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PubMed · 41905585

A FERONIA-MPK3/6-WRKY3/4 module links auxin signaling to lateral root development in Arabidopsis.

Weiwei Ren·Hongxia Zheng·Yueyue Li·Gaojian Li·Lili Zhang·Zhen Wu·Meihong Sun·Yuhong Zhang·Shaojun Dai
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Abstract

The phytohormone auxin orchestrates root development through intricate signaling networks. In the non-canonical auxin pathway, both the transmembrane kinase (TMK)-mediated signaling and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade are shown to be involved in the auxin-regulated lateral root (LR) formation. However, the role and mechanism of the receptor-like kinase FERONIA (FER) in this process remain unclear. Here, quantitative proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of Arabidopsis roots identify FER, MPK3/6, and WRKY3/4 as auxin-responsive components. Further analyses reveal that FER functions as a negative regulator of LR development by modulating cell division patterns within LR primordia. FER interacts with and phosphorylates MPK3/6, which then phosphorylate the transcription factors WRKY3 and WRKY4 to form a repressive module that ultimately suppresses LR organogenesis. Collectively, our findings define a FER-MPK3/6-WRKY3/4 signaling module that negatively regulates LR formation, demonstrating a previously unknown integration of FER-mediated signaling into the MAPK cascade in auxin-triggered organogenesis.

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ArabidopsisIndoleacetic AcidsArabidopsis ProteinsPlant RootsSignal TransductionGene Expression Regulation, PlantPhosphotransferasesTranscription FactorsMitogen-Activated Protein Kinase KinasesMitogen-Activated Protein KinasesPhosphorylationProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesAuxinFERLateral root formationMPK3MPK6WRKY3WRKY4Journal Article

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Weiwei Ren, Hongxia Zheng, Yueyue Li, Gaojian Li, Lili Zhang, Zhen Wu, Meihong Sun, Yuhong Zhang, Shaojun Dai. 2026-03-27. A FERONIA-MPK3/6-WRKY3/4 module links auxin signaling to lateral root development in Arabidopsis.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgg.2026.03.017

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