title: ERF115 controls root quiescent center cell division and stem cell replenishment.
abstract: The quiescent center (QC) plays an essential role during root development by creating a microenvironment that preserves the stem cell fate of its surrounding cells. Despite being surrounded by highly mitotic active cells, QC cells self-renew at a low proliferation rate. Here, we identified the ERF115 transcription factor as a rate-limiting factor of QC cell division, acting as a transcriptional activator of the phytosulfokine PSK5 peptide hormone. ERF115 marks QC cell division but is restrained through proteolysis by the APC/C(CCS52A2) ubiquitin ligase, whereas QC proliferation is driven by brassinosteroid-dependent ERF115 expression. Together, these two antagonistic mechanisms delimit ERF115 activity, which is called upon when surrounding stem cells are damaged, revealing a cell cycle regulatory mechanism accounting for stem cell niche longevity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jefri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heyman
authors.forename: Toon
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cools
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vandenbussche
authors.forename: Ken S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Heyndrickx
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Leene
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vercauteren
authors.forename: Sandy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vanderauwera
authors.forename: Klaas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vandepoele
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Jaeger
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Der Straeten
authors.forename: Lieven
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Veylder
mesh_terms: D064173:Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome / Q000378:metabolism; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D059748:Proteolysis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D055153:Stem Cell Niche; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C580758:CCS52A2 protein, Arabidopsis; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C584817:ERF115 protein, Arabidopsis; C584818:PSK5 protein, Arabidopsis; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D014157:Transcription Factors; D064173:Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome