Gravity-Sensing Tissues for Gravitropism Are Required for “Anti-Gravitropic” Phenotypes of Lzy Multiple Mutants in Arabidopsis

• Main Authors: Nozomi Kawamoto, Yuta Kanbe, Moritaka Nakamura, Akiko Mori, Miyo Terao Morita
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-05-01
• Series: Plants
• Subjects: gravitropism; LAZY; GSA; AGO; columella; endodermis
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/5/615

Plant posture is controlled by various environmental cues, such as light, temperature, and gravity. The overall architecture is determined by the growth angles of lateral organs, such as roots and branches. The branch growth angle affected by gravity is known as the gravitropic setpoint angle (GSA), and it has been proposed that the GSA is determined by balancing two opposing growth components: gravitropism and anti-gravitropic offset (AGO). The molecular mechanisms underlying gravitropism have been studied extensively, but little is known about the nature of the AGO. Recent studies reported the importance of <i>LAZY1-LIKE</i> (<i>LZY</i>) family genes in the signaling process for gravitropism, such that loss-of-function mutants of <i>LZY</i> family genes resulted in reversed gravitropism, which we term it here as the “anti-gravitropic” phenotype. We assume that this peculiar phenotype manifests as the AGO due to the loss of gravitropism, we characterized the “anti-gravitropic” phenotype of <i>Arabidopsis</i> <i>lzy</i> multiple mutant genetically and physiologically. Our genetic interaction analyses strongly suggested that gravity-sensing cells are required for the “anti-gravitropic” phenotype in roots and lateral branches. We also show that starch-filled amyloplasts play a significant role in the “anti-gravitropic” phenotype, especially in the root of the <i>lzy</i> multiple mutant.