Project description:DELLA proteins act as hubs that relay environmental information to the multiple transcriptional circuits that control growth and development through physical interaction with transcription factors from different families. We have analyzed the presence of one DELLA protein at the Arabidopsis genome by chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to large-scale sequencing and we find that it binds at the promoters of multiple genes. Enrichment analysis shows a strong preference for cis elements recognized by specific transcription factor families. In particular, we demonstrate that DELLA proteins are recruited by type-B ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATORS (ARR) to the promoters of cytokinin-regulated genes, where they act as transcriptional co-activators. The biological relevance of this mechanism is underpinned by the necessity of simultaneous presence of DELLAs and ARRs to restrict root meristem growth and to promote photomorphogenesis.
Project description:Leaf growth is a complex developmental process that is continuously fine-tuned by the environment. Various abiotic stresses, including mild drought stress, have been shown to inhibit leaf growth in Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we identify the redundant Arabidopsis transcription factors ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 5 (ERF5) and ERF6 as master regulators which adapt leaf growth to environmental changes. ERF5 and ERF6 gene expression is induced very rapidly and specifically in actively growing leaves after sudden exposure to osmotic stress that mimics mild drought. Subsequently, enhanced ERF6 expression inhibits cell proliferation and leaf growth by a process involving GA and DELLA signaling. Using an ERF6 inducible overexpression line, we demonstrate that the GA-degrading enzyme GA2-OX6 is transcriptionally induced by ERF6 and that consequently DELLA proteins are stabilized. As a result, ERF6 gain-of-function lines are dwarfed and hypersensitive to osmotic stress, while growth of erf5erf6 loss-of-function mutants is less affected by stress. Next to its role in plant growth under stress, ERF6 also activates the expression of a plethora of osmotic stress-responsive genes, including the well-known stress tolerance genes STZ, MYB51 and WRKY33. Interestingly, the activation of the stress tolerance genes by ERF6 occurs independently from the ERF6-mediated growth inhibition. Together, these data fit into a leaf growth regulatory model in which ERF5 and ERF6 form a missing link between the previously observed stress-induced 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) accumulation and DELLA-mediated cell cycle exit and execute a dual role by regulating both stress tolerance and growth-inhibition.
Project description:Gibberellin (GA) promotes plant growth by destabilizing DELLA proteins. DELLA proteins integrate multiple hormonal and environmental stress responses. We investigated the role of GA and DELLA proteins in plant defence. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression controlled by DELLA proteins and identified distinct classes of differentially regulated genes in response to pathogens, hormones or pathogen elicitors. Experiment Overall Design: Five weeks old short day grown Arabidopsis leaf discs were used to treat with flg22 and samples were collected after 1 hour and 2 hour time points. For Alternaria brassicicola, five weeks old plants were drop inoculated with 4x 5µl droplets of Alternaria brassicicola spores (5x105 spores/ml) and samples were collected 3 days post inoculation. Five weeks old plants were infiltrated with Pst DC3000 (2x105cfu/ml) bacteria and samples were collected after 12 hours post infiltration. For methyl jasmonate treatments, five weeks old plants were sprayed with 10µM Methyl Jasmonate solution, covered with plastic bags and samples were collected after one hour.
Project description:DELLA proteins act as hubs that relay environmental information to the multiple transcriptional circuits that control growth and development through physical interaction with transcription factors from different families. We have analyzed the presence of one DELLA protein at the Arabidopsis genome by chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to large-scale sequencing and we find that it binds at the promoters of multiple genes. Enrichment analysis shows a strong preference for cis elements recognized by specific transcription factor families. In particular, we demonstrate that DELLA proteins are recruited by type-B ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATORS (ARR) to the promoters of cytokinin-regulated genes, where they act as transcriptional co-activators. The biological relevance of this mechanism is underpinned by the necessity of simultaneous presence of DELLAs and ARRs to restrict root meristem growth and to promote photomorphogenesis. Provided are 3 biological replicates analysing RGA binding sites in Arabidopsis seedlings. ChIP-seq was performed on plants expressing RGA-GFP under the native RGA promoter and on non-transgenic control plants as reference
Project description:The aim of this study is to identify early DELLA protein-responsive genes using a Dexamethasone (DEX)-inducible system. Two transgenic lines were used: one induces the expression of a dominant, gibberellin non-responsive DELLA protein (rga-delta17); the other is a control line that carries the same vector, but lacks the rga-delta17 transgene. By comparing the gene expression changes in the line that expresses the rga-delta17 protein in the presence or absence of DEX it is possible to identify putative targets of DELLA proteins. An empty vector transgenic line was included in this study to identify genes that might be regulated by the DEX inducible system that are not dependent on the DELLA protein. Keywords: Dexamethasone treatment, gibberellin treatment, time course, transgene effect
Project description:We report ATAC-seq for several A. thaliana accessions in healthy leaf tissue. As part of an investigation into the evolution of conserved noncoding sequences, our goal was to identify overlaps between regions of accessible chromatin and CNS. Manuscript in review. Biorxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/727669
Project description:Genome-wide transcriptome analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana was performed to understand the role of auxin in the response of leaf growth to osmotic stress. We studied transcriptional changes in proliferating leaves of the seedlings grown in vitro on control medium, medium supplemented with 25mM mannitol, 0.1μM NAA and 0.1μM NAA + 25mM mannitol.