Summary Root gravitropism is one of the most important processes allowing plant adaptation to the land environment. Auxin plays a central role in mediating root gravitropism, but how auxin contributes to gravitational perception and the subsequent response are still unclear. Here, we showed that the local auxin maximum/gradient within the root apex, which is generated by the PIN directional auxin transporters, regulates the expression of three key starch granule synthesis genes, SS4, PGM and ADG1, which in turn influence the accumulation of starch granules that serve as a statolith perceiving gravity. Moreover, using the cvxIAA‐ccvTIR1 system, we also showed that TIR1‐mediated auxin signaling is required for starch granule formation and gravitropic response within root tips. In addition, axr3 mutants showed reduced auxin‐mediated starch granule accumulation and disruption of gravitropism within the root apex. Our results indicate that auxin‐mediated statolith production relies on the TIR1/AFB‐AXR3‐mediated auxin signaling pathway. In summary, we propose a dual role for auxin in gravitropism: the regulation of both gravity perception and response.

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Summary The leaf is a crucial organ evolved with remarkable morphological diversity to maximize plant photosynthesis. The leaf shape is a key trait that affects photosynthesis, flowering rates, disease resistance and yield. Although many genes regulating leaf development have been identified in the past years, the precise regulatory architecture underlying the generation of diverse leaf shapes remains to be elucidated. We used cotton as a reference model to probe the genetic framework underlying divergent leaf forms. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that the GhARF16‐1 and GhKNOX2‐1 genes might be potential regulators of leaf shape. We functionally characterized the auxin‐responsive factor ARF16‐1 acting upstream of GhKNOX2‐1 to determine leaf morphology in cotton. The transcription of GhARF16‐1 was significantly higher in lobed‐leaved cotton than in smooth‐leaved cotton. Furthermore, the overexpression of GhARF16‐1 led to the up‐regulation of GhKNOX2‐1 and resulted in more and deeper serrations in cotton leaves, similar to the leaf shape of cotton plants overexpressing GhKNOX2‐1. We found that GhARF16‐1 specifically bound to the promoter of GhKNOX2‐1 to induce its expression. The heterologous expression of GhARF16‐1 and GhKNOX2‐1 in Arabidopsis led to lobed and curly leaves, and a genetic analysis revealed that GhKNOX2‐1 is epistatic to GhARF16‐1 in Arabidopsis, suggesting that the GhARF16‐1 and GhKNOX2‐1 interaction paradigm also functions to regulate leaf shape in Arabidopsis. To our knowledge, our results uncover a novel mechanism by which auxin, through the key component ARF16‐1 and its downstream‐activated gene KNOX2‐1, determines leaf morphology in eudicots.

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Background: The pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) gene family, which contains multiple 35-amino acid repeats, constitutes one of the largest gene families in plants. PPR proteins function in organelles to target specific transcripts and are involved in plant development and growth. However, the function of PPR proteins in cotton is still unknown. Results: In this study, we characterized a PPR gene YELLOW-GREEN LEAF (GhYGL1d) that is required for cotton plastid development. The GhYGL1d gene has a DYW domain in C-terminal and is highly express in leaves, localized to the chloroplast fractions. GhYGL1d share high amino acid-sequence homology with AtECB2. In atecb2 mutant, overexpression of GhYGL1d rescued the seedling lethal phenotype and restored the editing of accD and ndhF transcripts. Silencing of GhYGL1d led to the reduction of chlorophyll and phenotypically yellow-green leaves in cotton. Compared with wild type, GhYGL1d-silenced cotton showed significant deformations of thylakoid structures. Furthermore, the transcription levels of plastid-encoded polymerase (PEP) and nuclear-encoded polymerase (NEP) dependent genes were decreased in GhYGL1d-silenced cotton. Conclusions: Our data indicate that GhYGL1d not only contributes to the editing of accD and ndhF genes, but also affects the expression of NEP- and PEP-dependent genes to regulate the development of thylakoids, and therefore regulates leaf variegation in cotton.