A quantitative gibberellin signaling biosensor reveals a role for gibberellins in internode specification at the shoot apical meristem

Abstract

Growth at the shoot apical meristem (SAM) is essential for shoot architecture construction. The phytohormones gibberellins (GA) play a pivotal role in coordinating plant growth, but their role in the SAM remains mostly unknown. Here, we developed a ratiometric GA signaling biosensor by engineering one of the DELLA proteins, to suppress its master regulatory function in GA transcriptional responses while preserving its degradation upon GA sensing. We demonstrate that this degradation-based biosensor accurately reports on cellular changes in GA levels and perception during development. We used this biosensor to map GA signaling activity in the SAM. We show that high GA signaling is found primarily in cells located between organ primordia that are the precursors of internodes. By gain- and loss-of-function approaches, we further demonstrate that GAs regulate cell division plane orientation to establish the typical cellular organization of internodes, thus contributing to internode specification in the SAM.