Cell-to-cell communication is crucial for the development of multicellular organisms, especially during the generation of new tissues and organs. Secondary growth—the lateral expansion of plant growth axes—is a highly dynamic process that depends on the activity of the cambium. The cambium is a stem cell–like tissue whose activity is responsible for wood production and, thus, for the establishment of extended shoot and root systems. Attempts to study cambium regulation at the molecular level have been hampered by the limitations of performing genetic analyses in trees and by the difficulty of accessing this tissue in model systems such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we describe the roles of two receptor-like kinases, REDUCED IN LATERAL GROWTH1 (RUL1) and MORE LATERAL GROWTH1 (MOL1), as opposing regulators of cambium activity. Their identification was facilitated by a novel in vitro system in which cambium formation is induced in isolated Arabidopsis stem fragments. By combining this system with laser capture microdissection, we characterized transcriptome remodeling in a tissue- and stage-specific manner and identified series of genes induced during different phases of cambium formation. In summary, we provide a means for investigating cambium regulation in unprecedented depth and present two signaling components that control a process responsible for the accumulation of a large proportion of terrestrial biomass.

SummaryThe transcriptional activator ABI3 is a key regulator of gene expression during embryo maturation in crucifers. In monocots, the related VP1 protein regulates the Em promoter synergistically with abscisic acid (ABA). We identi®ed cis-elements in the Brassica napus napin napA promoter mediating regulation by ABI3 and ABA, by analyzing substitution mutation constructs of napA in transgenic tobacco plantlets ectopically expressing ABI3. In transient analysis using particle bombardment of tobacco leaf sections, a tetramer of the distB ABRE (abscisic acid-responsive element) mediated transactivation by ABI3 and ABI3-dependent response to ABA, whereas a tetramer of the composite RY/G complex, containing RY repeats and a G-box, mediated only ABA-independent transactivation by ABI3. Deletion of the conserved B2 and B3 domains of ABI3 abolished transactivation of napA by ABI3. The two domains of ABI3 interact with different cis-elements: B2 is necessary for ABA-independent and ABA-dependent activations through the distB ABRE, whereas B3 interacts with the RY/G complex. Thus B2 mediates the interaction of ABI3 with the protein complex at the ABRE. The regulation of napA by ABI3 differs from Em regulation by VP1, in that the B3 domain of ABI3 is essential for the ABA-dependent regulation of napA.

SummaryMembers of the Brassicaceae family accumulate speci®c sinapate esters, i.e. sinapoylcholine (sinapine), which is considered as a major antinutritive compound in seeds of important crop plants like Brassica napus, and sinapoylmalate, which is implicated in UV-B tolerance in leaves. We have studied the molecular regulation of the sinapate ester metabolism in B. napus, and we describe expression of genes, some properties of the encoded proteins and pro®les of the metabolites and enzyme activities. The cloned cDNAs encoding the key enzymes of sinapine biosynthesis, UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc):B. napus sinapate glucosyltransferase (BnSGT1) and sinapoylglucose:B. napus choline sinapoyltransferase (BnSCT), were functionally expressed. BnSGT1 belongs to a subgroup of plant GTs catalysing the formation of 1-O-hydroxycinnamoylb-D-glucoses. BnSCT is another member of serine carboxypeptidase-like (SCPL) family of acyltransferases.The B. napus genome contains at least two SGT and SCT genes, each derived from its progenitors B. oleracea and B. rapa. BnSGT1 and BnSCT activities are subjected to pronounced transcriptional regulation. BnSGT1 transcript level increases throughout early stages of seed development until the early cotyledonary stage, and stays constant in later stages. The highest level of BnSGT1 transcripts is reached in 2-day-old seedlings followed by a dramatic decrease. In contrast, expression of BnSCT is restricted to developing seeds. Regulation of gene expression at the transcript level seems to be responsible for changes of BnSGT1 and BnSCT activities during seed and seedling development of B. napus. Together with sinapine esterase (SCE) and sinapoylglucose:malate sinapoyltransferase (SMT), activities of BnSGT1 and BnSCT show a close correlation with the accumulation kinetics of the corresponding metabolites.

The variability of shoot architecture in plants is striking and one of the most extreme examples of adaptive growth in higher organisms. Mediated by the differential activity of apical and lateral meristems, flexibility in stem growth essentially contributes to this variability. In spite of this importance, the regulation of major events in stem development is largely unexplored. Recently, however, novel approaches exploiting knowledge from root and leaf development are starting to shed light on molecular mechanisms that regulate this essential plant organ. In this review, we summarize our understanding of initial patterning events in stems, discuss prerequisites for the initiation of lateral stem growth and highlight the burning questions in this context.

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The use of bacterial antibiotic resistance markers in transgenic plants raises concerns about horizontal gene transfer to soil bacteria. We report here that kanamycin resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana can be achieved by silencing an endogenous gene encoding a putative chloroplast transporter, which presumably imports kanamycin into chloroplasts to interfere with ribosomal RNA. Homologs of the transporter exist in other plant species, suggesting this strategy may be generally useful for selecting transformed plant cells.

Post-translational modifications are essential mediators between stimuli from development or the environment and adaptive transcriptional patterns. Recent data allow a first glimpse at how two modifications, phosphorylation and sumoylation, act interdependently to modulate stress responses. In particular, many components of the SUMO conjugation system are phosphoproteins, and some regulators and enzymes of protein phosphorylation can be sumoylated. Equally important, however, a number of proteins can be subject to both modifications. These substrates also have the capacity to connect stimuli transmitted via sumoylation with those transmitted via phosphorylation. As a prime example, we review data suggesting that nitrate reductase is a hub that integrates cues from these two modifications. Powerful proteomics approaches allowed the identification of additional common substrates, paving the way for studies to understand, on a broader basis, the cross-talk of phosphorylation with sumoylation and how it contributes to plant growth.