A bivalent chromatin reader-WOX5 module maintains root stem cell niche in Arabidopsis
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Updated: Nov 7, 2026

Quantitative Live Cell Imaging of Nuclear Shape and Chromatin Dynamics During Development and Environmental Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana Root
Published on: June 5, 2026
Lihua Zhang1, Shuiming Qian1, Xuehua Zhong1
1Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
Abstract:
Root stem cell niche maintenance requires precise control of quiescent center (QC) and columella stem cell (CSC) activity, yet how chromatin regulators interface with key transcription factors remains poorly understood. Here, we identify the bivalent chromatin reader EARLY BOLTING IN SHORT DAYS (EBS) as an essential regulator of root stem cell maintenance in Arabidopsis. A strong ebs-1 mutant shows CSC differentiation and QC activation, and EBS function requires its histone mark-recognizing BAH and PHD domains and a C-terminal SUMO-interacting motif. EBS physically interacts with the QC master regulator WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 5 (WOX5) and, together with WOX5, activates WOX5 transcription by promoting EBS enrichment at the WOX5 promoter. Consistently, wox5-1 is epistatic to ebs-1, and WOX5 overexpression rescues the ebs-1 stem cell defects. Together, this work uncovers a chromatin-based positive autoregulatory loop that integrates histone-state recognition and transcriptional feedback, providing a framework for epigenetic control of stem cell fate in plants.
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