1. DEFECTIVE KERNEL 1 promotes and maintains plant epidermal differentiation.
- Author
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Galletti R, Johnson KL, Scofield S, San-Bento R, Watt AM, Murray JA, and Ingram GC
- Subjects
- Arabidopsis genetics, Arabidopsis Proteins genetics, Calpain genetics, Cell Communication, Cell Cycle, Cell Proliferation, Cell Shape, Cotyledon cytology, Cotyledon metabolism, Flowers cytology, Flowers genetics, Gene Expression Regulation, Plant, Gene Silencing, Genes, Plant, Homeodomain Proteins genetics, Homeodomain Proteins metabolism, Leucine Zippers, Microtubules metabolism, Mutation genetics, Phenotype, Ploidies, RNA, Messenger genetics, RNA, Messenger metabolism, Signal Transduction, Arabidopsis cytology, Arabidopsis metabolism, Arabidopsis Proteins metabolism, Calpain metabolism, Cell Differentiation, Plant Epidermis cytology
- Abstract
During plant epidermal development, many cell types are generated from protodermal cells, a process requiring complex co-ordination of cell division, growth, endoreduplication and the acquisition of differentiated cellular morphologies. Here we show that the Arabidopsis phytocalpain DEFECTIVE KERNEL 1 (DEK1) promotes the differentiated epidermal state. Plants with reduced DEK1 activity produce cotyledon epidermis with protodermal characteristics, despite showing normal growth and endoreduplication. Furthermore, in non-embryonic tissues (true leaves, sepals), DEK1 is required for epidermis differentiation maintenance. We show that the HD-ZIP IV family of epidermis-specific differentiation-promoting transcription factors are key, albeit indirect, targets of DEK1 activity. We propose a model in which DEK1 influences HD-ZIP IV gene expression, and thus epidermis differentiation, by promoting cell adhesion and communication in the epidermis., (© 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)
- Published
- 2015
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