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Auxin Acts through MONOPTEROS to Regulate Plant Cell Polarity and Pattern Phyllotaxis

Bhatia, Neha ; Bozorg, Behruz LU ; Larsson, André LU ; Ohno, Carolyn ; Jönsson, Henrik LU and Heisler, Marcus G (2016) In Current Biology 26(23). p.3202-3208
Abstract

The periodic formation of plant organs such as leaves and flowers gives rise to intricate patterns that have fascinated biologists and mathematicians alike for hundreds of years [1]. The plant hormone auxin plays a central role in establishing these patterns by promoting organ formation at sites where it accumulates due to its polar, cell-to-cell transport [2-6]. Although experimental evidence as well as modeling suggest that feedback from auxin to its transport direction may help specify phyllotactic patterns [7-12], the nature of this feedback remains unclear [13]. Here we reveal that polarization of the auxin efflux carrier PIN-FORMED 1 (PIN1) is regulated by the auxin response transcription factor MONOPTEROS (MP) [14]. We find that... (More)

The periodic formation of plant organs such as leaves and flowers gives rise to intricate patterns that have fascinated biologists and mathematicians alike for hundreds of years [1]. The plant hormone auxin plays a central role in establishing these patterns by promoting organ formation at sites where it accumulates due to its polar, cell-to-cell transport [2-6]. Although experimental evidence as well as modeling suggest that feedback from auxin to its transport direction may help specify phyllotactic patterns [7-12], the nature of this feedback remains unclear [13]. Here we reveal that polarization of the auxin efflux carrier PIN-FORMED 1 (PIN1) is regulated by the auxin response transcription factor MONOPTEROS (MP) [14]. We find that in the shoot, cell polarity patterns follow MP expression, which in turn follows auxin distribution patterns. By perturbing MP activity both globally and locally, we show that localized MP activity is necessary for the generation of polarity convergence patterns and that localized MP expression is sufficient to instruct PIN1 polarity directions non-cell autonomously, toward MP-expressing cells. By expressing MP in the epidermis of mp mutants, we further show that although MP activity in a single-cell layer is sufficient to promote polarity convergence patterns, MP in sub-epidermal tissues helps anchor these polarity patterns to the underlying cells. Overall, our findings reveal a patterning module in plants that determines organ position by orienting transport of the hormone auxin toward cells with high levels of MP-mediated auxin signaling. We propose that this feedback process acts broadly to generate periodic plant architectures.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Current Biology
volume
26
issue
23
pages
7 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:27818174
  • scopus:85003837160
  • wos:000389590500027
ISSN
1879-0445
DOI
10.1016/j.cub.2016.09.044
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1a199e48-29f6-40d0-8a48-5eb5929115d5
date added to LUP
2016-12-06 14:56:17
date last changed
2024-05-17 17:50:54
@article{1a199e48-29f6-40d0-8a48-5eb5929115d5,
  abstract     = {{<p>The periodic formation of plant organs such as leaves and flowers gives rise to intricate patterns that have fascinated biologists and mathematicians alike for hundreds of years [1]. The plant hormone auxin plays a central role in establishing these patterns by promoting organ formation at sites where it accumulates due to its polar, cell-to-cell transport [2-6]. Although experimental evidence as well as modeling suggest that feedback from auxin to its transport direction may help specify phyllotactic patterns [7-12], the nature of this feedback remains unclear [13]. Here we reveal that polarization of the auxin efflux carrier PIN-FORMED 1 (PIN1) is regulated by the auxin response transcription factor MONOPTEROS (MP) [14]. We find that in the shoot, cell polarity patterns follow MP expression, which in turn follows auxin distribution patterns. By perturbing MP activity both globally and locally, we show that localized MP activity is necessary for the generation of polarity convergence patterns and that localized MP expression is sufficient to instruct PIN1 polarity directions non-cell autonomously, toward MP-expressing cells. By expressing MP in the epidermis of mp mutants, we further show that although MP activity in a single-cell layer is sufficient to promote polarity convergence patterns, MP in sub-epidermal tissues helps anchor these polarity patterns to the underlying cells. Overall, our findings reveal a patterning module in plants that determines organ position by orienting transport of the hormone auxin toward cells with high levels of MP-mediated auxin signaling. We propose that this feedback process acts broadly to generate periodic plant architectures.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bhatia, Neha and Bozorg, Behruz and Larsson, André and Ohno, Carolyn and Jönsson, Henrik and Heisler, Marcus G}},
  issn         = {{1879-0445}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{23}},
  pages        = {{3202--3208}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Current Biology}},
  title        = {{Auxin Acts through MONOPTEROS to Regulate Plant Cell Polarity and Pattern Phyllotaxis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.09.044}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.cub.2016.09.044}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}