AtPiezo Plays an Important Role in Root Cap Mechanotransduction

Abstract

Plants encounter a variety of mechanical stimuli during their growth and development. It is currently believed that mechanosensitive ion channels play an essential role in the initial perception of mechanical force in plants. Over the past decade, the study of Piezo, a mechanosensitive ion channel in animals, has made significant progress. It has been proved that the perception of mechanical force in various physiological processes of animals is indispensable. However, little is still known about the function of its homologs in plants. In this study, by investigating the function of the AtPiezo gene in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, we found that AtPiezo plays a role in the perception of mechanical force in plant root cap and the flow of Ca2+ is involved in this process. These findings allow us to understand the function of AtPiezo from the perspective of plants and provide new insights into the mechanism of plant root cap in response to mechanical stimuli.

Genome-Wide Analysis and Expression Profiles of Ethylene Signal Genes and Apetala2/Ethylene-Responsive Factors in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

“…The sequences of Piezo family proteins are highly conserved in plants, in both the moss ( Physcomitrium patens ) and the small flowering plant Arabidopsis ; the mutations of plant Piezo sensors change vacuolar morphology and growth patterns of apical growth cells ( Radin et al, 2021 ). Moreover, AtPiezo responds to mechanical stimuli at the transcriptional level, playing a role in the perception of mechanical force in plant root cap and the flow of Ca 2+ is involved in this process ( Fang et al, 2021a , b ; Mousavi et al, 2021 ). In peanut, four AhPiezo were identified, but they did not show any significant changes in transcription levels during mechanical stress changes ( Supplementary Figure 5 ).…”

The NIN-LIKE PROTEIN 7 (NLP7) transcription factor modulates auxin pathways to regulate root cap development

“…The root cap influences root meristem activity through the coordination of root cap cell release with cell production (Dubreuil et al, 2018; Shi et al, 2018), affects lateral root development and root architecture (Xuan et al, 2015; Di Mambro et al, 2019), protects the root tip from mechanical damage (Iijima et al, 2004; Fang et al, 2021) and soil microbes (Wen et al, 2009; Cannesan et al, 2012; Hawes et al, 2016; Karve et al, 2016; Tran et al, 2016; Driouich et al, 2021) and perceives environmental signals including nutrients (Arnaud et al, 2010; Kanno et al, 2016; He et al, 2021) and gravity (Strohm et al, 2012; Su et al, 2017). To perform these critical functions, the root cap must synchronize environmental signals with growth and developmental processes, but the mechanisms underlying such coordination are not well understood.…”

Between Stress and Response: Function and Localization of Mechanosensitive Ca2+ Channels in Herbaceous and Perennial Plants

“…In Arabidopsis thaliana, AtPiezo is a key element of the immune response to the cucumber mosaic virus and the turnip mosaic virus [113]. In addition, several recent works have made major advances on the potential role of At-Piezo in Arabidopsis root growth in responses to substrate impedance [111,114]. When atpiezo null-mutant plants were grown in vitro in vertical plates leading to root growth on the surface of the medium, no difference was observed from WT plants [114].…”

“…In addition, several recent works have made major advances on the potential role of At-Piezo in Arabidopsis root growth in responses to substrate impedance [111,114]. When atpiezo null-mutant plants were grown in vitro in vertical plates leading to root growth on the surface of the medium, no difference was observed from WT plants [114]. However, when the plants were grown in a horizontally placed plate with 0.8% agar, the root ability to penetrate the medium decreased by about 20% compared to WT.…”