<i>Arabidopsis</i> TSO1 and MYB3R1 form a regulatory module to coordinate cell proliferation with differentiation in shoot and root.

Abstract

Fundamental to plant and animal development is the regulated balance between cell proliferation and differentiation, a process intimately tied to cell cycle regulation. In <i>Arabidopsis</i>, mutations in TSO1, whose animal homolog is LIN54, resulted in severe developmental abnormalities both in shoot and root, including shoot meristem fasciation and reduced root meristematic zone. The molecular mechanism that could explain the <i>tso1</i> mutant phenotype is absent. Through a genetic screen, we identified 32 suppressors that map to the <i>MYB3R1</i> gene, encoding a conserved cell cycle regulator. Further analysis indicates that TSO1 transcriptionally represses <i>MYB3R1</i>, and the ectopic MYB3R1 activity mediates the <i>tso1</i> mutant phenotype. Since animal homologs of TSO1 and MYB3R1 are components of a cell cycle regulatory complex, the DREAM complex, we tested and showed that TSO1 and MYB3R1 coimmunoprecipitated in tobacco leaf cells. Our work reveals a conserved cell cycle regulatory module, consisting of TSO1 and MYB3R1, for proper plant development.