@article{12053, abstract = {Strigolactones (SLs) are a class of phytohormones that regulate plant shoot branching and adventitious root development. However, little is known regarding the role of SLs in controlling the behavior of the smallest unit of the organism, the single cell. Here, taking advantage of a classic single-cell model offered by the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fiber cell, we show that SLs, whose biosynthesis is fine-tuned by gibberellins (GAs), positively regulate cell elongation and cell wall thickness by promoting the biosynthesis of very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) and cellulose, respectively. Furthermore, we identified two layers of transcription factors (TFs) involved in the hierarchical regulation of this GA-SL crosstalk. The top-layer TF GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR 4 (GhGRF4) directly activates expression of the SL biosynthetic gene DWARF27 (D27) to increase SL accumulation in fiber cells and GAs induce GhGRF4 expression. SLs induce the expression of four second-layer TF genes (GhNAC100-2, GhBLH51, GhGT2, and GhB9SHZ1), which transmit SL signals downstream to two ketoacyl-CoA synthase genes (KCS) and three cellulose synthase (CesA) genes by directly activating their transcription. Finally, the KCS and CesA enzymes catalyze the biosynthesis of very long chain fatty acids and cellulose, respectively, to regulate development of high-grade cotton fibers. In addition to providing a theoretical basis for cotton fiber improvement, our results shed light on SL signaling in plant development at the single-cell level.}, author = {Tian, Z and Zhang, Yuzhou and Zhu, L and Jiang, B and Wang, H and Gao, R and Friml, Jiří and Xiao, G}, issn = {1532-298X}, journal = {The Plant Cell}, number = {12}, pages = {4816--4839}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{Strigolactones act downstream of gibberellins to regulate fiber cell elongation and cell wall thickness in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)}}, doi = {10.1093/plcell/koac270}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, } @inbook{10267, abstract = {Tropisms are among the most important growth responses for plant adaptation to the surrounding environment. One of the most common tropisms is root gravitropism. Root gravitropism enables the plant to anchor securely to the soil enabling the absorption of water and nutrients. Most of the knowledge related to the plant gravitropism has been acquired from the flowering plants, due to limited research in non-seed plants. Limited research on non-seed plants is due in large part to the lack of standard research methods. Here, we describe the experimental methods to evaluate gravitropism in representative non-seed plant species, including the non-vascular plant moss Physcomitrium patens, the early diverging extant vascular plant lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii and fern Ceratopteris richardii. In addition, we introduce the methods used for statistical analysis of the root gravitropism in non-seed plant species.}, author = {Zhang, Yuzhou and Li, Lanxin and Friml, Jiří}, booktitle = {Plant Gravitropism}, editor = {Blancaflor, Elison B}, isbn = {978-1-0716-1676-5}, pages = {43--51}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Evaluation of gravitropism in non-seed plants}}, doi = {10.1007/978-1-0716-1677-2_2}, volume = {2368}, year = {2021}, } @article{8606, abstract = {The leaf is a crucial organ evolved with remarkable morphological diversity to maximize plant photosynthesis. The leaf shape is a key trait that affects photosynthesis, flowering rates, disease resistance, and yield. Although many genes regulating leaf development have been identified in the past years, the precise regulatory architecture underlying the generation of diverse leaf shapes remains to be elucidated. We used cotton as a reference model to probe the genetic framework underlying divergent leaf forms. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that the GhARF16‐1 and GhKNOX2‐1 genes might be potential regulators of leaf shape. We functionally characterized the auxin‐responsive factor ARF16‐1 acting upstream of GhKNOX2‐1 to determine leaf morphology in cotton. The transcription of GhARF16‐1 was significantly higher in lobed‐leaved cotton than in smooth‐leaved cotton. Furthermore, the overexpression of GhARF16‐1 led to the upregulation of GhKNOX2‐1 and resulted in more and deeper serrations in cotton leaves, similar to the leaf shape of cotton plants overexpressing GhKNOX2‐1. We found that GhARF16‐1 specifically bound to the promoter of GhKNOX2‐1 to induce its expression. The heterologous expression of GhARF16‐1 and GhKNOX2‐1 in Arabidopsis led to lobed and curly leaves, and a genetic analysis revealed that GhKNOX2‐1 is epistatic to GhARF16‐1 in Arabidopsis, suggesting that the GhARF16‐1 and GhKNOX2‐1 interaction paradigm also functions to regulate leaf shape in Arabidopsis. To our knowledge, our results uncover a novel mechanism by which auxin, through the key component ARF16‐1 and its downstream‐activated gene KNOX2‐1, determines leaf morphology in eudicots.}, author = {He, P and Zhang, Yuzhou and Li, H and Fu, X and Shang, H and Zou, C and Friml, Jiří and Xiao, G}, issn = {1467-7644}, journal = {Plant Biotechnology Journal}, number = {3}, pages = {548--562}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{GhARF16-1 modulates leaf development by transcriptionally regulating the GhKNOX2-1 gene in cotton}}, doi = {10.1111/pbi.13484}, volume = {19}, year = {2021}, } @article{9010, abstract = {Availability of the essential macronutrient nitrogen in soil plays a critical role in plant growth, development, and impacts agricultural productivity. Plants have evolved different strategies for sensing and responding to heterogeneous nitrogen distribution. Modulation of root system architecture, including primary root growth and branching, is among the most essential plant adaptions to ensure adequate nitrogen acquisition. However, the immediate molecular pathways coordinating the adjustment of root growth in response to distinct nitrogen sources, such as nitrate or ammonium, are poorly understood. Here, we show that growth as manifested by cell division and elongation is synchronized by coordinated auxin flux between two adjacent outer tissue layers of the root. This coordination is achieved by nitrate‐dependent dephosphorylation of the PIN2 auxin efflux carrier at a previously uncharacterized phosphorylation site, leading to subsequent PIN2 lateralization and thereby regulating auxin flow between adjacent tissues. A dynamic computer model based on our experimental data successfully recapitulates experimental observations. Our study provides mechanistic insights broadening our understanding of root growth mechanisms in dynamic environments.}, author = {Ötvös, Krisztina and Marconi, Marco and Vega, Andrea and O’Brien, Jose and Johnson, Alexander J and Abualia, Rashed and Antonielli, Livio and Montesinos López, Juan C and Zhang, Yuzhou and Tan, Shutang and Cuesta, Candela and Artner, Christina and Bouguyon, Eleonore and Gojon, Alain and Friml, Jiří and Gutiérrez, Rodrigo A. and Wabnik, Krzysztof T and Benková, Eva}, issn = {14602075}, journal = {EMBO Journal}, number = {3}, publisher = {Embo Press}, title = {{Modulation of plant root growth by nitrogen source-defined regulation of polar auxin transport}}, doi = {10.15252/embj.2020106862}, volume = {40}, year = {2021}, } @article{6997, author = {Zhang, Yuzhou and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {1469-8137}, journal = {New Phytologist}, number = {3}, pages = {1049--1052}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Auxin guides roots to avoid obstacles during gravitropic growth}}, doi = {10.1111/nph.16203}, volume = {225}, year = {2020}, } @article{7219, abstract = {Root system architecture (RSA), governed by the phytohormone auxin, endows plants with an adaptive advantage in particular environments. Using geographically representative arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions as a resource for GWA mapping, Waidmann et al. and Ogura et al. recently identified two novel components involved in modulating auxin-mediated RSA and conferring plant fitness in particular habitats.}, author = {Xiao, Guanghui and Zhang, Yuzhou}, issn = {13601385}, journal = {Trends in Plant Science}, number = {2}, pages = {P121--123}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Adaptive growth: Shaping auxin-mediated root system architecture}}, doi = {10.1016/j.tplants.2019.12.001}, volume = {25}, year = {2020}, } @article{7686, abstract = {The agricultural green revolution spectacularly enhanced crop yield and lodging resistance with modified DELLA-mediated gibberellin signaling. However, this was achieved at the expense of reduced nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE). Recently, Wu et al. revealed novel gibberellin signaling that provides a blueprint for improving tillering and NUE in Green Revolution varieties (GRVs). }, author = {Xue, Huidan and Zhang, Yuzhou and Xiao, Guanghui}, issn = {1360-1385}, journal = {Trends in Plant Science}, number = {6}, pages = {520--522}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Neo-gibberellin signaling: Guiding the next generation of the green revolution}}, doi = {10.1016/j.tplants.2020.04.001}, volume = {25}, year = {2020}, } @article{8271, author = {He, Peng and Zhang, Yuzhou and Xiao, Guanghui}, issn = {17529867}, journal = {Molecular Plant}, number = {9}, pages = {1238--1240}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Origin of a subgenome and genome evolution of allotetraploid cotton species}}, doi = {10.1016/j.molp.2020.07.006}, volume = {13}, year = {2020}, } @article{7619, abstract = {Cell polarity is a fundamental feature of all multicellular organisms. In plants, prominent cell polarity markers are PIN auxin transporters crucial for plant development. To identify novel components involved in cell polarity establishment and maintenance, we carried out a forward genetic screening with PIN2:PIN1-HA;pin2 Arabidopsis plants, which ectopically express predominantly basally localized PIN1 in the root epidermal cells leading to agravitropic root growth. From the screen, we identified the regulator of PIN polarity 12 (repp12) mutation, which restored gravitropic root growth and caused PIN1-HA polarity switch from basal to apical side of root epidermal cells. Complementation experiments established the repp12 causative mutation as an amino acid substitution in Aminophospholipid ATPase3 (ALA3), a phospholipid flippase with predicted function in vesicle formation. ala3 T-DNA mutants show defects in many auxin-regulated processes, in asymmetric auxin distribution and in PIN trafficking. Analysis of quintuple and sextuple mutants confirmed a crucial role of ALA proteins in regulating plant development and in PIN trafficking and polarity. Genetic and physical interaction studies revealed that ALA3 functions together with GNOM and BIG3 ARF GEFs. Taken together, our results identified ALA3 flippase as an important interactor and regulator of ARF GEF functioning in PIN polarity, trafficking and auxin-mediated development.}, author = {Zhang, Xixi and Adamowski, Maciek and Marhavá, Petra and Tan, Shutang and Zhang, Yuzhou and Rodriguez Solovey, Lesia and Zwiewka, Marta and Pukyšová, Vendula and Sánchez, Adrià Sans and Raxwal, Vivek Kumar and Hardtke, Christian S. and Nodzynski, Tomasz and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {1532-298X}, journal = {The Plant Cell}, number = {5}, pages = {1644--1664}, publisher = {American Society of Plant Biologists}, title = {{Arabidopsis flippases cooperate with ARF GTPase exchange factors to regulate the trafficking and polarity of PIN auxin transporters}}, doi = {10.1105/tpc.19.00869}, volume = {32}, year = {2020}, } @article{7697, abstract = {* Morphogenesis and adaptive tropic growth in plants depend on gradients of the phytohormone auxin, mediated by the membrane‐based PIN‐FORMED (PIN) auxin transporters. PINs localize to a particular side of the plasma membrane (PM) or to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to directionally transport auxin and maintain intercellular and intracellular auxin homeostasis, respectively. However, the molecular cues that confer their diverse cellular localizations remain largely unknown. * In this study, we systematically swapped the domains between ER‐ and PM‐localized PIN proteins, as well as between apical and basal PM‐localized PINs from Arabidopsis thaliana , to shed light on why PIN family members with similar topological structures reside at different membrane compartments within cells. * Our results show that not only do the N‐ and C‐terminal transmembrane domains (TMDs) and central hydrophilic loop contribute to their differential subcellular localizations and cellular polarity, but that the pairwise‐matched N‐ and C‐terminal TMDs resulting from intramolecular domain–domain coevolution are also crucial for their divergent patterns of localization. * These findings illustrate the complexity of the evolutionary path of PIN proteins in acquiring their plethora of developmental functions and adaptive growth in plants.}, author = {Zhang, Yuzhou and Hartinger, Corinna and Wang, Xiaojuan and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {1469-8137}, journal = {New Phytologist}, number = {5}, pages = {1406--1416}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Directional auxin fluxes in plants by intramolecular domain‐domain co‐evolution of PIN auxin transporters}}, doi = {10.1111/nph.16629}, volume = {227}, year = {2020}, } @article{7643, author = {Han, Huibin and Rakusova, Hana and Verstraeten, Inge and Zhang, Yuzhou and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {1532-2548}, journal = {Plant Physiology}, number = {5}, pages = {37--40}, publisher = {American Society of Plant Biologists}, title = {{SCF TIR1/AFB auxin signaling for bending termination during shoot gravitropism}}, doi = {10.1104/pp.20.00212}, volume = {183}, year = {2020}, } @article{8986, abstract = {Flowering plants display the highest diversity among plant species and have notably shaped terrestrial landscapes. Nonetheless, the evolutionary origin of their unprecedented morphological complexity remains largely an enigma. Here, we show that the coevolution of cis-regulatory and coding regions of PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin transporters confined their expression to certain cell types and directed their subcellular localization to particular cell sides, which together enabled dynamic auxin gradients across tissues critical to the complex architecture of flowering plants. Extensive intraspecies and interspecies genetic complementation experiments with PINs from green alga up to flowering plant lineages showed that PIN genes underwent three subsequent, critical evolutionary innovations and thus acquired a triple function to regulate the development of three essential components of the flowering plant Arabidopsis: shoot/root, inflorescence, and floral organ. Our work highlights the critical role of functional innovations within the PIN gene family as essential prerequisites for the origin of flowering plants.}, author = {Zhang, Yuzhou and Rodriguez Solovey, Lesia and Li, Lanxin and Zhang, Xixi and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {2375-2548}, journal = {Science Advances}, number = {50}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Functional innovations of PIN auxin transporters mark crucial evolutionary transitions during rise of flowering plants}}, doi = {10.1126/sciadv.abc8895}, volume = {6}, year = {2020}, } @article{6504, abstract = {Root gravitropism is one of the most important processes allowing plant adaptation to the land environment. Auxin plays a central role in mediating root gravitropism, but how auxin contributes to gravitational perception and the subsequent response is still unclear. Here, we showed that the local auxin maximum/gradient within the root apex, which is generated by the PIN directional auxin transporters, regulates the expression of three key starch granule synthesis genes, SS4, PGM and ADG1, which in turn influence the accumulation of starch granules that serve as a statolith perceiving gravity. Moreover, using the cvxIAA‐ccvTIR1 system, we also showed that TIR1‐mediated auxin signaling is required for starch granule formation and gravitropic response within root tips. In addition, axr3 mutants showed reduced auxin‐mediated starch granule accumulation and disruption of gravitropism within the root apex. Our results indicate that auxin‐mediated statolith production relies on the TIR1/AFB‐AXR3‐mediated auxin signaling pathway. In summary, we propose a dual role for auxin in gravitropism: the regulation of both gravity perception and response.}, author = {Zhang, Yuzhou and He, P and Ma, X and Yang, Z and Pang, C and Yu, J and Wang, G and Friml, Jiří and Xiao, G}, issn = {1469-8137}, journal = {New Phytologist}, number = {2}, pages = {761--774}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Auxin-mediated statolith production for root gravitropism}}, doi = {10.1111/nph.15932}, volume = {224}, year = {2019}, } @article{6778, abstract = {An important adaptation during colonization of land by plants is gravitropic growth of roots, which enabled roots to reach water and nutrients, and firmly anchor plants in the ground. Here we provide insights into the evolution of an efficient root gravitropic mechanism in the seed plants. Architectural innovation, with gravity perception constrained in the root tips along with a shootward transport route for the phytohormone auxin, appeared only upon the emergence of seed plants. Interspecies complementation and protein domain swapping revealed functional innovations within the PIN family of auxin transporters leading to the evolution of gravitropism-specific PINs. The unique apical/shootward subcellular localization of PIN proteins is the major evolutionary innovation that connected the anatomically separated sites of gravity perception and growth response via the mobile auxin signal. We conclude that the crucial anatomical and functional components emerged hand-in-hand to facilitate the evolution of fast gravitropic response, which is one of the major adaptations of seed plants to dry land.}, author = {Zhang, Yuzhou and Xiao, G and Wang, X and Zhang, Xixi and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Evolution of fast root gravitropism in seed plants}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-11471-8}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, }