Ming-Yi Bai

Integration of Brassinosteroid Signal Transduction with the Transcription Network for Plant Growth Regulation in Arabidopsis

Brassinosteroids (BRs) regulate a wide range of developmental and physiological processes in plants through a receptor-kinase signaling pathway that controls the BZR transcription factors. Here, we use transcript profiling and chromatin-immunoprecipitation microarray (ChIP-chip) experiments to identify 953 BR-regulated BZR1 target (BRBT) genes. Functional studies of selected BRBTs further demonstrate roles in BR promotion of cell elongation. The BRBT genes reveal numerous molecular links between the BR-signaling pathway and downstream components involved in developmental and physiological processes. Furthermore, the results reveal extensive crosstalk between BR and other hormonal and light-signaling pathways at multiple levels. For example, BZR1 not only controls the expression of many signaling components of other hormonal and light pathways but also coregulates common target genes with light-signaling transcription factors. Our results provide a genomic map of steroid hormone actions in plants that reveals a regulatory network that integrates hormonal and light-signaling pathways for plant growth regulation.

Brassinosteroid, gibberellin and phytochrome impinge on a common transcription module in Arabidopsis.

Brassinosteroid and gibberellin promote many similar developmental responses in plants; however, their relationship remains unclear. Here we show that BR and GA act interdependently through a direct interaction between the BR-activated BZR1 and GA-inactivated DELLA transcription regulators. GA promotion of cell elongation required BR signalling, whereas BR or active BZR1 suppressed the GA-deficient dwarf phenotype. DELLAs directly interacted with BZR1 and inhibited BZR1–DNA binding both in vitro and in vivo. Genome-wide analysis defined a BZR1-dependent GA-regulated transcriptome, which is enriched with light-regulated genes and genes involved in cell wall synthesis and photosynthesis/chloroplast function. GA promotion of hypocotyl elongation requires both BZR1 and the phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs), as well as their common downstream targets encoding the PRE-family helix–loop–helix factors. The results demonstrate that GA releases DELLA-mediated inhibition of BZR1, and that the DELLA–BZR1–PIF4 interaction defines a core transcription module that mediates coordinated growth regulation by GA, BR and light signals.

Functions of OsBZR1 and 14-3-3 proteins in brassinosteroid signaling in rice

Brassinosteroids (BR) are essential growth hormones found throughout the plant kingdom. BR bind to the receptor kinase BRI1 on the cell surface to activate a signal transduction pathway that regulates nuclear gene expression and plant growth. To understand the downstream BR signaling mechanism in rice, we studied the function of OsBZR1 using reverse genetic approaches and identified OsBZR1-interacting proteins. Suppressing OsBZR1 expression by RNAi resulted in dwarfism, erect leaves, reduced BR sensitivity, and altered BR-responsive gene expression in transgenic rice plants, demonstrating an essential role of OsBZR1 in BR responses in rice. Moreover, a yeast two-hybrid screen identified 14-3-3 proteins as OsBZR1-interacting proteins. Mutation of a putative 14-3-3-binding site of OsBZR1 abolished its interaction with the 14-3-3 proteins in yeast and in vivo. Such mutant OsBZR1 proteins suppressed the phenotypes of the Arabidopsis bri1–5 mutant and showed an increased nuclear distribution compared with the wild-type protein, suggesting that 14-3-3 proteins directly inhibit OsBZR1 function at least in part by reducing its nuclear localization. These results demonstrate a conserved function of OsBZR1 and an important role of 14-3-3 proteins in brassinosteroid signal transduction in rice.

Antagonistic HLH/bHLH Transcription Factors Mediate Brassinosteroid Regulation of Cell Elongation and Plant Development in Rice and Arabidopsis

In rice (Oryza sativa), brassinosteroids (BRs) induce cell elongation at the adaxial side of the lamina joint to promote leaf bending. We identified a rice mutant (ili1-D) showing an increased lamina inclination phenotype similar to that caused by BR treatment. The ili1-D mutant overexpresses an HLH protein homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana Paclobutrazol Resistance1 (PRE1) and the human Inhibitor of DNA binding proteins. Overexpression and RNA interference suppression of ILI1 increase and reduce, respectively, rice laminar inclination, confirming a positive role of ILI1 in leaf bending. ILI1 and PRE1 interact with basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein IBH1 (ILI1 binding bHLH), whose overexpression causes erect leaf in rice and dwarfism in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of ILI1 or PRE1 increases cell elongation and suppresses dwarf phenotypes caused by overexpression of IBH1 in Arabidopsis. Thus, ILI1 and PRE1 may inactivate inhibitory bHLH transcription factors through heterodimerization. BR increases the RNA levels of ILI1 and PRE1 but represses IBH1 through the transcription factor BZR1. The spatial and temporal expression patterns support roles of ILI1 in laminar joint bending and PRE1/At IBH1 in the transition from growth of young organs to growth arrest. These results demonstrate a conserved mechanism of BR regulation of plant development through a pair of antagonizing HLH/bHLH transcription factors that act downstream of BZR1 in Arabidopsis and rice.

Brassinosteroid signaling network and regulation of photomorphogenesis.

In plants, the steroidal hormone brassinosteroid (BR) regulates numerous developmental processes, including photomorphogenesis. Genetic, proteomic, and genomic studies in Arabidopsis have illustrated a fully connected BR signal transduction pathway from the cell surface receptor kinase BRI1 to the BZR1 family of transcription factors. Genome-wide analyses of protein-DNA interactions have identified thousands of BZR1 target genes that link BR signaling to various cellular, metabolic, and developmental processes, as well as other signaling pathways. In controlling photomorphogenesis, BR signaling is highly integrated with the light, gibberellin, and auxin pathways through both direct interactions between signaling proteins and transcriptional regulation of key components of these pathways. BR signaling also cross talks with other receptor kinase pathways to modulate stomata development and innate immunity. The molecular connections in the BR signaling network demonstrate a robust steroid signaling system that has evolved in plants to orchestrate signal transduction, genome expression, metabolism, defense, and development.

Cell elongation is regulated through a central circuit of interacting transcription factors in the Arabidopsis hypocotyl

As the major mechanism of plant growth and morphogenesis, cell elongation is controlled by many hormonal and environmental signals. How these signals are coordinated at the molecular level to ensure coherent cellular responses remains unclear. In this study, we illustrate a molecular circuit that integrates all major growth-regulating signals, including auxin, brassinosteroid, gibberellin, light, and temperature. Analyses of genome-wide targets, genetic and biochemical interactions demonstrate that the auxin-response factor ARF6, the light/temperature-regulated transcription factor PIF4, and the brassinosteroid-signaling transcription factor BZR1, interact with each other and cooperatively regulate large numbers of common target genes, but their DNA-binding activities are blocked by the gibberellin-inactivated repressor RGA. In addition, a tripartite HLH/bHLH module feedback regulates PIFs and additional bHLH factors that interact with ARF6, and thereby modulates auxin sensitivity according to developmental and environmental cues. Our results demonstrate a central growth-regulation circuit that integrates hormonal, environmental, and developmental controls of cell elongation in Arabidopsis hypocotyl. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03031.001

A Triple Helix-Loop-Helix/Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Cascade Controls Cell Elongation Downstream of Multiple Hormonal and Environmental Signaling Pathways in Arabidopsis

This work reveals that two non-DNA binding HLH factors (PRE1 and IBH1) and a DNA binding bHLH factor (HBI1) form an interaction cascade that controls cell elongation. BR, GA, light, and temperature signals regulate the expression level of PRE1; PRE1 binds to and inhibits IBH1; IBH1 interacts with and inhibits HBI1 binding to promoter DNA of two EXPANSIN genes. Environmental and endogenous signals, including light, temperature, brassinosteroid (BR), and gibberellin (GA), regulate cell elongation largely by influencing the expression of the paclobutrazol-resistant (PRE) family helix-loop-helix (HLH) factors, which promote cell elongation by interacting antagonistically with another HLH factor, IBH1. However, the molecular mechanism by which PREs and IBH1 regulate gene expression has remained unknown. Here, we show that IBH1 interacts with and inhibits a DNA binding basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein, HBI1, in Arabidopsis thaliana. Overexpression of HBI1 increased hypocotyl and petiole elongation, whereas dominant inactivation of HBI1 and its homologs caused a dwarf phenotype, indicating that HBI1 is a positive regulator of cell elongation. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that HBI1 directly bound to the promoters and activated two EXPANSIN genes encoding cell wall–loosening enzymes; HBI1’s DNA binding and transcriptional activities were inhibited by IBH1, but the inhibitory effects of IBH1 were abolished by PRE1. The results indicate that PREs activate the DNA binding bHLH factor HBI1 by sequestering its inhibitor IBH1. Altering each of the three factors affected plant sensitivities to BR, GA, temperature, and light. Our study demonstrates that PREs, IBH1, and HBI1 form a chain of antagonistic switches that regulates cell elongation downstream of multiple external and endogenous signals.

Brassinosteroids regulate organ boundary formation in the shoot apical meristem of Arabidopsis

Spatiotemporal control of the formation of organ primordia and organ boundaries from the stem cell niche in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) determines the patterning and architecture of plants, but the underlying signaling mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we show that brassinosteroids (BRs) play a key role in organ boundary formation by repressing organ boundary identity genes. BR-hypersensitive mutants display organ-fusion phenotypes, whereas BR-insensitive mutants show enhanced organ boundaries. The BR-activated transcription factor BZR1 directly represses the CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON (CUC) family of organ boundary identity genes. In WT plants, BZR1 accumulates at high levels in the nuclei of central meristem and organ primordia but at a low level in organ boundary cells to allow CUC gene expression. Activation of BR signaling represses CUC gene expression and causes organ fusion phenotypes. This study uncovers a role for BR in the spatiotemporal control of organ boundary formation and morphogenesis in the SAM.

The bHLH Transcription Factor HBI1 Mediates the Trade-Off between Growth and Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern–Triggered Immunity in Arabidopsis

HBI1 is activated posttranscriptionally by growth-promoting hormonal and environmental signals through the triple-HLH/bHLH cascade but is repressed transcriptionally by pathogen-associated molecular pattern signals. HBI1 both activates growth and inhibits immunity, thereby acting as a crosstalk node that mediates the trade-off between growth and immunity. The trade-off between growth and immunity is crucial for survival in plants. However, the mechanism underlying growth-immunity balance has remained elusive. The PRE-IBH1-HBI1 tripartite helix-loop-helix/basic helix-loop-helix module is part of a central transcription network that mediates growth regulation by several hormonal and environmental signals. Here, genome-wide analyses of HBI1 target genes show that HBI1 regulates both overlapping and unique targets compared with other DNA binding components of the network in Arabidopsis thaliana, supporting a role in specifying network outputs and fine-tuning feedback regulation. Furthermore, HBI1 negatively regulates a subset of genes involved in immunity, and pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) signals repress HBI1 transcription. Constitutive overexpression and loss-of-function experiments show that HBI1 inhibits PAMP-induced growth arrest, defense gene expression, reactive oxygen species production, and resistance to pathogen. These results show that HBI1, as a component of the central growth regulation circuit, functions as a major node of crosstalk that mediates a trade-off between growth and immunity in plants.

The brassinosteroid signaling network - a paradigm of signal integration

Many hormonal and environmental signals regulate common cellular and developmental processes in plants. While the molecular pathways that transduce these signals have each been studied in detail, how these pathways are wired into regulatory networks to provide the coordinated responses has remained an outstanding question. Recent studies of the brassinosteroid signaling network have revealed extensive signal integration through direct interactions between components of different signaling pathways. In particular, a circuit of interacting transcription regulators integrates many signaling pathways to enable coordinated and coherent regulation of seedling morphogenesis by hormonal and environmental signals. The recent studies support an emerging theme that complex networks of highly integrated signaling pathways underlie the high levels of developmental plasticity and environmental adaptability of plants.