title: Leaf expansion in Arabidopsis is controlled by a TCP-NGA regulatory module likely conserved in distantly related species.
abstract: The NGATHA (NGA) clade of transcription factors (TFs) forms a small subfamily of four members in Arabidopsis thaliana. NGA genes act redundantly to direct the development of apical tissues in the gynoecium, where they have been shown to be essential for style and stigma specification. In addition, NGA genes have a more general role in controlling lateral organ growth. The four NGA genes in Arabidopsis are expressed in very similar domains, although little is known about the nature of their putative regulators. Here, we have identified a conserved region within the four NGA promoters that we have used as a bait to screen a yeast library, aiming to identify such NGA regulators. Three members of the TCP family of TFs, named after the founding factors TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA and PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR 1 AND 2), were recovered from this screening, of which two [TCP2 and TCP3, members of the CINCINNATA (CIN) family of TCP genes (CIN-TCP) subclade] were shown to activate the NGA3 promoter in planta. We provide evidence that support that CIN-TCP genes are true regulators of NGA gene expression, and that part of the CIN-TCP role in leaf development is mediated by NGA upregulation. Moreover, we have found that this TCP-NGA regulatory interaction is likely conserved in angiosperms, including important crop species, for which the regulation of leaf development is a target for biotechnological improvement.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, 46022, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, 46022, Spain.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarrete-Gómez
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, UPM-INIA, and E.T.S.I. Agrónomos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, 28223, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carbonero
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, UPM-INIA, and E.T.S.I. Agrónomos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, 28223, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oñate-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, 46022, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2460-1068
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrándiz
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C543686:NGA1 protein, Arabidopsis thaliana; D020033:Protein Isoforms; C555805:TCP1 protein, Arabidopsis; D014157:Transcription Factors