Abstract
Root architecture is continuously shaped in a manner that helps plants to better adapt to the environment. Gene regulation at the transcriptional or posttranscriptional levels largely controls this environmental response. Recently, RNA silencing has emerged as an important player in gene regulation and is involved in many aspects of plant development, including lateral root formation. In a recent study, we found that FIERY1, a bifunctional abiotic stress and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling regulator and an endogenous RNA silencing suppressor, mediates auxin response during lateral root formation in Arabidopsis. We proposed that FRY1 regulates lateral root development through its activity on adenosine 3′,5′-bisphosphate (PAP), a strong inhibitor of exoribonucleases (XRNs). Interestingly, some of the phenotypes of
fry1
, such as enhanced response to light in repressing hypocotyl elongation and hypersensitivity to ABA in lateral root growth, are opposite to those of another light- and ABA-signaling mutant,
hy5
. Here we analyzed the
hy5 fry1
double mutant for root and hypocotyl growth. We found that the
hy5
mutation can suppress the enhanced light sensitivity in
fry1
hypocotyl elongation and restore the lateral root formation. The genetic interaction between HY5 and FRY1 indicates that HY5 and FRY1 may act in overlapping pathways that mediate light signaling and lateral root development.