ATML1-GIR1-TPL/TPR transcriptional repression module controls glucosinolates and giant cells in Arabidopsis thaliana sepals
Apprill, L. E.; Ahmad, B.; Ulutas, A.; Agosto Ramos, A.; Na, S.; Laytimi, S. R.; Bailey, A. K.; Warner, A. L.; Neumann, T. R.; Lee, Y.-J.; Kliebenstein, D. J.; Schrick, K.
Plant Signaling
Breeding your garden kale or mustard greens to be naturally more pest-resistant without losing those bitter, health-promoting flavors just got a clearer roadmap — scientists pinpointed the molecular switch that decides where and how much of that chemical kick accumulates in the plant.
Broccoli, kale, and their relatives make natural defense chemicals that give them their sharp, bitter flavor and also protect them from insects. Scientists found a set of three proteins that works like a volume knob, dialing down production of these chemicals in specific parts of the flower. Surprisingly, this same protein team also controls how large individual cells can grow — revealing an unexpected connection between cell size and the plant's chemical armor.
Key Findings
A three-protein complex (GIR1 acting as adaptor between ATML1 and TPL/TPR corepressors) was identified as a novel repressor of glucosinolate biosynthesis genes specifically in sepal tissue
Plants missing the GIR1 gene showed both excess oversized cells in the sepal outer layer AND elevated glucosinolate levels, revealing an unexpected link between cell expansion and chemical defense
Mass spectrometry imaging directly confirmed higher glucosinolate accumulation in gir1 mutant sepals compared to wild-type plants and atml1 mutants
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered a trio of proteins that acts as a master switch controlling how much of the spicy, health-promoting compounds (glucosinolates) are made in the flower sepals of mustard-family plants — and that same switch unexpectedly governs how certain cells expand. This opens a path to engineering crops like broccoli and kale with precisely tuned chemical profiles.
Abstract Preview
Glucosinolates (GSLs) are sulfur- and nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites that serve as defense compounds in Arabidopsis and other members of the Brassicales. Although the enzymatic pathway t...
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