CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON1 (CUC1) and CUC2 regulate cytokinin homeostasis to determine ovule number in Arabidopsis

J Exp Bot. 2018 Oct 12;69(21):5169-5176. doi: 10.1093/jxb/ery281.

Abstract

Seeds derive from ovules upon fertilization and therefore the total number of ovules determines the final seed yield, a fundamental trait in crop plants. Among the factors that co-ordinate the process of ovule formation, the transcription factors CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON 1 (CUC1) and CUC2 and the hormone cytokinin (CK) have a particularly prominent role. Indeed, the absence of both CUC1 and CUC2 causes a severe reduction in ovule number, a phenotype that can be rescued by CK treatment. In this study, we combined CK quantification with an integrative genome-wide target identification approach to select Arabidopsis genes regulated by CUCs that are also involved in CK metabolism. We focused our attention on the functional characterization of UDP-GLUCOSYL TRANSFERASE 85A3 (UGT85A3) and UGT73C1, which are up-regulated in the absence of CUC1 and CUC2 and encode enzymes able to catalyse CK inactivation by O-glucosylation. Our results demonstrate a role for these UGTs as a link between CUCs and CK homeostasis, and highlight the importance of CUCs and CKs in the determination of seed yield.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Cytokinins / metabolism*
  • Homeostasis
  • Ovule / growth & development*

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • CUC1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • CUC2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Cytokinins