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2021 (English)In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, ISSN 0027-8424, E-ISSN 1091-6490, Vol. 118, no 37, article id e2106961118Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Plants adjust their energy metabolism to continuous environmental fluctuations, resulting in a tremendous plasticity in their architecture. The regulatory circuits involved, however, remain largely unresolved. In Arabidopsis, moderate perturbations in photosynthetic activity, administered by short-term low light exposure or unexpected darkness, lead to increased lateral root (LR) initiation. Consistent with expression of low-energy markers, these treatments alter energy homeostasis and reduce sugar availability in roots. Here, we demonstrate that the LR response requires the metabolic stress sensor kinase Snf1-RELATED-KINASE1 (SnRK1), which phosphorylates the transcription factor BASIC LEUCINE ZIPPER63 (bZIP63) that directly binds and activates the promoter of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR19 (ARF19), a key regulator of LR initiation. Consistently, starvation-induced ARF19 transcription is impaired in bzip63 mutants. This study highlights a positive developmental function of SnRK1. During energy limitation, LRs are initiated and primed for outgrowth upon recovery. Hence, this study provides mechanistic insights into how energy shapes the agronomically important root system.
Keywords
ARF19, BZIP63, Lateral root, Metabolic homeostasis, SnRK1
National Category
Cell Biology Genetics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-187723 (URN)10.1073/pnas.2106961118 (DOI)000705153400001 ()2-s2.0-85114731783 (Scopus ID)
2021-09-202021-09-202023-09-05Bibliographically approved