Touch-induced seedling morphological changes are determined by ethylene-regulated pectin degradation.

ABSTRACT: How mechanical forces regulate plant growth is a fascinating and long-standing question. After germination underground, buried seedlings have to dynamically adjust their growth to respond to mechanical stimulation from soil barriers. Here, we designed a lid touch assay and used atomic force microscopy to investigate the mechanical responses of seedlings during soil emergence. Touching seedlings induced increases in cell wall stiffness and decreases in cell elongation, which were correlated with pectin degradation. We revealed that PGX3, which encodes a polygalacturonase, mediates touch-imposed alterations in the pectin matrix and the mechanics of morphogenesis. Furthermore, we found that ethylene signaling is activated by touch, and the transcription factor EIN3 directly associates with PG

SUBMITTER: Wu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7695475 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature