Metabolic control of cellular reprogramming: phospholipid remodeling tunes auxin signaling

Abstract

Plant cells possess remarkable developmental plasticity and can regain their proliferative capacity through cellular reprogramming to form pluripotent cell masses known as callus, which serves as the foundation for plant regeneration and tissue culture. Induction of callus formation begins with explants on auxin-rich callus-inducing medium (CIM), a process tightly controlled by auxin signaling. The canonical IAA14– ARF7/19 signaling module and its downstream targets, including LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN (LBD) transcription factors and WRKY23, are indispensable for callus formation and the establishment of cellular pluripotency (Xu et al. 2023). Lipids are fundamental components of plant membranes that maintain membrane integrity, dynamics, and energy storage.