Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

VASCULAR DEVELOPMENT

Phloem research in full flow

Nature Plants volume 8, pages 733–734 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

In the phloem of vascular plants, distinct cell types are arranged in precise positions to ensure effective loading, transport and unloading of photosynthates and signalling molecules. Feedback between transcription factors and mobile peptides triggers and controls the differentiation of phloem at the growing root tip.

Recent studies identified a family of phloem-enriched DNA binding with one finger (DOF) transcription factors, also called PHLOEM EARLY DOFs (PEARs), that are required to promote cell division in and around the protosieve elements; these proteins also target central regulators of phloem development2. Additionally, a number of genes have been shown to regulate phloem specification, including BREVIS RADIX3 and OCTOPUS4, which act in consort with a key peptide–receptor complex. In this pathway, three members of a large group of peptides (called CLEs; CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION-RELATED) are perceived by BAM (BARELY ANY MERISTEM) and CIK (CLAVATA3 INSENSITIVE RECEPTOR KINASE) receptors/co-receptors and repress sieve element formation5,6. Qian et al. now offer a molecular connection to link these networks. They show that not only do the DOF transcription factors control cell division, but that they are also necessary and sufficient for phloem specification. Crucially, the authors show that the DOFs are direct targets of CLEs, leading to the hypothesis that these peptides, in a signalling loop, could function downstream of DOFs as inhibitory signals preventing the specification of phloem in neighbouring cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: The Arabidopsis root phloem is a multicellular structure whose patterning and differentiation is controlled by lateral inhibition and positive feedback.

References

  1. Qian, P. et al. Nat. Plants https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01176-0 (2022).

  2. Miyashima, S. et al. Nature 565, 490–494 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Scacchi, E. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 107, 22734–22739 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Truernit, E., Bauby, H., Belcram, K., Barthélémy, J. & Palauqui, J.-C. Development 139, 1306–1315 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Depuydt, S. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 110, 7074–7079 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hu, C. et al. New Phytol. 233, 282–296 (2022).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lee, M. M. & Schiefelbein, J. Cell 99, 473–483 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cui, H. et al. Science 316, 421–425 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Bernhardt, C., Zhao, M., Gonzalez, A., Lloyd, A. & Schiefelbein, J. Development 132, 291–298 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plant and Crop Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    George Janes & Anthony Bishopp

Authors
  1. George Janes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anthony Bishopp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to George Janes or Anthony Bishopp.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Janes, G., Bishopp, A. Phloem research in full flow. Nat. Plants 8, 733–734 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01180-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01180-4

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing