1. DEFECTIVE KERNEL 1 promotes and maintains plant epidermal differentiation.
- Author
-
Galletti, Roberta, Johnson, Kim L., Scofield, Simon, San-Bento, Rita, Watt, Andrea M., Murray, James A. H., and Ingram, Gwyneth C.
- Subjects
EPIDERMAL diseases ,REJUVENESCENCE (Botany) ,ARABIDOPSIS proteins ,TISSUE wounds ,GENE expression ,GENETICS ,THERAPEUTICS - 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 differentiationpromoting transcription factors are key, albeit indirect, targets of DEK1 activity. We propose a model in which DEK1 influencesHD-ZIP IV gene expression, and thus epidermis differentiation, by promoting cell adhesion and communication in the epidermis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF