Abstract
The specification of distinct cell types in multicellular organisms is accomplished via establishment of differential gene expression. A major question is the nature of the mechanisms that establish this differential expression in time and space. In plants, the formation of the hair and non-hair cell types in the root epidermis has been used as a model to understand regulation of cell specification. Recent findings show surprising complexity in the number and the types of regulatory interactions between the multiple transcription factor genes/proteins influencing root epidermis cell fate. Here, we describe this regulatory network and the importance of the multiple feedback loops for its establishment and maintenance.
Highlights
The specification of distinct cell types in multicellular organisms is accomplished via establishment of differential gene expression
In this mini-review, we describe the basic transcription factor components and we outline the many categories of regulatory mechanisms and their roles in establishing the epidermal cell fates
THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF THE NETWORK At its core, cell fate in the root epidermis is dependent on the relative abundance of a transcription factor complex consisting of three types of proteins: the Myb-domain protein WEREWOLF (WER) (Lee and Schiefelbein, 1999), two redundantly acting bHLHs GLABRA3 (GL3) and ENHANCER OF GLABRA3 (EGL3) (Payne et al, 2000; Bernhardt et al, 2003, 2005; Simon et al, 2013), and the WD-repeat TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA (TTG1) (Galway et al, 1994)
Summary
The specification of distinct cell types in multicellular organisms is accomplished via establishment of differential gene expression. THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF THE NETWORK At its core, cell fate in the root epidermis is dependent on the relative abundance of a transcription factor complex consisting of three types of proteins: the Myb-domain protein WEREWOLF (WER) (Lee and Schiefelbein, 1999), two redundantly acting bHLHs GLABRA3 (GL3) and ENHANCER OF GLABRA3 (EGL3) (Payne et al, 2000; Bernhardt et al, 2003, 2005; Simon et al, 2013), and the WD-repeat TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA (TTG1) (Galway et al, 1994).
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