title: SEUSS Integrates Gibberellin Signaling with Transcriptional Inputs from the SHR-SCR-SCL3 Module to Regulate Middle Cortex Formation in the Arabidopsis Root.
abstract: A decade of studies on middle cortex (MC) formation in the root endodermis of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have revealed a complex regulatory network that is orchestrated by several GRAS family transcription factors, including SHORT-ROOT (SHR), SCARECROW (SCR), and SCARECROW-LIKE3 (SCL3). However, how their functions are regulated remains obscure. Here we show that mutations in the SEUSS (SEU) gene led to a higher frequency of MC formation. seu mutants had strongly reduced expression of SHR, SCR, and SCL3, suggesting that SEU positively regulates these genes. Our results further indicate that SEU physically associates with upstream regulatory sequences of SHR, SCR, and SCL3; and that SEU has distinct genetic interactions with these genes in the control of MC formation, with SCL3 being epistatic to SEU. Similar to SCL3, SEU was repressed by the phytohormone GA and induced by the GA biosynthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol, suggesting that SEU acts downstream of GA signaling to regulate MC formation. Consistently, we found that SEU mediates the regulation of SCL3 by GA signaling. Together, our study identifies SEU as a new critical player that integrates GA signaling with transcriptional inputs from the SHR-SCR-SCL3 module to regulate MC formation in the Arabidopsis root.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China (X.G.);Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (M.A.F.-V., R.G.F.);Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 (J.H.H., H.C., J.X.);Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (J.L.); andDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20743 (Z.L.).
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China (X.G.);Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (M.A.F.-V., R.G.F.);Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 (J.H.H., H.C., J.X.);Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (J.L.); andDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20743 (Z.L.).
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6261-7178
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Flores-Vergara
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China (X.G.);Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (M.A.F.-V., R.G.F.);Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 (J.H.H., H.C., J.X.);Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (J.L.); andDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20743 (Z.L.).
authors.forename: Jing Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China (X.G.);Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (M.A.F.-V., R.G.F.);Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 (J.H.H., H.C., J.X.);Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (J.L.); andDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20743 (Z.L.).
authors.forename: Huangwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China (X.G.);Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (M.A.F.-V., R.G.F.);Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 (J.H.H., H.C., J.X.);Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (J.L.); andDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20743 (Z.L.).
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China (X.G.);Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (M.A.F.-V., R.G.F.);Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 (J.H.H., H.C., J.X.);Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (J.L.); andDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20743 (Z.L.).
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3978-1030
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Franks
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China (X.G.);Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (M.A.F.-V., R.G.F.);Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 (J.H.H., H.C., J.X.);Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (J.L.); andDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20743 (Z.L.).
authors.forename: Zhongchi
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9969-9381
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China (X.G.);Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (M.A.F.-V., R.G.F.);Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 (J.H.H., H.C., J.X.);Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea (J.L.); andDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20743 (Z.L.) dbsxj@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6194-6316
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D056970:Co-Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005875:Gibberellins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011485:Protein Binding; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D056970:Co-Repressor Proteins; D005875:Gibberellins; C000591169:SCL3 protein, Arabidopsis; C100978:SCR protein, Arabidopsis; C445880:SEUSS protein, Arabidopsis; C410510:SHORT ROOT protein, Arabidopsis; D014157:Transcription Factors
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