Click here to sign in with or
Researchers at the John Innes Centre and partners at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified a molecular switch that establishes differential cell growth and organ shape.
The growth regulator auxin promotes cell growth through a surface protein called Transmembrane Kinase 1 (TMK1). At the cell surface TMK1 modulates cell wall properties that facilitate cell growth. But TMK1 also signals an opposite growth-retarding effect in the cell nucleus, where it represses cell growth by reducing auxin-mediated gene expression.
Dr. Benguo Gu and his colleagues showed how TMK1 carries out these seemingly opposed functions in different parts of the cell. This involves the cleavage of TMK1 protein at the cell surface and transferring part of the cleaved protein to the nucleus. Although this process is reasonably common, identifying the protein-cleaving proteins involved has been difficult due to technical challenges.
The proteins involved are members of the DA1 family of peptidases. These enzymes cleave a variety of proteins involved in growth responses and contribute to shaping organ growth. The demonstration of DA1-family cleavage of TMK1 shows how they modulate information flow from the cell surface to the nucleus to shape cell size and organ growth. Defining these processes makes important contributions to our understanding of plant growth.
Dr. Gu, a research assistant at the John Innes Centre says that their "work proved DA1 family peptidases function on hormone signal transduction, which indicates a general mechanism to transfer signal from plasma membrane to nucleus. The findings potentially offer a way to improve crop seed emergence."
"Modulation of receptor-like transmembrane kinase 1 nuclear localization by DA1 peptidases in Arabidopsis" is in published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Explore further Newly discovered mechanism of plant hormone auxin acts contrarily More information: Benguo Gu et al, Modulation of receptor-like transmembrane kinase 1 nuclear localization by DA1 peptidases in Arabidopsis, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205757119 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Provided by John Innes Centre Citation: How a molecular switch shapes plant organ growth (2022, October 3) retrieved 8 October 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-10-molecular-growth.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.More from Biology and Medical
Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines).
Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request
Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.
Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.
Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form.
Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties.
Medical research advances and health news
The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances
The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web
This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.