Cell signalling by microRNA165/6 directs gene dose-dependent root cell fate.
Journal Article (Academic article)
A key question in developmental biology is how cells exchange positional information for proper patterning during organ development. In plant roots the radial tissue organization is highly conserved with a central vascular cylinder in which two water conducting cell types, protoxylem and metaxylem, are patterned centripetally. We show that this patterning occurs through crosstalk between the vascular cylinder and the surrounding endodermis mediated by cell-to-cell movement of a transcription factor in one direction and microRNAs in the other. SHORT ROOT, produced in the vascular cylinder, moves into the endodermis to activate SCARECROW. Together these transcription factors activate MIR165a and MIR166b. Endodermally produced microRNA165/6 then acts to degrade its target mRNAs encoding class III homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factors in the endodermis and stele periphery. The resulting differential distribution of target mRNA in the vascular cylinder determines xylem cell types in a dosage-dependent manner.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Carlsbecker, A; Lee, JY; Roberts, CJ; Dettmer, J; Lehesranta, S; Zhou, J; Lindgren, O; Moreno Risueno, MA; Vatén, A; Thitamadee, S; Campilho, A; Sebastian, J; Bowman, JL; Helariutta, Y; Benfey, PN
Published Date
- May 2010
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 465 / 7296
Start / End Page
- 316 - 321
PubMed ID
- 20410882
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC2967782
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 1476-4687
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1038/nature08977
Language
- English