Phytohormonal crosstalk modulates the expression of miR166/165s, target Class III HD-ZIPs, and KANADI genes during root growth in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Main Authors: Archita Singh, Shradha Roy, Sharmila Singh, Shabari Sarkar Das, Vibhav Gautam, Sandeep Yadav, Ashutosh Kumar, Alka Singh, Sukanya Samantha, Ananda K. Sarkar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2017-06-01
• Series: Scientific Reports
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03632-w

Abstract Both phytohormones and non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) play important role in root development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Mature miR166/165 s, which are derived from precursor transcripts of concerned genes, regulate developmental processes, including leaf and root patterning, by targeting Class III HOMEODOMAIN LEUCINE-ZIPPER (HD-ZIP III) transcription factors (TFs). However, their regulation through hormones remained poorly understood. Here, we show that several phytohormones dynamically regulate the spatio-temporal expression pattern of miR166/165 and target HD-ZIP IIIs in developing roots. Hormone signaling pathway mutants show differential expression pattern of miR166/165, providing further genetic evidence for multilayered regulation of these genes through phytohormones. We further show that a crosstalk of at least six different phytohormones regulate the miR166/165, their target HD-ZIP IIIs, and KANADI (KANs). Our results suggest that HD-ZIP IIIs mediated root development is modulated both transcriptionally through phytohormones and KANs, and post-transcriptionally by miR166/165 that in turn are also regulated by the phytohormonal crosstalk.