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Research article2017Peer reviewedOpen access

Auxin minimum triggers the developmental switch from cell division to cell differentiation in the Arabidopsis root

Di Mambro, Riccardo; De Ruvo, Micol; Pacifici, Elena; Salvi, Elena; Sozzani, Rosangela; Benfey, Philip N.; Busch, Wolfgang; Novak, Ondrej; Ljung, Karin; Di Paola, Luisa; Maree, Athanasius F. M.; Costantino, Paolo; Grieneisen, Veronica A.; Sabatini, Sabrina

Abstract

In multicellular organisms, a stringent control of the transition between cell division and differentiation is crucial for correct tissue and organ development. In the Arabidopsis root, the boundary between dividing and differentiating cells is positioned by the antagonistic interaction of the hormones auxin and cytokinin. Cytokinin affects polar auxin transport, but how this impacts the positional information required to establish this tissue boundary, is still unknown. By combining computational modeling with molecular genetics, we show that boundary formation is dependent on cytokinin's control on auxin polar transport and degradation. The regulation of both processes shapes the auxin profile in a welldefined auxin minimum. This auxin minimum positions the boundary between dividing and differentiating cells, acting as a trigger for this developmental transition, thus controlling meristem size.

Keywords

plant hormones; cell differentiation; root meristem; computational modeling

Published in

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
2017, Volume: 114, number: 36, pages: E7641-E7649 Publisher: NATL ACAD SCIENCES

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705833114

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/94089