469 / 2019-02-27 14:47:04

New insights toward understanding the function of the BIRD protein JACKDAW in leaves

BIRD, JKD, leave development, regulatory network

Growth and Development > Growth and Development

The BIRD protein JACKDAW (JKD) belongs to a C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor that regulates Arabidopsis root development. In the root, JKD restricts the movement of the cell fate determinant SHORTROOT (SHR) through a process that involves physical interactions and nuclear retention with SHR target and binding partner SCARECROW (SCR) (Long et al., 2015). SHR and SCR are both expressed in leaves also involved in leaf cell proliferation and the specification of the leaf bundle sheath, a layer equivalent to endodermis. Here we show that JKD is also expressed in leaves. In addition mutation in JKD results in increase of leave size in Arabidopsis. In this study, we aim to dissect JKD function in leaves and assess whether the root JKD, SHR and SCR regulatory network perform similar function during leaf development.