The arabidopsis IDD14, IDD15, and IDD16 cooperatively regulate lateral organ morphogenesis and gravitropism by promoting auxin biosynthesis and transport

PLoS Genet. 2013;9(9):e1003759. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003759. Epub 2013 Sep 5.

Abstract

The plant hormone auxin plays a critical role in regulating various aspects of plant growth and development, and the spatial accumulation of auxin within organs, which is primarily attributable to local auxin biosynthesis and polar transport, is largely responsible for lateral organ morphogenesis and the establishment of plant architecture. Here, we show that three Arabidopsis INDETERMINATE DOMAIN (IDD) transcription factors, IDD14, IDD15, and IDD16, cooperatively regulate auxin biosynthesis and transport and thus aerial organ morphogenesis and gravitropic responses. Gain-of-function of each IDD gene in Arabidopsis results in small and transversally down-curled leaves, whereas loss-of-function of these IDD genes causes pleiotropic phenotypes in aerial organs and defects in gravitropic responses, including altered leaf shape, flower development, fertility, and plant architecture. Further analyses indicate that these IDD genes regulate spatial auxin accumulation by directly targeting YUCCA5 (YUC5), TRYPTOPHAN AMINOTRANSFERASE of ARABIDOPSIS1 (TAA1), and PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1) to promote auxin biosynthesis and transport. Moreover, mutation or ectopic expression of YUC suppresses the organ morphogenic phenotype and partially restores the gravitropic responses in gain- or loss-of-function idd mutants, respectively. Taken together, our results reveal that a subfamily of IDD transcription factors plays a critical role in the regulation of spatial auxin accumulation, thereby controlling organ morphogenesis and gravitropic responses in plants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Flowers / growth & development
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Indoleacetic Acids / metabolism*
  • Meristem / genetics
  • Meristem / metabolism
  • Morphogenesis*
  • Mutation
  • Oxygenases / genetics
  • Oxygenases / metabolism
  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Plant Leaves / growth & development
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Indoleacetic Acids
  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Transcription Factors
  • indeterminate(ID)-domain 14 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Oxygenases
  • YUC protein, Arabidopsis

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2009CB941500) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30971560 and 31121065). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.