Root branching in salt requires auxin-independent modulation of LBD16 function

Abstract

Salinity stress constrains lateral root (LR) growth and severely impacts plant growth. Auxin signaling is indispensable for the regulation of LR formation. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism of how salinity affects root auxin signaling and whether salt would steer alternative pathway(s) to regulate LR development is unknown. Here we show that the auxin-regulated transcription factor LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARY DOMAIN (LBD)16, known as an essential player for LR development under control conditions, is regulated by an alternative non-canonical pathway under salinity. Salt represses auxin signaling but in parallel activates an upstream transcriptional activator of LBD16, ZINC FINGER OF ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA 6 (ZAT6). ZAT6 modulates the activity of LBD16 to contribute to downstream cell wall remodeling, and promotes LR development under salinity stress. Our study thus shows that root developmental plasticity in response to salt stress is achieved by integration of auxin-dependent repressive and salt-activated auxin-independent pathways converging on LBD16 to modulate root branching modulation under salinity.