644 / 2019-04-29 09:19:56

EMBRYONIC FACTOR10 mediated miRNA processing is essential for embryogenesis and stem cell maintenance in Arabidopsis

embryogenesis, meristem homeostasis, miRNA, Arabidopsis

全体主题 > Development

Embryogenesis is a critical process for the life cycle of flowering plants. Shoot and root meristems formed during embryogenesis establish the above- and below-ground tissues, respectively, after seed germination. Factors linking embryogenesis and post-embryonic development are still unknown. By screening of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-mutagenized populations of Arabidopsis, we identified the embryonic factor 10-1 (fac10-1) mutant that shows zygote-lethal phenotype. FAC10 gene was cloned through map-based cloning and confirmed by a genetic complementation test against a T-DNA insertion allele fac10-2. However, the T-DNA insertion causes weak impair on plant growth and fac10-2 displays obvious short root and multi-branches. Altered expression patterns of CLV3, WUS and WOX5 suggest meristem homeostasis is disturbed in fac10-2. Intriguingly, fac10-2 mutation substantially reduces accumulation of a subset of miRNAs mediating stem cell homeostasis and increases their targeted transcripts. Moreover, FAC10 is highly expressed at meristem regions and interacts with components of miRNA processing complex. Based on these results, we propose that FAC10 mediates miRNA processing which is critical for embryogenesis and stem cell homeostasis maintenance in Arabidopsis.