An ABA-ROP toggle switch orchestrates xylem differentiation and cell wall patterning.

ABSTRACT: The mutual antagonistic signaling of abscisic acid (ABA) and ROP GTPases highlights an intersection between stress responses and pattern formation. Previously, we have shown that signaling of ABA in the endodermis leads to protoxylem (PX) differentiation. In this study, we demonstrate that ROPs suppress PX differentiation in the roots of both Arabidopsis and tomato. Fourier transform and Shannon's entropy show that endodermal ABA signaling controls the periodicity and overall order of PX secondary cell wall (SCW) coils in an ROP-dependent manner. Correspondingly, in the PX, GFP-ROP11 is initially dispersed and gradually becomes distributed in an oscillatory fashion with a periodicity corresponding to that of the SCW coils. Oryzalin treatments disrupt the frequency and increase the e

SUBMITTER: Alberti VE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12232679 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature