Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

Investigating Interactions Between Histone Modifying Enzymes and Transcription Factors in vivo by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
Published on: October 14, 2022
The bHLH transcription factor SPATULA is a key regulator of organ size in Arabidopsis thaliana
Srilakshmi Makkena1, Rebecca S Lamb
1Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program; Ohio State University; Columbus, OH USA.
Abstract:
Plant organ size and thus plant size is determined by both cell proliferation and cell expansion. The bHLH transcription factor SPATULA (SPT) was originally identified as a regulator of carpel patterning. It has subsequently been found to control growth of the organs of the shoot. It does this at least in part by controlling the size of meristematic regions of organs in parallel to gibberellic acid (GA). It also acts downstream of several environmental signals, influencing growth in response to light and temperature. We have recently demonstrated that SPT functions to repress the size of the root meristem and thus root growth and size. It appears to do this using a similar mechanism to its control of leaf size. Based on the recent work on SPT, we propose that it is a growth repressor that acts to limit the size of meristems in response to environmental signals, perhaps by regulating auxin transport.
Related Concept Videos
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway
Gene Regulation During Sporulation
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation
Transcription
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
General Transcription Factors
Cell Signaling in Plants

