Dynamics of arginine metabolism during gametophore shoot formation in Physcomitrium patens

Abstract

Gametophore shoot formation from protonemal tissues in Physcomitrium patens is used as a model to investigate the evolution of shoot architecture. The establishment of cellular polarity facilitates this morphological innovation by regulating oriented cell division. Despite the discovery of molecular mechanisms relevant to the cellular polarization, it remains largely unclear how the cellular physiological conditions are adjusted to accommodate the developmental and growth regimes. Arginine metabolism has been identified as a metabolic signature that is altered during gametophore shoot formation. The functional characterization of arginine metabolism should be investigated to determine whether and how arginine metabolism contributes to gametophore shoot formation. Here, I summarize the current knowledge on the molecular mechanism regulating gametophore shoot formation in P. patens. I describe also how arginine metabolism is modified during gametophore shoot formation. Based on this information, I finally discuss the future directions to explore the role of arginine metabolism in gametophore shoot formation by delineating the dynamics of the metabolic network using an isotope labeling experiment.