SERK Receptor-like Kinases Control Division Patterns of Vascular Precursors and Ground Tissue Stem Cells during Embryo Development in Arabidopsis

Huiqiang Li; Zeping Cai; Xiaojuan Wang; Meizhen Li; Yanwei Cui; Nan Cui; Fei Yang; Mingsong Zhu; Junxiang Zhao; Wenbin Du; Kai He; Jing Yi; Frans E Tax; Suiwen Hou; Jia Li; Xiaoping Gou

doi:10.1016/j.molp.2019.04.011

SERK Receptor-like Kinases Control Division Patterns of Vascular Precursors and Ground Tissue Stem Cells during Embryo Development in Arabidopsis

Mol Plant. 2019 Jul 1;12(7):984-1002. doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2019.04.011. Epub 2019 May 3.

Authors

Huiqiang Li¹, Zeping Cai², Xiaojuan Wang¹, Meizhen Li¹, Yanwei Cui¹, Nan Cui¹, Fei Yang¹, Mingsong Zhu¹, Junxiang Zhao¹, Wenbin Du¹, Kai He¹, Jing Yi¹, Frans E Tax³, Suiwen Hou¹, Jia Li¹, Xiaoping Gou⁴

Affiliations

¹ Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
² Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China; College of Forestry, Hainan University, Danzhou, Hainan 571737, China.
³ Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
⁴ Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. Electronic address: gouxp@lzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 31059824
DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2019.04.011

Abstract

During embryo development, the vascular precursors and ground tissue stem cells divide to renew themselves and produce the vascular tissue, endodermal cells, and cortical cells. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating division of these stem cells have remained largely elusive. In this study, we show that loss of function of SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE (SERK) genes results in aberrant embryo development. Fewer cortical, endodermal, and vascular cells are generated in the embryos of serk1 serk2 bak1 triple mutants. WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 5 (WOX5) is ectopically expressed in vascular cells of serk1 serk2 bak1 embryos. The first transverse division of vascular precursors in mid-globular embryos and second asymmetric division of ground tissue stem cells in early-heart embryos are abnormally altered to a longitudinal division. The embryo defects can be partially rescued by constitutively activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinase YODA (YDA) and MAPK kinase MKK5. Taken together, our results reveal that SERK-mediated signals regulate division patterns of vascular precursors and ground tissue stem cells, likely via the YDA-MKK4/5 cascade, during embryo development.

Keywords: MKK4; MKK5; SERKs; embryo; ground tissue stem cell; vascular precursors.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Arabidopsis / embryology
Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
Cloning, Molecular
DNA Mutational Analysis
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 / genetics
MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 / metabolism
MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / genetics
MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / metabolism
MAP Kinase Signaling System
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / genetics
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / metabolism
Mutation
Organogenesis, Plant
Plant Development
Plant Somatic Embryogenesis Techniques*
Protein Kinases / genetics
Protein Kinases / metabolism*
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
Stem Cells / metabolism

Substances

Arabidopsis Proteins
Homeodomain Proteins
WUSCHEL protein, Arabidopsis
Protein Kinases
SERK4 protein, Arabidopsis
BAK1 protein, Arabidopsis
SERK1 protein, Arabidopsis
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinase 2, Arabidopsis
MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5
MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases
YODA protein, Arabidopsis
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases