Premium
A spatiotemporally regulated transcriptional complex underlies heteroblastic development of leaf hairs in Arabidopsis thaliana
Author(s) -
Wang Long,
Zhou ChuanMiao,
Mai YanXia,
Li LingZi,
Gao Jian,
Shang GuangDong,
Lian Heng,
Han Lin,
Zhang TianQi,
Tang HongBo,
Ren Hang,
Wang FuXiang,
Wu LianYu,
Liu XiaoLi,
Wang ChangSheng,
Chen ErWang,
Zhang XueNing,
Liu Chang,
Wang JiaWei
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.15252/embj.2018100063
Subject(s) - biology , trichome , arabidopsis thaliana , arabidopsis , chromatin , microbiology and biotechnology , enhancer , transcription factor , myb , genetics , botany , gene , mutant
Heteroblasty refers to a phenomenon that a plant produces morphologically or functionally different lateral organs in an age‐dependent manner. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana , the production of trichomes (epidermal leaf hairs) on the abaxial (lower) side of leaves is a heteroblastic mark for the juvenile‐to‐adult transition. Here, we show that the heteroblastic development of abaxial trichomes is regulated by a spatiotemporally regulated complex comprising the leaf abaxial fate determinant ( KAN 1 ) and the developmental timer (miR172‐targeted AP 2‐like proteins). We provide evidence that a short‐distance chromatin loop brings the downstream enhancer element into close association with the promoter elements of GL 1 , which encodes a MYB transcription factor essential for trichome initiation. During juvenile phase, the KAN 1‐ AP 2 repressive complex binds to the downstream sequence of GL 1 and represses its expression through chromatin looping. As plants age, the gradual reduction in AP 2‐like protein levels leads to decreased amount of the KAN 1‐ AP 2 complex, thereby licensing GL 1 expression and the abaxial trichome initiation. Our results thus reveal a novel molecular mechanism by which a heteroblastic trait is governed by integrating age and leaf polarity cue in plants.