Mechanical stress contributes to the expression of the STM homeobox gene in Arabidopsis shoot meristems

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.07811
• Publication Date: 2015-12-01T00:00:55Z
• Authors: Benoît Landrein; Annamaria Kiss; Massimiliano Sassi; Aurélie Chauvet; Pradeep Das; Millan Cortizo; Patrick Laufs; Seiji Takeda; Mitsuhiro Aida; Jan Traas; Teva Vernoux; Arezki Boudaoud; Olivier Hamant
• Keywords: 570; QH301-705.5; Science; Meristem; STM; Arabidopsis; Gene Expression; marqueur; meristem; developmental biology; 03 medical and health sciences; stem cells; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Biologie de la reproduction; méristème apical; Biology (General); 580; plant biology; Homeodomain Proteins; Reproductive Biology; 0303 health sciences; auxine; Arabidopsis Proteins; homeobox; Q; mechanical stress; R; [SDV.BDLR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Reproductive Biology; boundary; arabidopsis; Developmental Biology and Stem Cells; mécanotransduction; Medicine; Stress, Mechanical; auxin; Plant Shoots

The role of mechanical signals in cell identity determination remains poorly explored tissues. Furthermore, because stress is widespread, are difficult to uncouple from biochemical-based transduction pathways. Here we focus on the homeobox gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM), a master regulator and marker meristematic Arabidopsis. We found that STM expression quantitatively correlated curvature saddle-shaped boundary domain shoot apical meristem. As tissue folding reflects presence stress, test demonstrate induced after micromechanical perturbations. also show required for organ separation. While correlates with auxin depletion this domain, distribution can be uncoupled. thus strengthened through synergy between an auxin-independent mechanotransduction pathway at