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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.04.29.489008

A transcription factor module regulating stomatal formation is co-opted for the development of setae in the astomatous liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

Moriya, K. C.·Shirakawa, M.·Loue-Manifel, J.·Matsuda, Y.·Tamura, K.·Oka, Y.·Matsushita, T.·Hara-Nishimura, I.·Ingram, G.·Nishihama, R.·Goodrich, J.·Kohchi, T.·Shimada, T.
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Abstract

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 the 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.

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Moriya, K. C., Shirakawa, M., Loue-Manifel, J., Matsuda, Y., Tamura, K., Oka, Y., Matsushita, T., Hara-Nishimura, I., Ingram, G., Nishihama, R., Goodrich, J., Kohchi, T., Shimada, T.. 2022-05-01. A transcription factor module regulating stomatal formation is co-opted for the development of setae in the astomatous liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.29.489008

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