WUSCHEL signaling functions in interregional communication during Arabidopsis ovule development

Coordinating the behaviors of different cell populations is essential for multicellular development. One important example for this can be found in ovule development in higher plants. Ovules give rise to the gametophyte in the distal nucellus and form protective sporophytic organs from the underlying chalaza. We show that the WUSCHEL (WUS) homeobox gene provides a mechanism to coordinate these events. WUS is expressed in the nucellus and our loss- and gain-of-function analyses show that WUS is not only necessary but also sufficient for integument formation from the chalaza. WUS protein is retained in the nucellus, indicating that WUS activity in the nucellus generates a downstream signal that non-cell-autonomously regulates integument initiation in the chalaza. This signal appears to act locally, thus determining the position of organ formation from chalazal cells adjacent to the nucellus. Analysis of WUS and AINTEGUMENTA functions indicates that integument initiation requires inputs from different ovule regions. Together with previous findings for shoot and floral meristems, where WUS signaling establishes a stem cell niche, our results indicate that WUS defines a signaling mechanism that is used repeatedly during plant development in coordinating the behavior of adjacent cell groups.