Analysis of peptidase involved in CLE peptide maturation.

Abstract

Intercellular signal transduction is crucial for plant development. CLE (CLV3/ESR-related) peptides are excellent examples of intercellular signals involved in this signal transduction. Of them, CLV3 is secreted in the shoot apical meristem (SAM), perceived by multiple receptors such as CLV1, CLV2-SOL2/CRN, and RPK2, and acts at stem cell maintenance in the SAM. CLE peptides are translated as an approximately 100 amino-acid polypeptide, processed and function as mature 12-/13- amino-acid polypeptides corresponding to the C-terminus CLE domain conserved among the CLE family. However, machinery of this processing is still unknown. In order to reveal the processing machinery, we focus on peptidases. Here we discuss about potential functions of some peptidases in the CLE peptide processing system.