Title: Minimum requirements for reprogramming and maintaining cell fate in the
Arabidopsis
root
Authors:
Colleen Drapek
1
, Erin E. Sparks
2
, Peter Marhavy
3
, Tonni G. Andersen
3
, Jessica H.
Hennacy
1
†, Niko Geldner
3
and Philip N. Benfey
1
*
Affiliations:
1
Biology Department and HHMI, Duke University, Durham NC USA
2
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark DE USA
3
Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
*Correspondence to: philip.benf
ey@duke.edu
†
current address:
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ USA
Abstract
: Changes in gene regulation during differentiation are governed by networks of
transcription factors. To identify the minimal network for endodermal differentiation in the
Arabi
dopsis
root, we asked what transcription factors are sufficient to program a non
-
native cell
-
type into endodermis. Our results show the transcription factors SHORTROOT and MYB36
have limited ability to reprogram a non
-
native cell
-
type (the epidermis) and t
hat this
reprogramming is reversible in the absence of additional cues. The stele
-
derived signaling
peptide CIF2 stabilizes SHORTROOT
-
induced reprogramming. The outcome is a partially
impermeable barrier deposited in the sub
-
epidermal cell layer that has a
transcriptional signature
similar to endodermis. The trans
-
differentiation mechanism depends on the expression of genes
downstream in the gene regulatory network but is independent of SHORTROOT movemen