Open AccessAn organ boundary‐enriched gene regulatory network uncovers regulatory hierarchies underlying axillary meristem initiation
Author(s) -
Tian Caihuan,
Zhang Xiaoni,
He Jun,
Yu Haopeng,
Wang Ying,
Shi Bihai,
Han Yingying,
Wang Guoxun,
Feng Xiaoming,
Zhang Cui,
Wang Jin,
Qi Jiyan,
Yu Rong,
Jiao Yuling
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
molecular systems biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.523
H-Index - 148
ISSN - 1744-4292
DOI - 10.15252/msb.20145470
Subject(s) - biology , gene regulatory network , meristem , transcription factor , regulation of gene expression , arabidopsis , regulatory sequence , gene , genetics , arabidopsis thaliana , computational biology , gene expression , microbiology and biotechnology , mutant
Gene regulatory networks ( GRN s) control development via cell type‐specific gene expression and interactions between transcription factors ( TF s) and regulatory promoter regions. Plant organ boundaries separate lateral organs from the apical meristem and harbor axillary meristems ( AM s). AM s, as stem cell niches, make the shoot a ramifying system. Although AM s have important functions in plant development, our knowledge of organ boundary and AM formation remains rudimentary. Here, we generated a cellular‐resolution genomewide gene expression map for low‐abundance Arabidopsis thaliana organ boundary cells and constructed a genomewide protein– DNA interaction map focusing on genes affecting boundary and AM formation. The resulting GRN uncovers transcriptional signatures, predicts cellular functions, and identifies promoter hub regions that are bound by many TF s. Importantly, further experimental studies determined the regulatory effects of many TF s on their targets, identifying regulators and regulatory relationships in AM initiation. This systems biology approach thus enhances our understanding of a key developmental process.