A paper authored by CBGP scientists highlighted as “of special significance”

A research article coordinated by Dr. Luis Oñate-Sánchez has been recommended by F1000Prime for special significance in its field, and two of its images selected for the cover of the July 2014 Plant Cell issue.

Images documenting the findings published in an article coordinated by Dr. Luis Oñate-Sánchez, have been selected for the cover of the July 2014 Plant Cell issue. The cover image shows results of in situ mRNA hybridizations and reveals that mRNAs of homeodomain transcription factors are specifically localized in the epidermis of the embryo axis (dark purple colour) during seed germination, a location compatible with the regulatory role proposed in the published article.

Also, the article has been selected by F1000Prime and recommended as being of special significance in its field. F1000Prime is composed of 5,000 Faculty members who are leading scientists in all areas of biology and medicine. The Faculty recommends the most important articles, rating them and providing short explanations for their selections. Their recommendations form a fully searchable database.

The F1000 member Prof. Gwyneth Ingram has selected this article as a very important in its field. In his commentary, Professor Ingram states that: “This interesting paper describes a novel Gibberellin (GA)-regulated role for the epidermis-specific HD-ZIPIV transcription factors ATML1 and PDF2 in controlling germination potential, involving their previously unreported interaction with DELLA proteins. The authors demonstrate that L1 boxes (cognate HD-ZIPIV binding sites) are enriched in the promoters of GA-activated genes, including the GDSL lipase-encoding LIP1 gene, during germination. Convincing evidence is provided that ATML1 and PDF2 act redundantly to bind and positively regulate the expression of these genes. The finding that ATML1 and PDF2 interact with DELLA proteins, which are broken down in response to increases in GA, leads the authors to propose a seductive model in which sequestration of ATML1 and PDF2 by DELLAS is alleviated by increasing GA levels during germination, permitting target gene activation. This work therefore pinpoints HD-ZIPIV as novel and direct mediators of GA signalling. It also provides a powerful new system for future studies aimed at addressing the precise mechanisms via which ATML1 and PDF2 (and other epidermal factors, including their targets) could drive and co-ordinate tissue level growth”.