Cytokinins are central regulators of cambial activity

The roots and stems of dicotyledonous plants thicken by the cell proliferation in the cambium. Cambial proliferation changes in response to environmental factors; however, the molecular mechanisms that regulate cambial activity are largely unknown. The quadruple Arabidopsis thaliana mutant atipt1;3;5;7, in which 4 genes encoding cytokinin biosynthetic isopentenyltransferases are disrupted by T-DNA insertion, was unable to form cambium and showed reduced thickening of the root and stem. The atipt3 single mutant, which has moderately decreased levels of cytokinins, exhibited decreased root thickening without any other recognizable morphological changes. Addition of exogenously supplied cytokinins to atipt1;3;5;7 reactivated the cambium in a dose-dependent manner. When an atipt1;3;5;7 shoot scion was grafted onto WT root stock, both the root and shoot grew normally and trans-zeatin-type (tZ-type) cytokinins in the shoot were restored to WT levels, but isopentenyladenine-type cytokinins in the shoot remained unchanged. Conversely, when a WT shoot was grafted onto an atipt1;3;5;7 root, both the root and shoot grew normally and isopentenyladenine-type cytokinins in the root were restored to WT levels, but tZ-type cytokinins were only partially restored. Collectively, it can be concluded that cytokinins are important regulators of cambium development and that production of cytokinins in either the root or shoot is sufficient for normal development of both the root and shoot.