Control of root-to-shoot long-distance flow by a key ROS-regulating factor in Arabidopsis

Tianling Jin, Huiyan Wu, Zhuying Deng, Tingting Cai, Junkai Li, Zhangyong Liu, Peter M. Waterhouse, Rosemary G. White, Dacheng Liang*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    5 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Inter-tissue communication is instrumental to coordinating the whole-body level behaviour for complex multicellular organisms. However, little is known about the regulation of inter-tissue information exchange. Here we carried out genetic screens for root-to-shoot mobile silencing in Arabidopsis plants with a compromised small RNA-mediated gene silencing movement rate and identified radical-induced cell death 1 (RCD1) as a critical regulator of root–shoot communication. RCD1 belongs to a family of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase proteins, which are highly conserved across land plants. We found that RCD1 coordinates symplastic and apoplastic movement by modulating the sterol level of lipid rafts. The higher superoxide production in rcd1-knockout plants resulted in lower plasmodesmata (PD) frequency and altered PD structure in the symplasm of the hypocotyl cortex. Furthermore, the mutants showed increased lateral area of tracheary pits, which reduced axial movement. Our study highlights a novel mechanism through which root-to-shoot long-distance signalling can be modulated both symplastically and apoplastically.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)2476-2491
    Number of pages16
    JournalPlant, Cell and Environment
    Volume45
    Issue number8
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Aug 2022

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