Final Report Summary - REKSARD (Receptor-like Kinase Signalling in Arabidopsis thaliana Root Development)
Optimized root architecture is crucial for efficient water and nutrient uptake, and strongly affects plant growth and seed yield. This project focused on the involvement of membrane-associated receptor-like kinases in registering and conveying (positional) information during plant (lateral) root development.The fellow identified the membrane-associated receptor-like kinase ARABIDOPSIS CRINKLY4 (ACR4) - which has been studied during the development of epidermis in maize and Arabidopsis and aleuron in maize (Becraft et al., 1996, Science 273:1406-1409; Gifford et al., 2003, Development 130:4249-4258; Watanabe et al., 2004, Plant J 39:298-308) - as a key regulator of formative cell divisions in the root (De Smet et al., 2008, Science 322:594-597). In this ERG project, the fellow further characterized this homeostatic ligand/receptor signalling mechanism that can integrate mobile signalling molecules to control formative cell divisions during organogenesis and, as such, provided an excellent tool to study short range cell-to-cell communication during growth and development. This was a starting point for the enormous future challenge to figure out which receptor(s) interact(s) with which ligand(s) to generate specific responses in plant and, more specifically, in root development.
The research focused on how the receptor-like kinase ACR4 can achieve molecular and developmental flexibility in Arabidopsis thaliana (lateral) root development and had three overall aims divided over three work packages (WP). WP1 and WP2 centred around the downstream events, namely (indirect) transcriptional changes (WP1) and direct substrates (WP2); WP3 focused on the upstream regulation through interaction with (possibly multiple) ligands. To accomplish these goals, we used various interdisciplinary approaches.
So far, we have identified and characterized potential ACR4 ligands, but have not (yet) been able to demonstrate a physical interaction between ACR4 and a putative ligand. In addition, we have described transcriptional changes downstream of ACR4 and identified ACR4-interacting proteins and substrates.
The research focused on how the receptor-like kinase ACR4 can achieve molecular and developmental flexibility in Arabidopsis thaliana (lateral) root development and had three overall aims divided over three work packages (WP). WP1 and WP2 centred around the downstream events, namely (indirect) transcriptional changes (WP1) and direct substrates (WP2); WP3 focused on the upstream regulation through interaction with (possibly multiple) ligands. To accomplish these goals, we used various interdisciplinary approaches.
So far, we have identified and characterized potential ACR4 ligands, but have not (yet) been able to demonstrate a physical interaction between ACR4 and a putative ligand. In addition, we have described transcriptional changes downstream of ACR4 and identified ACR4-interacting proteins and substrates.