Coordinating the morphogenesis-differentiation balance by tweaking the cytokinin-gibberellin equilibrium

Alon Israeli, Yogev Burko, Sharona Shleizer-Burko, Iris Daphne Zelnik, Noa Sela, Mohammad R Hajirezaei, Alisdair R Fernie, Takayuki Tohge, Naomi Ori, Maya Bar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Morphogenesis and differentiation are important stages in organ development and shape determination. However, how they are balanced and tuned during development is not fully understood. In the compound leaved tomato, an extended morphogenesis phase allows for the initiation of leaflets, resulting in the compound form. Maintaining a prolonged morphogenetic phase in early stages of compound-leaf development in tomato is dependent on delayed activity of several factors that promote differentiation, including the CIN-TCP transcription factor (TF) LA, the MYB TF CLAU and the plant hormone Gibberellin (GA), as well as on the morphogenesis-promoting activity of the plant hormone cytokinin (CK). Here, we investigated the genetic regulation of the morphogenesis-differentiation balance by studying the relationship between LA, CLAU, TKN2, CK and GA. Our genetic and molecular examination suggest that LA is expressed earlier and more broadly than CLAU and determines the developmental context of CLAU activity. Genetic interaction analysis indicates that LA and CLAU likely promote differentiation in parallel genetic pathways. These pathways converge downstream on tuning the balance between CK and GA. Comprehensive transcriptomic analyses support the genetic data and provide insights into the broader molecular basis of differentiation and morphogenesis processes in plants.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere1009537
Number of pages25
JournalPLoS Genetics
Volume17
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 26 Apr 2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Genetics(clinical)
  • Genetics
  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

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