1. RAV1 mediates cytokinin signaling for regulating primary root growth in Arabidopsis.
- Author
-
Mandal, Drishti, Datta, Saptarshi, Raveendar, Giridhar, Mondal, Pranab Kumar, and Nag Chaudhuri, Ronita
- Subjects
- *
ARABIDOPSIS , *MERISTEMS , *AUXIN , *TRANSCRIPTION factors , *ROOT development , *ROOT growth - Abstract
SUMMARY: Root growth dynamics is an outcome of complex hormonal crosstalk. The primary root meristem size, for example, is determined by antagonizing actions of cytokinin and auxin. Here we show that RAV1, a member of the AP2/ERF family of transcription factors, mediates cytokinin signaling in roots to regulate meristem size. The rav1 mutants have prominently longer primary roots, with a meristem that is significantly enlarged and contains higher cell numbers, compared with wild‐type. The mutant phenotype could be restored on exogenous cytokinin application or by inhibiting auxin transport. At the transcript level, primary cytokinin‐responsive genes like ARR1, ARR12 were significantly downregulated in the mutant root, indicating impaired cytokinin signaling. In concurrence, cytokinin induced regulation of SHY2, an Aux/IAA gene, and auxin efflux carrier PIN1 was hindered in rav1, leading to altered auxin transport and distribution. This effectively altered root meristem size in the mutant. Notably, CRF1, another member of the AP2/ERF family implicated in cytokinin signaling, is transcriptionally repressed by RAV1 to promote cytokinin response in roots. Further associating RAV1 with cytokinin signaling, our results demonstrate that cytokinin upregulates RAV1 expression through ARR1, during post‐embryonic root development. Regulation of RAV1 expression is a part of secondary cytokinin response that eventually represses CRF1 to augment cytokinin signaling. To conclude, RAV1 functions in a branch pathway downstream to ARR1 that regulates CRF1 expression to enhance cytokinin action during primary root development in Arabidopsis. Significance Statement: Interplay of auxin and cytokinin is known to regulate primary root meristem size in Arabidopsis, and here we show that RAV1 augments cytokinin signaling to control primary root meristem size. Cytokinin regulates RAV1 expression through ARR1, and RAV1 downregulates CRF1 expression to promote cytokinin actions and antagonize auxin response to determine proper root meristem size during post‐embryonic root development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF