerial lateral organs such as leaves initiate at the flanks of the growing meristem as dome-shaped primordia. These simple structures then grow out along multiple polarity axes to achieve a dizzying array of final shapes. Many of the hormone signaling pathways and genetic interactions that influence growth along these axes have been identified in the past few decades. Open questions include how and when initial gene expression patterns are set in organ primordia, and how these patterns are translated into the physical outcomes observed at the cellular and tissue levels. In this review, we highlight recent studies into the auxin signaling and gene expression dynamics that govern adaxial-abaxial patterning, and the contributions of mechanical forces to the development of flattened structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah G Choudury
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA
| | - Aman Y Husbands
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA.
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8
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Alique D, Gómez-Felipe A, Kuhn A, Nahas Z, Yadav S. FASEB: the mechanism of plant development: Saxtons River, Vermont, 24-29 July 2022. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:1729-1731. [PMID: 37817389 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Alique
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)-Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (CNINIA, CSIC), Campus de Montegancedo, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrea Gómez-Felipe
- Département de Sciences Biologique, Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - André Kuhn
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 6708 WE, the Netherlands
| | - Zoe Nahas
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, CB2 1LR, Cambridge, UK
| | - Shalini Yadav
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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9
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Wang Y, Jiao Y. Cell signaling in the shoot apical meristem. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:70-82. [PMID: 37224874 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Distinct from animals, plants maintain organogenesis from specialized tissues termed meristems throughout life. In the shoot apex, the shoot apical meristem (SAM) produces all aerial organs, such as leaves, from its periphery. For this, the SAM needs to precisely balance stem cell renewal and differentiation, which is achieved through dynamic zonation of the SAM, and cell signaling within functional domains is key for SAM functions. The WUSCHEL-CLAVATA feedback loop plays a key role in SAM homeostasis, and recent studies have uncovered new components, expanding our understanding of the spatial expression and signaling mechanism. Advances in polar auxin transport and signaling have contributed to knowledge of the multifaceted roles of auxin in the SAM and organogenesis. Finally, single-cell techniques have expanded our understanding of the cellular functions within the shoot apex at single-cell resolution. In this review, we summarize the most up-to-date understanding of cell signaling in the SAM and focus on the multiple levels of regulation of SAM formation and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuling Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
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10
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Peng Z, Jiao Y, Wang Y. Live imaging of Arabidopsis shoot primordia via a confocal laser scanning microscope. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102217. [PMID: 37027308 PMCID: PMC10085777 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Live imaging through confocal laser scanning microscopy enables the recording, analysis, and comparison of the dynamics of shapes and gene expression patterns of plant shoot apical meristems (SAMs) or primordia. Here, we provide a protocol to describe the preparation process of imaging Arabidopsis SAMs and primordia using a confocal microscope. We describe steps for dissection, visualization of meristems using dyes and fluorescent proteins, and gain 3D morphology of meristems. We then detail analysis of shoot meristems using time-lapse imaging. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Peng et al. (2022).1.
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11
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Morphogenesis of leaves: from initiation to the production of diverse shapes. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:513-525. [PMID: 36876869 DOI: 10.1042/bst20220678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
The manner by which plant organs gain their shape is a longstanding question in developmental biology. Leaves, as typical lateral organs, are initiated from the shoot apical meristem that harbors stem cells. Leaf morphogenesis is accompanied by cell proliferation and specification to form the specific 3D shapes, with flattened lamina being the most common. Here, we briefly review the mechanisms controlling leaf initiation and morphogenesis, from periodic initiation in the shoot apex to the formation of conserved thin-blade and divergent leaf shapes. We introduce both regulatory gene patterning and biomechanical regulation involved in leaf morphogenesis. How phenotype is determined by genotype remains largely unanswered. Together, these new insights into leaf morphogenesis resolve molecular chains of events to better aid our understanding.
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