Aluminium (Al) ions are one of the primary growth‐limiting factors for plants on acid soils, globally restricting agriculture. Despite its impact, little is known about Al action
This content will become publicly available on July 15, 2025
Aluminum‐dependent stoppage of root growth requires the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway including the p53‐like transcription factor SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RADIATION 1 (SOG1), which promotes terminal differentiation of the root tip in response to Al dependent cell death. Transcriptomic analyses identified Al‐induced SOG1‐regulated targets as candidate mediators of this growth arrest. Analysis of these factors either as loss‐of‐function mutants or by overexpression in the
- Award ID(s):
- 2215705
- PAR ID:
- 10535052
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Portfolio
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Plant, Cell & Environment
- ISSN:
- 0140-7791
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
more » « less
Summary in planta . Earlier work has indicated that, among other effects, Al inducesDNA damage. However, the loss of majorDNA damage response regulators, suchSOG 1, partially suppressed the growth reduction in plants seen on Al‐containing media. This raised the question whether Al actually causesDNA damage and, if so, how. Here, we provide cytological and genetic data corroborating that exposure to Al leads toDNA double‐strand breaks. We find that the Al‐induced damage specifically involves homology‐dependent (HR ) recombination repair. Using an Al toxicity assay that delivers higher Al concentrations than used in previous tests, we find thatsog1 mutants become highly sensitive to Al. This indicates a multi‐level response to Al‐inducedDNA damage in plants. -
more » « less
Abstract We provide a functional characterization of transcription factor NF-κB in protists and provide information about the evolution and diversification of this biologically important protein. We characterized NF-κB in two protists using phylogenetic, cellular, and biochemical techniques. NF-κB of the holozoan
Capsaspora owczarzaki (Co ) has an N-terminal DNA-binding domain and a C-terminal Ankyrin repeat (ANK) domain, and its DNA-binding specificity is more similar to metazoan NF-κB proteins than to Rel proteins. Removal of the ANK domain allowsCo -NF-κB to enter the nucleus, bind DNA, and activate transcription. However, C-terminal processing ofCo -NF-κB is not induced by IκB kinases in human cells. OverexpressedCo -NF-κB localizes to the cytoplasm inCo cells.Co -NF-κB mRNA and DNA-binding levels differ across threeCapsaspora life stages. RNA-sequencing and GO analyses identify possible gene targets ofCo -NF-κB. Three NF-κB-like proteins from the choanoflagellateAcanthoeca spectabilis (As ) contain conserved Rel Homology domain sequences, but lack C-terminal ANK repeats. All threeAs -NF-κB proteins constitutively enter the nucleus of cells, but differ in their DNA-binding abilities, transcriptional activation activities, and dimerization properties. These results provide a basis for understanding the evolutionary origins of this key transcription factor and could have implications for the origins of regulated immunity in higher taxa. -
null (Ed.)Cell division is often regulated by extracellular signaling networks to ensure correct patterning during development. In Arabidopsis , the SHORT-ROOT (SHR)/SCARECROW (SCR) transcription factor dimer activates CYCLIND6 ; 1 ( CYCD6;1 ) to drive formative divisions during root ground tissue development. Here, we show plasma-membrane-localized BARELY ANY MERISTEM1/2 (BAM1/2) family receptor kinases are required for SHR -dependent formative divisions and CYCD6;1 expression, but not SHR -dependent ground tissue specification. Root-enriched CLE ligands bind the BAM1 extracellular domain and are necessary and sufficient to activate SHR -mediated divisions and CYCD6;1 expression. Correspondingly, BAM-CLE signaling contributes to the restriction of formative divisions to the distal root region. Additionally, genetic analysis reveals that BAM-CLE and SHR converge to regulate additional cell divisions outside of the ground tissues. Our work identifies an extracellular signaling pathway regulating formative root divisions and provides a framework to explore this pathway in patterning and evolution.more » « less
-
more » « less
Abstract Leaf laminar growth and adaxial–abaxial boundary formation are fundamental outcomes of plant development. Boundary and laminar growth coordinate the further patterning and growth of the leaf, directing the differentiation of cell types within the top and bottom domains and promoting initiation of lateral organs along their adaxial or abaxial axis. Leaf adaxial–abaxial polarity specification and laminar outgrowth are regulated by two transcription factors, REVOLUTA (REV) and KANADI (KAN). ABA INSENSITIVE TO GROWTH 1 (ABIG1) encodes a HOMEODOMAIN-LEUCINE ZIPPER (HD-ZIP) class II transcription factor and is a direct target of the adaxial–abaxial regulators REV and KAN. To investigate the role of ABIG1 in leaf development and in the establishment of polarity, we examined the phenotypes of both gain-of-function and loss-of-function mutants. Through genetic interaction analysis with REV and KAN mutants, we determined that ABIG1 plays a role in leaf laminar growth as well as in adaxial–abaxial polarity establishment. Genetic and physical interaction assays showed that ABIG1 interacts with the transcriptional TOPLESS corepressor. This study provides new evidence that ABIG1, another HD-ZIP II, facilitates growth through the corepressor TOPLESS.
-
more » « less
Summary Aging is associated with a large number of both phenotypic and molecular changes, but for most of these, it is not known whether these changes are detrimental, neutral, or protective. We have identified a conserved
Caenorhabditis elegans GATA transcription factor/MTA‐1 homologegr‐1 (lin‐40 ) that extends lifespan and promotes resistance to heat and UV stress when overexpressed. Expression ofegr‐1 increases with age, suggesting that it may promote survival during normal aging. This increase in expression is dependent on the presence of the germline, raising the possibility thategr‐1 expression is regulated by signals from the germline. In addition, loss ofegr‐1 suppresses the long lifespan of insulin receptordaf‐2 mutants. The DAF‐16 FOXO transcription factor is required for the increased stress resistance ofegr‐1 overexpression mutants, andegr‐1 is necessary for the proper regulation ofsod‐3 (a reporter for DAF‐16 activity). These results indicate thategr‐1 acts within the insulin signaling pathway.egr‐1 can also activate the expression of its paralogegl‐27, another factor known to extend lifespan and increase stress resistance, suggesting that the two genes act in a common program to promote survival. These results identifyegr‐1 as part of a longevity‐promoting circuit that changes with age in a manner that is beneficial for the lifespan of the organism.
