The endosperm-specificZHOUPIgene ofArabidopsis thalianaregulates endosperm breakdown and embryonic epidermal development

• DOI: 10.1242/dev.026708
• Publication Date: 2008-10-10T20:47:47Z
• Authors: Suxin Yang; Niamh Johnston; Edmund Talideh; Steve Mitchell; Chris Jeffree; Justin Goodrich; Gwyneth Ingram
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Arabidopsis Proteins; Serine Endopeptidases; Arabidopsis; Adhesiveness; Embryonic Development; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genes, Recessive; Genes, Plant; Plant Epidermis; 03 medical and health sciences; Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; Phenotype; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Organ Specificity; Seedlings; Mutation; Seeds; Alleles; Conserved Sequence

During Arabidopsis seed development, the growing embryo invades and consumes surrounding endosperm tissue. The signalling pathways that coordinate separation of from concomitant breakdown are poorly understood. We have identified a novel bHLH transcription factor, ZHOUPI (ZOU), which mediates these processes. ZOU is expressed exclusively in developing seeds. It activated central cell immediately after fertilization initially uniformly endosperm, subsequently resolving to region (ESR). However, zou mutant embryos defects cuticle formation epidermal adhesion,suggesting functions non-autonomously regulate embryonic development. In addition, seeds fails separate embryo, restricting expansion resulting production shrivelled collapsed retain more than do wild-type at maturity, suggesting ZOUalso controls breakdown. identify several target genes whose expression ESR regulated by ZOU. These include ABNORMAL LEAF SHAPE1, encodes subtilisin-like protease previously shown similar role regulating adhesion other ESR-specific independent Therefore, not general regulator patterning, but rather specific invasion tissues.