Transcriptional control of hydrogen peroxide homeostasis regulates ground tissue patterning in the root.

In multicellular organisms, including higher plants, asymmetric cell divisions (ACDs) play a crucial role in generating distinct cell types. The root ground tissue initially has two layers: endodermis (inside) and cortex (outside). In the mature root, the endodermis undergoes additional ACDs to produce the endodermis itself and the middle cortex (MC), located between the endodermis and the pre-existing cortex. In the root, gibberellic acid (GA) deficiency and hydrogen peroxide (HO) precociously induced more frequent ACDs in the endodermis for MC formation. Thus, these findings suggest that GA and HO play roles in regulating the timing and extent of MC formation. However, details of the molecular interaction between GA signaling and HO homeostasis remain elusive. In this study, we identified the () gene, which encodes a class III peroxidase, as a molecular link to elucidate the interconnected regulatory network involved in HO- and GA-mediated MC formation. Under normal conditions, showed a reduced frequency of MC formation, whereas the occurrence of MC in was restored to nearly WT levels in the presence of HO. Our results suggest that PRX34 plays a role in HO-mediated MC production. Furthermore, we provide evidence that SCARECROW-LIKE 3 (SCL3) regulates HO homeostasis by controlling transcription of during root ground tissue maturation. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into how HO homeostasis is achieved by SCL3 to ensure correct radial tissue patterning in the root.