MONOPTEROS Controls Embryonic Root Initiation by Regulating a Mobile Transcription Factor

Overview

Journal Nature

Specialty Science

Date 2010 Mar 12

PMID 20220754

Citations 258

Authors

Alexandra Schlereth

Barbara Moller

Weilin Liu

Marika Kientz

Jacky Flipse

Eike H Rademacher

Markus Schmid

Gerd Jurgens

Dolf Weijers

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Acquisition of cell identity in plants relies strongly on positional information, hence cell-cell communication and inductive signalling are instrumental for developmental patterning. During Arabidopsis embryogenesis, an extra-embryonic cell is specified to become the founder cell of the primary root meristem, hypophysis, in response to signals from adjacent embryonic cells. The auxin-dependent transcription factor MONOPTEROS (MP) drives hypophysis specification by promoting transport of the hormone auxin from the embryo to the hypophysis precursor. However, auxin accumulation is not sufficient for hypophysis specification, indicating that additional MP-dependent signals are required. Here we describe the microarray-based isolation of MP target genes that mediate signalling from embryo to hypophysis. Of three direct transcriptional target genes, TARGET OF MP 5 (TMO5) and TMO7 encode basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors that are expressed in the hypophysis-adjacent embryo cells, and are required and partially sufficient for MP-dependent root initiation. Importantly, the small TMO7 transcription factor moves from its site of synthesis in the embryo to the hypophysis precursor, thus representing a novel MP-dependent intercellular signal in embryonic root specification.

Citing Articles

Dressed Up to the Nines: The Interplay of Phytohormones Signaling and Redox Metabolism During Plant Response to Drought.

Jardim-Messeder D, de Souza-Vieira Y, Sachetto-Martins G Plants (Basel). 2025; 14(2).

PMID: 39861561 PMC: 11768152. DOI: 10.3390/plants14020208.

Spatiotemporal transcriptome and metabolome landscapes of cotton somatic embryos.

Ge X, Yu X, Liu Z, Yuan J, Qin A, Wang Y Nat Commun. 2025; 16(1):859.

PMID: 39833155 PMC: 11747644. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-55870-6.

Excessive accumulation of auxin inhibits protocorm development during germination of Paphiopedilum spicerianum.

Li Y, Chen H, Kong X, Yin Y, Li J, Wu K Plant Cell Rep. 2025; 44(1):23.

PMID: 39762613 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-024-03419-0.

The molecular framework balancing growth and defense in response to plant elicitor peptide-induced signals in Arabidopsis.

Dhar S, Kim S, Shin H, Park J, Lee J Plant Cell. 2024; 37(1).

PMID: 39700410 PMC: 11684079. DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae327.

Functional Divergence of the Closely Related Genes PhARF5 and PhARF19a in Flower Formation and Hormone Signaling.

Ding Y, Miao Y, Huang L, Zhu H, Li W, Zou W Int J Mol Sci. 2024; 25(22).

PMID: 39596314 PMC: 11594976. DOI: 10.3390/ijms252212249.

References

Scheres B . Plant cell identity. The role of position and lineage. Plant Physiol. 2001; 125(1):112-4. PMC: 1539339. DOI: 10.1104/pp.125.1.112. View

Cole M, Chandler J, Weijers D, Jacobs B, Comelli P, Werr W . DORNROSCHEN is a direct target of the auxin response factor MONOPTEROS in the Arabidopsis embryo. Development. 2009; 136(10):1643-51. DOI: 10.1242/dev.032177. View

Hardtke C, Berleth T . The Arabidopsis gene MONOPTEROS encodes a transcription factor mediating embryo axis formation and vascular development. EMBO J. 1998; 17(5):1405-11. PMC: 1170488. DOI: 10.1093/emboj/17.5.1405. View

Sartor M, Tomlinson C, Wesselkamper S, Sivaganesan S, Leikauf G, Medvedovic M . Intensity-based hierarchical Bayes method improves testing for differentially expressed genes in microarray experiments. BMC Bioinformatics. 2006; 7:538. PMC: 1781470. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-7-538. View

Ulmasov T, Hagen G, Guilfoyle T . Dimerization and DNA binding of auxin response factors. Plant J. 1999; 19(3):309-19. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-313x.1999.00538.x. View

Clough S, Bent A . Floral dip: a simplified method for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J. 1999; 16(6):735-43. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-313x.1998.00343.x. View

Tian Q, Uhlir N, Reed J . Arabidopsis SHY2/IAA3 inhibits auxin-regulated gene expression. Plant Cell. 2002; 14(2):301-19. PMC: 152914. DOI: 10.1105/tpc.010283. View

Nakajima K, Sena G, Nawy T, Benfey P . Intercellular movement of the putative transcription factor SHR in root patterning. Nature. 2001; 413(6853):307-11. DOI: 10.1038/35095061. View

Weigel D, Jurgens G . Stem cells that make stems. Nature. 2002; 415(6873):751-4. DOI: 10.1038/415751a. View

10.

Okushima Y, Fukaki H, Onoda M, Theologis A, Tasaka M . ARF7 and ARF19 regulate lateral root formation via direct activation of LBD/ASL genes in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 2007; 19(1):118-30. PMC: 1820965. DOI: 10.1105/tpc.106.047761. View

11.

Wang H, Zhu Y, Fujioka S, Asami T, Li J, Li J . Regulation of Arabidopsis brassinosteroid signaling by atypical basic helix-loop-helix proteins. Plant Cell. 2009; 21(12):3781-91. PMC: 2814491. DOI: 10.1105/tpc.109.072504. View

12.

Ulmasov T, Hagen G, Guilfoyle T . Activation and repression of transcription by auxin-response factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999; 96(10):5844-9. PMC: 21948. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.96.10.5844. View

13.

Donner T, Sherr I, Scarpella E . Regulation of preprocambial cell state acquisition by auxin signaling in Arabidopsis leaves. Development. 2009; 136(19):3235-46. DOI: 10.1242/dev.037028. View

14.

Hamann T, Mayer U, Jurgens G . The auxin-insensitive bodenlos mutation affects primary root formation and apical-basal patterning in the Arabidopsis embryo. Development. 1999; 126(7):1387-95. DOI: 10.1242/dev.126.7.1387. View

15.

Okushima Y, Overvoorde P, Arima K, Alonso J, Chan A, Chang C . Functional genomic analysis of the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR gene family members in Arabidopsis thaliana: unique and overlapping functions of ARF7 and ARF19. Plant Cell. 2005; 17(2):444-63. PMC: 548818. DOI: 10.1105/tpc.104.028316. View

16.

Massari M, Murre C . Helix-loop-helix proteins: regulators of transcription in eucaryotic organisms. Mol Cell Biol. 1999; 20(2):429-40. PMC: 85097. DOI: 10.1128/MCB.20.2.429-440.2000. View

17.

Wesley S, Helliwell C, Smith N, Wang M, Rouse D, Liu Q . Construct design for efficient, effective and high-throughput gene silencing in plants. Plant J. 2001; 27(6):581-90. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-313x.2001.01105.x. View

18.

Schwab R, Ossowski S, Riester M, Warthmann N, Weigel D . Highly specific gene silencing by artificial microRNAs in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 2006; 18(5):1121-33. PMC: 1456875. DOI: 10.1105/tpc.105.039834. View

19.

Smyth G . Linear models and empirical bayes methods for assessing differential expression in microarray experiments. Stat Appl Genet Mol Biol. 2006; 3:Article3. DOI: 10.2202/1544-6115.1027. View

20.

Weijers D, Benkova E, Jager K, Schlereth A, Hamann T, Kientz M . Developmental specificity of auxin response by pairs of ARF and Aux/IAA transcriptional regulators. EMBO J. 2005; 24(10):1874-85. PMC: 1142592. DOI: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600659. View