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

doi:10.1016/j.jgg.2026.03.017

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

doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2026.03.017

a. Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China;
b. Development Center of Plant Germplasm Resources, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China;
c. Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China

基金项目:

We thank Prof. Xiangzong Meng (Shanghai Normal University) for providing the wrky3 wrky4 double mutant seeds. This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 32441006 and 32503276) and the Fund of Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Plant Germplasm Resources, China (grant number 17DZ2252700).

详细信息

通讯作者:
Yuhong Zhang,E-mail:pzhangyh@nefu.edu.cn

Shaojun Dai,E-mail:daishaojun@shnu.edu.cn

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出版历程
- 收稿日期: 2025-10-23
- 录用日期: 2026-03-20
- 修回日期: 2026-03-19
- 网络出版日期: 2026-03-27

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

Weiwei Ren^a,b,
Hongxia Zheng^b,c,
Yueyue Li^b,c,
Gaojian Li^b,
Lili Zhang^b,c,
Zhen Wu^b,
Meihong Sun^b,
Yuhong Zhang^{a
, ,},
Shaojun Dai^{b
, ,}

a. Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China;
b. Development Center of Plant Germplasm Resources, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China;
c. Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China

Funds:

摘要

摘要: 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.
- Auxin /
- Lateral root formation /
- FER /
- MPK3 /
- MPK6 /
- WRKY3 /
- WRKY4
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.
- Auxin /
- Lateral root formation /
- FER /
- MPK3 /
- MPK6 /
- WRKY3 /
- WRKY4

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参考文献(34)

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

doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2026.03.017

通讯作者:
Yuhong Zhang,E-mail:pzhangyh@nefu.edu.cn

Shaojun Dai,E-mail:daishaojun@shnu.edu.cn

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

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留言板

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

doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2026.03.017

通讯作者: Yuhong Zhang,E-mail:pzhangyh@nefu.edu.cn Shaojun Dai,E-mail:daishaojun@shnu.edu.cn

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出版历程

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

计量

出版历程

目录

通讯作者:
Yuhong Zhang,E-mail:pzhangyh@nefu.edu.cn

Shaojun Dai,E-mail:daishaojun@shnu.edu.cn