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Uzair M, Urquidi Camacho RA, Liu Z, Overholt AM, DeGennaro D, Zhang L, Herron BS, Hong T, Shpak ED. An updated model of shoot apical meristem regulation by ERECTA family and CLAVATA3 signaling pathways in Arabidopsis. Development 2024; 151:dev202870. [PMID: 38814747 PMCID: PMC11234387 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202870] [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: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The shoot apical meristem (SAM) gives rise to the aboveground organs of plants. The size of the SAM is relatively constant due to the balance between stem cell replenishment and cell recruitment into new organs. In angiosperms, the transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS) promotes stem cell proliferation in the central zone of the SAM. WUS forms a negative feedback loop with a signaling pathway activated by CLAVATA3 (CLV3). In the periphery of the SAM, the ERECTA family receptors (ERfs) constrain WUS and CLV3 expression. Here, we show that four ligands of ERfs redundantly inhibit the expression of these two genes. Transcriptome analysis confirmed that WUS and CLV3 are the main targets of ERf signaling and uncovered new ones. Analysis of promoter reporters indicated that the WUS expression domain mostly overlaps with the CLV3 domain and does not shift along the apical-basal axis in clv3 mutants. Our three-dimensional mathematical model captured gene expression distributions at the single-cell level under various perturbed conditions. Based on our findings, CLV3 regulates cellular levels of WUS mostly through autocrine signaling, and ERfs regulate the spatial expression of WUS, preventing its encroachment into the peripheral zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Uzair
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | | | - Ziyi Liu
- UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Alex M. Overholt
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Daniel DeGennaro
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Brittani S. Herron
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Tian Hong
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Elena D. Shpak
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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Wu X, Cai X, Zhang B, Wu S, Wang R, Li N, Li Y, Sun Y, Tang W. ERECTA regulates seed size independently of its intracellular domain via MAPK-DA1-UBP15 signaling. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:3773-3789. [PMID: 35848951 PMCID: PMC9516062 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Seed size is determined by the coordinated growth of the embryo, endosperm, and integument. Growth of the integument is initiated by signal molecules released from the developing endosperm or embryo. Although recent studies have identified many components that regulate seed size by controlling integument growth, the upstream signals and the signal transduction pathway that activate these components after double fertilization are unclear. Here, we report that the receptor-like kinase ERECTA (ER) controls seed size by regulating outer integument cell proliferation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Seeds from er mutants were smaller, while those from ER-overexpressing plants were larger, than those of control plants. Different from its role in regulating the development of other organs, ER regulates seed size via a novel mechanism that is independent of its intracellular domain. Our genetic and biochemical data show that a MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE (MAPK) signaling pathway comprising MAPK-KINASE 4/5, MAPK 3/6 (MPK3/6), DA1, and UBIQUITIN SPECIFIC PROTEASE 15 (UBP15) functions downstream of ER and modulates seed size. MPK3/6 phosphorylation inactivates and destabilizes DA1 to increase the abundance of UBP15, promoting outer integument cell proliferation and increasing seed size. Our study illustrates a nearly completed ER-mediated signaling pathway that regulates seed size and will help uncover the mechanism that coordinates embryo, endosperm, and integument growth after double fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Baowen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Shuting Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Ruiju Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Na Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, CAS Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant, Institute of Genetics and Development Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yunhai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, CAS Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant, Institute of Genetics and Development Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yu Sun
- Author for correspondence: (Y.S.), (W.T.)
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Shanmugam S, Zhao S, Nandy S, Srivastava V, Khodakovskaya M. Modification of soybean growth and abiotic stress tolerance by expression of truncated ERECTA protein from Arabidopsis thaliana. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233383. [PMID: 32428035 PMCID: PMC7236981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
ERECTA gene family encodes leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases that control major aspects of plant development such as elongation of aboveground organs, leaf initiation, development of flowers, and epidermis differentiation. To clarify the importance of ERECTA signaling for the development of soybean (Glycine max), we expressed the dominant-negative ERECTA gene from Arabidopsis thaliana that is truncated in the kinase domain (AtΔKinase). Expression of AtΔKinase in soybean resulted in the short stature, reduced number of leaves, reduced leaf surface area and enhanced branching in the transgenic plants. The transgenic AtΔKinase soybean plants exhibited increased tolerance to water deficit stress due to the reduction of total leaf area and reduced transpiration compared to the wild-type plants. Production of seeds in AtΔKinase lines was higher compared to wild type at regular conditions of cultivation and after exposure to drought stress. Transgenic seedlings expressing AtΔKinase were also able to withstand salt stress better than the wild-type. Established results demonstrated the significance of native soybean genes (GmER and GmERL) in development and stress response of soybean, and suggested that the truncated ERECTA gene of Arabidopsis thaliana can be used to manipulate the growth and stress response of different crop species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudha Shanmugam
- Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Shan Zhao
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Soumen Nandy
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Vibha Srivastava
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Mariya Khodakovskaya
- Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
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Abstract
A fascinating feature of plant growth and development is that plants initiate organs continually throughout their lifespan. The ability to do this relies on specialized groups of pluripotent stem cells termed meristems, which allow for the elaboration of the shoot, root, and vascular systems. We now have a deep understanding of the genetic networks that control meristem initiation and stem cell maintenance, including the roles of receptors and their ligands, transcription factors, and integrated hormonal and chromatin control. This review describes these networks and discusses how this knowledge is being applied to improve crop productivity by increasing fruit size and seed number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munenori Kitagawa
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA;
| | - David Jackson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA;
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Landau U, Asis L, Eshed Williams L. The ERECTA, CLAVATA and class III HD-ZIP Pathways Display Synergistic Interactions in Regulating Floral Meristem Activities. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125408. [PMID: 25946150 PMCID: PMC4422654 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In angiosperms, the production of flowers marks the beginning of the reproductive phase. At the emergence of flower primordia on the flanks of the inflorescence meristem, the WUSCHEL (WUS) gene, which encodes a homeodomain transcription factor starts to be expressed and establishes de novo stem cell population, founder of the floral meristem (FM). Similarly to the shoot apical meristem a precise spatial and temporal expression pattern of WUS is required and maintained through strict regulation by multiple regulatory inputs to maintain stem cell homeostasis. However, following the formation of a genetically determined fixed number of floral organs, this homeostasis is shifted towards organogenesis and the FM is terminated. In here we performed a genetic study to test how a reduction in ERECTA, CLAVATA and class III HD-ZIP pathways affects floral meristem activity and flower development. We revealed strong synergistic phenotypes of extra flower number, supernumerary whorls, total loss of determinacy and extreme enlargement of the meristem as compared to any double mutant combination indicating that the three pathways, CLV3, ER and HD-ZIPIII distinctively regulate meristem activity and that they act in parallel. Our findings yield several new insights into stem cell-driven development. We demonstrate the crucial requirement for coupling floral meristem termination with carpel formation to ensure successful reproduction in plants. We also show how regulation of meristem size and alternation in spatial structure of the meristem serve as a mechanism to determine flower organogenesis. We propose that the loss of FM determinacy due to the reduction in CLV3, ER and HD-ZIPIII activity is genetically separable from the AGAMOUS core mechanism of meristem termination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udi Landau
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences & Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lior Asis
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences & Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Leor Eshed Williams
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences & Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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Ruan Y, Wasteneys GO. CLASP: a microtubule-based integrator of the hormone-mediated transitions from cell division to elongation. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2014; 22:149-158. [PMID: 25460080 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2014] [Revised: 10/18/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Plants use robust mechanisms to optimize organ size to prevailing conditions. Modulating the transition from cell division to elongation dramatically affects morphology and size. Although it is well established that auxin, cytokinin and brassinosteroid mediate these transitions, recent works show that the cytoskeleton, which is normally thought to act downstream of these hormones, plays a key role in this regulatory process. In particular, the microtubule-associated protein CLASP has a dual role in meristem maintenance. CLASP modulates levels of the auxin efflux carrier PIN2 by tethering SNX1 endosomes to cortical microtubules, which in turn fine tunes auxin maxima in the root apical meristem. CLASP is also required for transfacial microtubule bundle formation at the sharp cell edges, a feature strongly associated with maintaining the capacity for further cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Ruan
- The University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Geoffrey O Wasteneys
- The University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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Mandel T, Moreau F, Kutsher Y, Fletcher JC, Carles CC, Williams LE. The ERECTA receptor kinase regulates Arabidopsis shoot apical meristem size, phyllotaxy and floral meristem identity. Development 2014; 141:830-41. [PMID: 24496620 PMCID: PMC3930468 DOI: 10.1242/dev.104687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 12/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In plants, the shoot apical meristem (SAM) serves as a reservoir of pluripotent stem cells from which all above ground organs originate. To sustain proper growth, the SAM must maintain homeostasis between the self-renewal of pluripotent stem cells and cell recruitment for lateral organ formation. At the core of the network that regulates this homeostasis in Arabidopsis are the WUSCHEL (WUS) transcription factor specifying stem cell fate and the CLAVATA (CLV) ligand-receptor system limiting WUS expression. In this study, we identified the ERECTA (ER) pathway as a second receptor kinase signaling pathway that regulates WUS expression, and therefore shoot apical and floral meristem size, independently of the CLV pathway. We demonstrate that reduction in class III HD-ZIP and ER function together leads to a significant increase in WUS expression, resulting in extremely enlarged shoot meristems and a switch from spiral to whorled vegetative phyllotaxy. We further show that strong upregulation of WUS in the inflorescence meristem leads to ectopic expression of the AGAMOUS homeotic gene to a level that switches cell fate from floral meristem founder cell to carpel founder cell, suggesting an indirect role for ER in regulating floral meristem identity. This work illustrates the delicate balance between stem cell specification and differentiation in the meristem and shows that a shift in this balance leads to abnormal phyllotaxy and to altered reproductive cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tali Mandel
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12 Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | | | - Yaarit Kutsher
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12 Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Jennifer C. Fletcher
- Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA-ARS/University of California, Berkeley, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710, USA
| | | | - Leor Eshed Williams
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12 Rehovot 76100, Israel
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Shpak ED. Diverse roles of ERECTA family genes in plant development. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2013; 55:1238-50. [PMID: 24016315 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.12108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Multiple receptor-like kinases (RLKs) enable intercellular communication that coordinates growth and development of plant tissues. ERECTA family receptors (ERfs) are an ancient family of leucine-rich repeat RLKs that in Arabidopsis consists of three genes: ERECTA, ERL1, and ERL2. ERfs sense secreted cysteine-rich peptides from the EPF/EPFL family and transmit the signal through a MAP kinase cascade. This review discusses the functions of ERfs in stomata development, in regulation of longitudinal growth of aboveground organs, during reproductive development, and in the shoot apical meristem. In addition the role of ERECTA in plant responses to biotic and abiotic factors is examined. Elena D. Shpak (Corresponding author).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena D Shpak
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996, USA
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Chen MK, Wilson RL, Palme K, Ditengou FA, Shpak ED. ERECTA family genes regulate auxin transport in the shoot apical meristem and forming leaf primordia. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 162:1978-91. [PMID: 23821653 PMCID: PMC3729776 DOI: 10.1104/pp.113.218198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Leaves are produced postembryonically at the flanks of the shoot apical meristem. Their initiation is induced by a positive feedback loop between auxin and its transporter PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1). The expression and polarity of PIN1 in the shoot apical meristem is thought to be regulated primarily by auxin concentration and flow. The formation of an auxin maximum in the L1 layer of the meristem is the first sign of leaf initiation and is promptly followed by auxin flow into the inner tissues, formation of the midvein, and appearance of the primordium bulge. The ERECTA family genes (ERfs) encode leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases, and in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), this gene family consists of ERECTA (ER), ERECTA-LIKE1 (ERL1), and ERL2. Here, we show that ERfs regulate auxin transport during leaf initiation. The shoot apical meristem of the er erl1 erl2 triple mutant produces leaf primordia at a significantly reduced rate and with altered phyllotaxy. This phenotype is likely due to deficiencies in auxin transport in the shoot apex, as judged by altered expression of PIN1, the auxin reporter DR5rev::GFP, and the auxin-inducible genes MONOPTEROS, INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID INDUCIBLE1 (IAA1), and IAA19. In er erl1 erl2, auxin presumably accumulates in the L1 layer of the meristem, unable to flow into the vasculature of a hypocotyl. Our data demonstrate that ERfs are essential for PIN1 expression in the forming midvein of future leaf primordia and in the vasculature of emerging leaves.
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