The AUX1-AFB1-CNGC14 module establishes a longitudinal root surface pH profile
- Charles University, Czech Republic
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
- Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
Abstract
Plant roots navigate in the soil environment following the gravity vector. Cell divisions in the meristem and rapid cell growth in the elongation zone propel the root tips through the soil. Actively elongating cells acidify their apoplast to enable cell wall extension by the activity of plasma membrane AHA H+-ATPases. The phytohormone auxin, central regulator of gravitropic response and root development, inhibits root cell growth, likely by rising the pH of the apoplast. However, the role of auxin in the regulation of the apoplastic pH gradient along the root tip is unclear. Here we show, by using an improved method for visualization and quantification of root surface pH, that the Arabidopsis thaliana root surface pH shows distinct acidic and alkaline zones, which are not primarily determined by the activity of AHA H+-ATPases. Instead, the distinct domain of alkaline pH in the root transition zone is controlled by a rapid auxin response module, consisting of the AUX1 auxin influx carrier, the AFB1 auxin co-receptor and the CNCG14 calcium channel. We demonstrate that the rapid auxin response pathway is required for an efficient navigation of the root tip.
Data availability
All the data used for the the manuscript are available at Zenodo.The statistics used and p-values are available as supplementary file.
-
The AUX1-AFB1-CNGC14 module establishes a longitudinal root surface pH profile main figuresZenodo, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.8138861.
-
The AUX1-AFB1-CNGC14 module establishes a longitudinal root surface pH profile supplementary figuresZenodo, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.8140893.
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
European Research Council (803048)
- Nelson BC Serre
- Daša Wernerová
- Pruthvi Vittal
- Shiv Mani Dubey
- Eva Medvecká
- Matyáš Fendrych
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GR4559)
- Guido Grossmann
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (CRC1208)
- Guido Grossmann
EPLAS-EXC-2048/1 (390686111)
- Guido Grossmann
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Copyright
© 2023, Serre et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
Metrics
-
- 2,184
- views
-
- 480
- downloads
-
- 20
- citations
Views, downloads and citations are aggregated across all versions of this paper published by eLife.
Download links
A two-part list of links to download the article, or parts of the article, in various formats.
Downloads (link to download the article as PDF)
Open citations (links to open the citations from this article in various online reference manager services)
Cite this article (links to download the citations from this article in formats compatible with various reference manager tools)
The AUX1-AFB1-CNGC14 module establishes a longitudinal root surface pH profile
eLife 12:e85193.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.85193
Further reading
-
- Plant Biology
Obligate parasites often trigger significant changes in their hosts to facilitate transmission to new hosts. The molecular mechanisms behind these extended phenotypes - where genetic information of one organism is manifested as traits in another - remain largely unclear. This study explores the role of the virulence protein SAP54, produced by parasitic phytoplasmas, in attracting leafhopper vectors. SAP54 is responsible for the induction of leaf-like flowers in phytoplasma-infected plants. However, we previously demonstrated that the insects were attracted to leaves and the leaf-like flowers were not required. Here, we made the surprising discovery that leaf exposure to leafhopper males is required for the attraction phenotype, suggesting a leaf response that distinguishes leafhopper sex in the presence of SAP54. In contrast, this phytoplasma effector alongside leafhopper females discourages further female colonization. We demonstrate that SAP54 effectively suppresses biotic stress response pathways in leaves exposed to the males. Critically, the host plant MADS-box transcription factor short vegetative phase (SVP) emerges as a key element in the female leafhopper preference for plants exposed to males, with SAP54 promoting the degradation of SVP. This preference extends to female colonization of male-exposed svp null mutant plants over those not exposed to males. Our research underscores the dual role of the phytoplasma effector SAP54 in host development alteration and vector attraction - integral to the phytoplasma life cycle. Importantly, we clarify how SAP54, by targeting SVP, heightens leaf vulnerability to leafhopper males, thus facilitating female attraction and subsequent plant colonization by the insects. SAP54 essentially acts as a molecular ‘matchmaker’, helping male leafhoppers more easily locate mates by degrading SVP-containing complexes in leaves. This study not only provides insights into the long reach of single parasite genes in extended phenotypes, but also opens avenues for understanding how transcription factors that regulate plant developmental processes intersect with and influence plant-insect interactions.
-
- Microbiology and Infectious Disease
- Plant Biology
Programmed cell death occurring during plant development (dPCD) is a fundamental process integral for plant growth and reproduction. Here, we investigate the connection between developmentally controlled PCD and fungal accommodation in Arabidopsis thaliana roots, focusing on the root cap-specific transcription factor ANAC033/SOMBRERO (SMB) and the senescence-associated nuclease BFN1. Mutations of both dPCD regulators increase colonization by the beneficial fungus Serendipita indica, primarily in the differentiation zone. smb-3 mutants additionally exhibit hypercolonization around the meristematic zone and a delay of S. indica-induced root-growth promotion. This demonstrates that root cap dPCD and rapid post-mortem clearance of cellular corpses represent a physical defense mechanism restricting microbial invasion of the root. Additionally, reporter lines and transcriptional analysis revealed that BFN1 expression is downregulated during S. indica colonization in mature root epidermal cells, suggesting a transcriptional control mechanism that facilitates the accommodation of beneficial microbes in the roots.
