Surveillance of cell wall diffusion barrier integrity modulates water and solute transport in plants

We acknowledge support from the ERA-NET Coordinating Action in Plant Sciences program project ERACAPS13.089_RootBarriers, with support from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (grant no. BB/N023927/1 to D.E.S.), the German Research Foundation (DFG; grant no. FR 1721/2-1 to R.B.F. and the AgreenSkills+ fellowship programme to MC-P which has received funding from the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement N° FP7-609398 (AgreenSkills+ contract). This work was also funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (National Program for Sustainability I, grant no. LO1204), the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova) and the Swedish Research Council (VR). We thank Kevin Mackenzie (University of Aberdeen–Microscopy Histology Facility) and Carine Alcon (BPMP-PHIV microscopy platform) for assistance using the confocal microscope and stereo microscope for observing the root samples, and the Swedish Metabolomics Centre (http://www.swedishmetabolomicscentre.se/) for access to instrumentation.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Signaling phospholipids in plant development: small couriers determining cell fate

The survival of plants hinges on their ability to perceive various environmental stimuli and translate them into appropriate biochemical responses. Phospholipids, a class of membrane lipid compounds that are asymmetrically distributed within plant cells, stand out among signal transmitters for their diversity of mechanisms by which they modulate stress and developmental processes. By modifying the chemo-physical properties of the plasma membrane (PM) as well as vesicle trafficking, phospholipids contribute to changes in the protein membrane landscape, and hence, signaling responses. In this article, we review the distinct signaling mechanisms phospholipids are involved in, with a special focus on the nuclear role of these compounds. Additionally, we summarize exemplary developmental processes greatly influenced by phospholipids.ISSN:1369-5266ISSN:1879-035

Evolutionary PTEN gene divergence underpins the remodeling of plant vacuolar compartments

Membrane fusion and fission are fundamental processes in sustaining cellular compartmentalization. Fission of a lipid bilayer requires a furrow formation that brings membranes in close proximity prior to a contiguous membrane cleavage. Although plant ancestors abandoned cleavage furrow-mediated cytokinesis more than 500 million years ago, here we show that plants still employ this mechanical principle to divide embryonic vacuoles. The evolutionary divergence in PHOSPHATASE AND TENSIN HOMOLOG DELETED ON CHROMOSOME TEN (PTEN) enzymes was required to coordinate this process, as Arabidopsis loss-of-function pten2a pten2b mutants contain hyper compartmentalized embryonic vacuoles. In contrast, PTEN2 overexpression hinders lytic and secretion cellular pathways downstream of TGN in xylem cells. These processes are critical for the formation of secondary cell walls in xylem cells and depend on a poorly characterized and evolutionarily novel N-terminal domain in PTEN2s. The PTEN2 subfamily appeared with the emergence of the Phragmoplastophyta clade, when vacuolar compartments enlarged and cleavage furrow-mediated cytokinesis became extinct. Together, our work suggests that the evolutionary innovation of the PTEN family is conserved across terrestrial plants and central to vacuolar remodelling

The primary root procambium contributes to lateral root formation through its impact on xylem connection

The postembryonic formation of lateral roots (LRs) starts in internal root tissue, the pericycle. An important question of LR development is how the connection of the primary root vasculature with that of the emerging LR is established and whether the pericycle and/or other cell types direct this process. Here, using clonal analysis and time-lapse experiments, we show that both the procambium and pericycle of the primary root (PR) affect the LR vascular connectivity in a coordinated manner. We show that during LR formation, pro -cambial derivates switch their identity and become precursors of xylem cells. These cells, together with the pericycle-origin xylem, participate in the formation of what we call a "xylem bridge"(XB), which establishes the xylem connection between the PR and the nascent LR. If the parental protoxylem cell fails to differentiate, XB is still sometimes formed but via a connection with metaxylem cells, highlighting that this process has some plasticity. Using mutant analyses, we show that the early specification of XB cells is determined by CLASS III HOMEODOMAIN-LEUCINE ZIPPER (HD-ZIP III) transcription factors (TFs). Subsequent XB cell dif-ferentiation is marked by the deposition of secondary cell walls (SCWs) in spiral and reticulate/scalariform patterns, which is dependent on the VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN (VND) TFs. XB elements were also observed in Solanum lycopersicum, suggesting that this mechanism may be more widely conserved in plants. Together, our results suggest that plants maintain vascular procambium activity, which safeguards the functionality of newly established lateral organs by assuring the continuity of the xylem strands throughout the root system

Surveillance of cell wall diffusion barrier integrity modulates water and solute transport in plants.

The endodermis is a key cell layer in plant roots that contributes to the controlled uptake of water and mineral nutrients into plants. In order to provide such functionality the endodermal cell wall has specific chemical modifications consisting of lignin bands (Casparian strips) that encircle each cell, and deposition of a waxy-like substance (suberin) between the wall and the plasma membrane. These two extracellular deposits provide control of diffusion enabling the endodermis to direct the movement of water and solutes into and out of the vascular system in roots. Loss of integrity of the Casparian strip-based apoplastic barrier is sensed by the leakage of a small peptide from the stele into the cortex. Here, we report that such sensing of barrier integrity leads to the rebalancing of water and mineral nutrient uptake, compensating for breakage of Casparian strips. This rebalancing involves both a reduction in root hydraulic conductivity driven by deactivation of aquaporins, and downstream limitation of ion leakage through deposition of suberin. These responses in the root are also coupled to a reduction in water demand in the shoot mediated by ABA-dependent stomatal closure