Abstract
Whereas most plant cells differentiate to generate the specialized cell types within the different organs, stem cells remain undifferentiated and retain the potential to divide and generate new cells for sustained growth.
We have previously shown that two members of plant-specific gene families, double AP2-domain PLETHORA (PLT) transcription factors and GRAS family transcription factor SCARECROW (SCR ), are key players in root growth and maintenance of the stem cell niche in Arabidopsis.
However, the molecular mechanisms by which those factors may interact were largely unknown.
To address this question, we screened interactors of both PLT and SCR proteins, and identified several candidate regulatory factors of PLTs and SCR. A third family of plant-specific transcription factor is associated with both SCR and PLT proteins in vitro and in vivo. Genetic and histological analyses support the idea that these factors together with PLT and/or SCR proteins fine tune the progression of differentiation in plants. Progress towards characterizing the interacting proteins and their role(s) in regulating PLT and SCR networks will be presented.
