Latest Publications
A regulatory module mediating temperature control of cell-cell communication facilitates tree bud dormancy release
Shashank K Pandey, Jay Prakash Maurya, Bibek Aryal, Kamil Drynda, Aswin Nair, Pal Miskolczi, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Xiaobin Wang, Yujiao Ma, Tatiana de Souza Moraes, Emmanuelle M Bayer, Etienne Farcot, George W Bassel, Leah R Band, Rishikesh P Bhalerao
The control of cell–cell communication via plasmodesmata (PD) plays a key role in plant development. In tree buds, low-temperature conditions (LT) induce a switch in plasmodesmata from a closed to an open state, which restores cell-to-cell communication in the shoot apex and releases dormancy. Using genetic and cell-biological approaches, we have identified a previously uncharacterized transcription factor, Low-temperature-Induced MADS-box 1 (LIM1), as an LT-induced, direct upstream activator of the gibberellic acid (GA) pathway. Mathematical modeling and experimental validation suggest that negative feedback regulation of LIM1 by gibberellin could play a crucial role in maintaining the robust temporal regulation of bud responses to low temperature. These results reveal genetic factors linking temperature control of cell–cell communication with regulation of seasonally-aligned growth crucial for adaptation of trees.