1. APSR1, a novel gene required for meristem maintenance, is negatively regulated by low phosphate availability.
- Author
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González-Mendoza V, Zurita-Silva A, Sánchez-Calderón L, Sánchez-Sandoval ME, Oropeza-Aburto A, Gutiérrez-Alanís D, Alatorre-Cobos F, and Herrera-Estrella L
- Subjects
- Arabidopsis cytology, Arabidopsis growth & development, Arabidopsis metabolism, Arabidopsis Proteins metabolism, Biological Transport, Cell Differentiation, Indoleacetic Acids metabolism, Meristem cytology, Meristem genetics, Meristem growth & development, Meristem metabolism, Models, Molecular, Mutation, Organ Specificity, Phenotype, Phylogeny, Plant Epidermis cytology, Plant Epidermis genetics, Plant Epidermis growth & development, Plant Epidermis metabolism, Plant Growth Regulators metabolism, Plant Roots cytology, Plant Roots genetics, Plant Roots growth & development, Plant Roots metabolism, Plant Shoots cytology, Plant Shoots genetics, Plant Shoots growth & development, Plant Shoots metabolism, Recombinant Fusion Proteins, Seedlings cytology, Seedlings genetics, Seedlings growth & development, Seedlings metabolism, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Signal Transduction, Transcription Factors genetics, Transcription Factors metabolism, Arabidopsis genetics, Arabidopsis Proteins genetics, Gene Expression Regulation, Plant, Phosphates deficiency
- Abstract
Proper root growth is crucial for anchorage, exploration, and exploitation of the soil substrate. Root growth is highly sensitive to a variety of environmental cues, among them water and nutrient availability have a great impact on root development. Phosphorus (P) availability is one of the most limiting nutrients that affect plant growth and development under natural and agricultural environments. Root growth in the direction of the long axis proceeds from the root tip and requires the coordinated activities of cell proliferation, cell elongation and cell differentiation. Here we report a novel gene, APSR1 (Altered Phosphate Starvation Response1), involved in root meristem maintenance. The loss of function mutant apsr1-1 showed a reduction in primary root length and root apical meristem size, short differentiated epidermal cells and long root hairs. Expression of APSR1 gene decreases in response to phosphate starvation and apsr1-1 did not show the typical progressive decrease of undifferentiated cells at root tip when grown under P limiting conditions. Interestingly, APSR1 expression pattern overlaps with root zones of auxin accumulation. Furthermore, apsr1-1 showed a clear decrease in the level of the auxin transporter PIN7. These data suggest that APSR1 is required for the coordination of cell processes necessary for correct root growth in response to phosphate starvation conceivably by direct or indirect modulation of PIN7. We also propose, based on its nuclear localization and structure, that APSR1 may potentially be a member of a novel group of transcription factors., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2013
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