COP1 mediates the coordination of root and shoot growth by light through modulation of PIN1- and PIN2-dependent auxin transport in Arabidopsis

Massimiliano Sassi, Yanfen Lu, Yonghong Zhang, Juan Wang, Pankaj Dhonukshe, Ikram Blilou, Minqiu Dai, Juan Li, Ximing Gong, Yvon Jaillais, Xuhong Yu, Jan Traas, Ida Ruberti, Haiyang Wang, Ben Scheres, Teva Vernoux*, Jian Xu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

147 Scopus citations

Abstract

When a plant germinates in the soil, elongation of stem-like organs is enhanced whereas leaf and root growth is inhibited. How these differential growth responses are orchestrated by light and integrated at the organismal level to shape the plant remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that light signals through the master photomorphogenesis repressor COP1 to coordinate root and shoot growth in Arabidopsis. In the shoot, COP1 regulates shoot-to-root auxin transport by controlling the transcription of the auxin efflux carrier gene PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1), thus appropriately tuning shoot-derived auxin levels in the root. This in turn directly influences root elongation and adapts auxin transport and cell proliferation in the root apical meristem by modulating PIN1 and PIN2 intracellular distribution in the root in a COP1-dependent fashion, thus permitting a rapid and precise tuning of root growth to the light environment. Our data identify auxin as a long-distance signal in developmental adaptation to light and illustrate how spatially separated control mechanisms can converge on the same signaling system to coordinate development at the whole plant level.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3402-3412
Number of pages11
JournalDevelopment (Cambridge)
Volume139
Issue number18
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 15 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Arabidopsis
  • Auxin transport
  • COP1
  • Light
  • PIN1
  • PIN2
  • Root growth

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology

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