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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.04.29.069211

Nature and effective range of non-cell autonomous activator and inhibitor peptides specifying plant stomatal patterning

Zeng, S.·Lo, E. K. W.·Hazelton, B. J.·Morales, M. F.·Torii, K.
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Abstract

Stomata are epidermal valves that facilitate gas exchange between plants and their environment. Stomatal patterning is regulated by EPIDERMAL PATTERING FACTOR (EPF)-family of secreted peptides: EPF1 enforcing stomatal spacing, whereas EPF-LIKE9, also known as Stomagen, promoting stomatal development. It remains unknown, however, how far these signaling peptides act. Utilizing Cre-Lox recombination-based mosaic sectors that overexpress either EPF1 or Stomagen in Arabidopsis cotyledons, we reveal a range within the epidermis and across the cell layers in which these peptides influence patterns. To quantitatively determine their effective ranges, we developed a computational pipeline, SPACE (Stomata Patterning AutoCorrelation on Epidermis), that describes probabilistic two-dimensional stomatal distributions based upon spatial autocorrelation statistics used in Astrophysics. The SPACE analysis shows that, whereas both peptides act locally, the inhibitor, EPF1, exerts longer-range effects than the activator, Stomagen. Furthermore, local perturbation of stomatal development has little influence on global two-dimensional stomatal patterning. Our findings conclusively demonstrate the nature and extent of EPF peptides as non-cell autonomous local signals and provides a means to quantitatively characterize complex spatial patterns in development. Summary StatementNon-cell autonomous effects of activator and inhibitor peptides on 2-D spatial patterning of stomata were quantitatively characterized using chimeric sectors and a SPACE computational pipeline.

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Zeng, S., Lo, E. K. W., Hazelton, B. J., Morales, M. F., Torii, K.. 2020-05-01. Nature and effective range of non-cell autonomous activator and inhibitor peptides specifying plant stomatal patterning. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.29.069211

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