Stomatal regulators are co-opted for seta development in the astomatous liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

Kenta C. Moriya, Makoto Shirakawa, Jeanne Loue-Manifel, Yoriko Matsuda, Yen Ting Lu, Kentaro Tamura, Yoshito Oka, Tomonao Matsushita, Ikuko Hara-Nishimura, Gwyneth Ingram, Ryuichi Nishihama, Justin Goodrich, Takayuki Kohchi, Tomoo Shimada*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

The evolution of special types of cells requires the acquisition of new gene regulatory networks controlled by transcription factors (TFs). In stomatous plants, a TF module formed by subfamilies Ia and IIIb basic helix–loop–helix TFs (Ia-IIIb bHLH) regulates stomatal formation; however, how this module evolved during land plant diversification remains unclear. Here we show that, in the astomatous liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, a Ia-IIIb bHLH module regulates the development of a unique sporophyte tissue, the seta, which is found in mosses and liverworts. The sole Ia bHLH gene, MpSETA, and a IIIb bHLH gene, MpICE2, regulate the cell division and/or differentiation of seta lineage cells. MpSETA can partially replace the stomatal function of Ia bHLH TFs in Arabidopsis thaliana, suggesting that a common regulatory mechanism underlies setal and stomatal formation. Our findings reveal the co-option of a Ia-IIIb bHLH TF module for regulating cell fate determination and/or cell division of distinct types of cells during land plant evolution.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)302-314
Number of pages12
JournalNature Plants
Volume9
Early online date19 Jan 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2023

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