Discovery of wound-induced shoot regeneration pathway

January 17, 2017

Potential to promote plant propagation and useful metabolite production

A RIKEN CSRS research team has uncovered a novel molecular pathway that controls regeneration of shoots, i.e. stems and leaves, at wound sites.

In 2011, the research team discovered a novel transcription factor, named WOUND INDUCED DEDIFFERENTIATION 1 (WIND1), that promotes dedifferentiation at Arabidopsis wound sites^*1. In this study the research team characterised another transcription factor, ENHANCER OF SHOOT REGENERATION 1 (ESR1), among genes activated by WIND1. The team discovered that ESR1 is upregulated at wound sites in a WIND1-dependent manner and it promotes formation of callus, a mass of dedifferentiated cells, and shoot regeneration from callus. The team also uncovered that WIND1 directly binds the promoter of the ESR1 gene and up-regulates its expression. This research thus unveiled a key molecular pathway, mediated by WIND1 and ESR1, that promotes shoot regeneration at wound sites.

The use of WIND1 and ESR1 should help develop efficient tissue culture techniques for plant propagation and production of useful plant-derived metabolites.

^*1 http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2011/20110311/

Original article

The Plant Cell doi:10.1105/tpc.16.00623

A. Iwase, H. Harashima, M. Ikeuchi, B. Rymen, M. Ohnuma, S. Komaki, K. Morohashi, T. Kurata , M. Nakata, M. Ohme-Takagi, E. Grotewold, K. Sugimoto,

"WIND1 Promotes Shoot Regeneration through Transcriptional Activation of ENHANCER OF SHOOT REGENERATION1 in Arabidopsis".

Contact

Keiko Sugimoto; Team Leader

Akira Iwase; Research Scientist

Cell Function Research Team