The PLETHORA Gene Regulatory Network Guides Growth and Cell Differentiation in Arabidopsis Roots

Due to plant cells’ shared walls and immobility, cell division, differentiation and expansion must be tightly regulated across space and time. The six members of the PLETHORA (PLT) transcription factor family distribute in gradients through the root tip and are largely responsible for its developmental patterning. Santuari et al. studied the gene set transcriptionally regulated by PLTs and showed that PLT gradients regulate cell state by region-specific induction of cell proliferation genes and repression of differentiation. PLTs’ effects are mediated in part through transcriptional control of genes involved in auxin synthesis and transport and other key developmental switches. (Summary by Bhavisha Sheth) Plant Cell 10.1105/tpc.16.00656