WRKY30 negatively regulates lateral root development downstream of the RGF1-RGI1 peptide-receptor module in Arabidopsis.
Nguyen QTC, Jeon BW, Kim JI, Kim J
Plant Signaling
Lateral roots are how plants mine deeper soil for water and nutrients, so understanding the molecular dial that controls root branching could one day help breed crops with smarter root systems — ones that forage deeper during a drought or spread wider in poor soil without wasting energy.
Plants control how many side roots they sprout using chemical messages sent from their root tips. Scientists found that one of those messages switches on a particular protein called WRKY30, which then acts like a stop sign for new side root growth. When they used gene editing to knock out WRKY30, the plant became less able to pump the brakes on side root development, confirming that this protein is a key part of the 'slow down' signal.
Key Findings
RGF1 peptide treatment strongly induced WRKY30 reporter gene expression in the distal region of primary roots, and this induction was markedly reduced in rgi1 receptor mutants.
Overexpression of WRKY30 under two different promoters suppressed lateral root initiation in both wild-type plants and rgi1 mutants without disrupting overall root meristem growth.
CRISPR-Cas9 knockout of WRKY30 produced plants with measurably reduced sensitivity to RGF1-mediated suppression of lateral root formation, confirming WRKY30 is a required downstream effector.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers identified a molecular switch called WRKY30 that tells Arabidopsis plants to stop growing side roots. When root tips release a chemical signal, WRKY30 is activated and acts as a brake on lateral root branching — and disabling WRKY30 with gene editing makes plants less responsive to that brake.
Abstract Preview
Small signaling peptides play pivotal roles in coordinating plant growth, development, and immunity. In Arabidopsis, ROOT MERISTEM GROWTH FACTOR 1 (RGF1) and its cognate receptor RGF1 INSENSITIVE 1...
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