Transcriptional regulation of CLE genes by cytokinin in Arabidopsis shoots and roots

Abstract

The CLE (CLAVATA3/Embryo surrounding region-related) peptides and cytokinin both play important roles in cell–cell communications to regulate various developmental and physiological processes. Potential crosstalks between CLE peptides and cytokinin signaling have been shown in several cases. To deepen our understanding on the interaction between CLE peptides and cytokinin, the transcriptional responses of CLE genes to cytokinin in Arabidopsis shoots and roots were analyzed. Our data indicated that the expression of many CLE genes is perturbed by cytokinin, and shoot-/root-specific expression changes were also observed. However, no significant correlation was found to link the CLE phylogeny and the transcriptional responses. Further investigation using CLE10, a CLE gene which is positively regulated by cytokinin in shoots and roots, revealed that CLE10 may not be involved in the cytokinin-mediated inhibition of the protoxylem formation. Our data provide new insights into the study of the crosstalk between cytokinin and CLE peptides.