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Zeng J, Geng X, Zhao Z, Zhou W. Tipping the balance: The dynamics of stem cell maintenance and stress responses in plant meristems. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 78:102510. [PMID: 38266375 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2024.102510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Plant meristems contain pools of dividing stem cells that produce new organs for plant growth and development. Environmental factors, including biotic and abiotic stresses and nutrient availability, affect meristem activity and thus the architecture of roots and shoots; understanding how meristems react to changing environmental conditions will shed light on how plants optimize nutrient acquisition and acclimate to different environmental conditions. This review highlights recent exciting advances in this field, mainly in Arabidopsis. We discuss the signaling pathways, genetic regulators, and molecular mechanisms involved in the response of plant meristems to environmental and nutrient cues, and compare the similarities and differences of stress responses between the shoot and root apical meristems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zeng
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Xin Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhong Zhao
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.
| | - Wenkun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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Zeng J, Zhao X, Liang Z, Hidalgo I, Gebert M, Fan P, Wenzl C, Gornik SG, Lohmann JU. Nitric oxide controls shoot meristem activity via regulation of DNA methylation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8001. [PMID: 38049411 PMCID: PMC10696095 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43705-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance of Nitric Oxide (NO) as signaling molecule in both plant and animal development, the regulatory mechanisms downstream of NO remain largely unclear. Here, we show that NO is involved in Arabidopsis shoot stem cell control via modifying expression and activity of ARGONAUTE 4 (AGO4), a core component of the RNA-directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) pathway. Mutations in components of the RdDM pathway cause meristematic defects, and reduce responses of the stem cell system to NO signaling. Importantly, we find that the stem cell inducing WUSCHEL transcription factor directly interacts with AGO4 in a NO dependent manner, explaining how these two signaling systems may converge to modify DNA methylation patterns. Taken together, our results reveal that NO signaling plays an important role in controlling plant stem cell homeostasis via the regulation of de novo DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zeng
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xin'Ai Zhao
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Zhe Liang
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Inés Hidalgo
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Gebert
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- CureVac, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pengfei Fan
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Wenzl
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian G Gornik
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan U Lohmann
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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