ABSTRACT
Procambial and cambial stem cells provide the initial cells that allow the formation of vascular tissues. WOX4 and WOX14 have been shown to act redundantly to promote procambial cell proliferation and differentiation. Gibberellins (GAs), which have an important role in wood formation, also stimulate cambial cell division. Here we show that the loss of WOX14 function phenocopies some traits of GA-deficient mutants that can be complemented by exogenous GA application, whereas WOX14 overexpression stimulates the expression of GA3ox anabolism genes and represses GA2ox catabolism genes, promoting the accumulation of bioactive GA. More importantly, our data clearly indicate that WOX14 but not WOX4 promotes vascular cell differentiation and lignification in inflorescence stems of Arabidopsis.
Subject(s)
Arabidopsis Proteins/metabolism , Arabidopsis/metabolism , Gibberellins/metabolism , Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism , Arabidopsis/cytology , Arabidopsis/genetics , Arabidopsis Proteins/genetics , Cambium/metabolism , Cell Differentiation/drug effects , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/physiology , Homeodomain Proteins/geneticsABSTRACT
To improve seed iron (Fe) content and bioavailability, it is crucial to decipher the mechanisms that control Fe storage during seed development. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seeds, most Fe is concentrated in insoluble precipitates, with phytate in the vacuoles of cells surrounding the vasculature of the embryo. NATURAL RESISTANCE ASSOCIATED-MACROPHAGE PROTEIN3 (AtNRAMP3) and AtNRAMP4 function redundantly in Fe retrieval from vacuoles during germination. When germinated under Fe-deficient conditions, development of the nramp3nramp4 double mutant is arrested as a consequence of impaired Fe mobilization. To identify novel genes involved in seed Fe homeostasis, we screened an ethyl methanesulfonate-mutagenized population of nramp3nramp4 seedlings for mutations suppressing their phenotypes on low Fe. Here, we report that, among the suppressors, two independent mutations in the VACUOLAR IRON TRANSPORTER1 (AtVIT1) gene caused the suppressor phenotype. The AtVIT1 transporter is involved in Fe influx into vacuoles of endodermal and bundle sheath cells. This result establishes a functional link between Fe loading in vacuoles by AtVIT1 and its remobilization by AtNRAMP3 and AtNRAMP4. Moreover, analysis of subcellular Fe localization indicates that simultaneous disruption of AtVIT1, AtNRAMP3, and AtNRAMP4 limits Fe accumulation in vacuolar globoids.
Subject(s)
Arabidopsis Proteins/genetics , Arabidopsis/metabolism , Cation Transport Proteins/genetics , Iron/metabolism , Mutation/genetics , Vacuoles/metabolism , Alleles , Arabidopsis/drug effects , Arabidopsis/growth & development , Arabidopsis Proteins/metabolism , Biological Transport , Cation Transport Proteins/metabolism , Cotyledon/drug effects , Cotyledon/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/drug effects , Gene Knockout Techniques , Genes, Plant , Genes, Suppressor , Germination/drug effects , Iron/pharmacology , Models, Biological , Mutagenesis , Phenotype , Plant Epidermis/drug effects , Plant Epidermis/metabolism , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Seedlings/drug effects , Seedlings/growth & development , Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission , Subcellular Fractions/drug effects , Subcellular Fractions/metabolism , Vacuoles/drug effectsABSTRACT
Seeds are a crucial stage in plant life. They contain the nutrients necessary to initiate the development of a new organism. Seeds also represent an important source of nutrient for human beings. Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies affect over a billion people worldwide. It is therefore important to understand how these essential metals are stored in seeds. In this work, Particle-Induced X-ray Emission with the use of a focused ion beam (µPIXE) has been used to map and quantify essential metals in Arabidopsis seeds. In agreement with Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) imaging and Perls/DAB staining, µPIXE maps confirmed the specific pattern of Fe and Mn localization in the endodermal and subepidermal cell layers in dry seeds, respectively. Moreover, µPIXE allows absolute quantification revealing that the Fe concentration in the endodermal cell layer reaches ~800 µg·g(-1) dry weight. Nevertheless, this cell layer accounts only for about half of Fe stores in dry seeds. Comparison between Arabidopsis wild type (WT) and mutant seeds impaired in Fe vacuolar storage (vit1-1) or release (nramp3nramp4) confirmed the strongly altered Fe localization pattern in vit1-1, whereas no alteration could be detected in nramp3nramp4 dry seeds. Imaging of imbibed seeds indicates a dynamic localization of metals as Fe and Zn concentrations increase in the subepidermal cell layer of cotyledons after imbibition. The complementarities between µPIXE and other approaches as well as the importance of being able to quantify the patterns for the interpretation of mutant phenotypes are discussed.
