Transcriptional control of a plant stem cell niche.
Despite the independent evolution of multicellularity in plants and animals, the basic organization of their stem cell niches is remarkably similar. Here, we report the genome-wide regulatory potential of WUSCHEL, the key transcription factor for stem cell maintenance in the shoot apical meristem of the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana. WUSCHEL acts by directly binding to at least two distinct DNA motifs in more than 100 target promoters and preferentially affects the expression of genes with roles in hormone signaling, metabolism, and development. Striking examples are the direct transcriptional repression of CLAVATA1, which is part of a negative feedback regulation of WUSCHEL, and the immediate regulation of transcriptional repressors of the TOPLESS family, which are involved in auxin signaling. Our results shed light on the complex transcriptional programs required for the maintenance of a dynamic and essential stem cell niche.
Busch
Wolfgang
W
AG Lohmann, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Miotk
Andrej
A
Ariel
Federico D
FD
Zhao
Zhong
Z
Forner
Joachim
J
Daum
Gabor
G
Suzaki
Takuya
T
Schuster
Christoph
C
Schultheiss
Sebastian J
SJ
Leibfried
Andrea
A
Haubeiss
Silke
S
Ha
Nati
N
Chan
Raquel L
RL
Lohmann
Jan U
JU
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018745:Genome, Plant; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D018519:Meristem / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000502:physiology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D014157:Transcription Factors; C507238:ARR7 protein, Arabidopsis; C118167:AT2G27250 protein, Arabidopsis; C116421:WUSCHEL protein, Arabidopsis; C511291:At1g15750 protein, Arabidopsis; C118166:CLV1 protein, Arabidopsis