Control of proliferation, endoreduplication and differentiation by the Arabidopsis E2Fa-DPa transcription factor.
New plant cells arise at the meristems, where they divide a few times before they leave the cell-cycle program and start to differentiate. Here we show that the E2Fa-DPa transcription factor of Arabidopsis thaliana is a key regulator determining the proliferative status of plant cells. Ectopic expression of E2Fa induced sustained cell proliferation in normally differentiated cotyledon and hypocotyl cells. The phenotype was enhanced strongly by the co-expression of E2Fa with its dimerization partner, DPa. In endoreduplicating cells, E2Fa--DPa also caused extra DNA replication that was correlated with transcriptional induction of S phase genes. Because E2Fa--DPa transgenic plants arrested early in development, we argue that controlled exit of the cell cycle is a prerequisite for normal plant development.
De Veylder
Lieven
L
Department of Molecular Genetics, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Ghent University, K.L.Ledeganckstraat 35, Belgium.
Beeckman
Tom
T
Beemster
Gerrit T S
GT
de Almeida Engler
Janice
J
Ormenese
Sandra
S
Maes
Sara
S
Naudts
Mirande
M
Van Der Schueren
Els
E
Jacqmard
Annie
A
Engler
Gilbert
G
Inzé
Dirk
D
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050684:E2F Transcription Factors; D015870:Gene Expression; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D016196:S Phase; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C417206:DP transcription factor, plant; C558978:DPa protein, Arabidopsis; D050684:E2F Transcription Factors; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors