A CRC–MYB chromatin loop controls auxin-mediated nectary growth in Arabidopsis

Abstract

Floral nectaries, typically located at stamen bases, secrete sugar-rich nectar containing diverse secondary metabolites. Despite their defined position and specialized function, the mechanisms governing nectary formation remain unclear. Using publicly available single-nucleus RNA-seq data and newly generated spatial transcriptomic data, we identify a putative ordering of transcriptional states associated with nectary development and a spatial regulatory network controlling nectary growth in Arabidopsis thaliana . We further show that CRABS CLAW (CRC) is central to this network, integrating transcriptional regulation with spatial auxin transport and pathways controlling phytohormone signaling, sugar transport and terpene biosynthesis. CRC interacts with MYB21, MYB24 and MYB57 to form a complex that binds the 5′ and 3′ regulatory regions of MACCHI-BOU 4 ( MAB4 ), promoting a chromatin loop that enhances MAB4 expression and supports proper nectary size. MAB4 reinforces PIN-FORMED 1-mediated auxin transport to establish auxin maxima at the nectary tip and regulates PIN6 localization to maintain auxin gradients. These findings link transcriptional regulation and auxin transport with nectary organogenesis and metabolic function.

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BibTeX

@article{iimura2026crcmyb,
  title = {{A CRC–MYB chromatin loop controls auxin-mediated nectary growth in Arabidopsis}},
  author = {Hideaki Iimura and Makoto Takahashi and Ryosuke Ohta and Asumi Nagamori and Seika Togawa and Yuki Furuta and Koki Nakamura and Febri Yuda Kurniawan and Xuejing Wang and Kie Kumaishi and Samantha Klasfeld and Taiji Kawakatsu and Yasunori Ichihashi and Takamasa Suzuki and Doris Wagner and Toshiro Ito and Nobutoshi Yamaguchi},
  journal = {Nature Communications},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-78943-6},
  url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78943-6},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - A CRC–MYB chromatin loop controls auxin-mediated nectary growth in Arabidopsis
AU  - Hideaki Iimura
AU  - Makoto Takahashi
AU  - Ryosuke Ohta
AU  - Asumi Nagamori
AU  - Seika Togawa
AU  - Yuki Furuta
AU  - Koki Nakamura
AU  - Febri Yuda Kurniawan
AU  - Xuejing Wang
AU  - Kie Kumaishi
AU  - Samantha Klasfeld
AU  - Taiji Kawakatsu
AU  - Yasunori Ichihashi
AU  - Takamasa Suzuki
AU  - Doris Wagner
AU  - Toshiro Ito
AU  - Nobutoshi Yamaguchi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/17
JO  - Nature Communications
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-026-78943-6
UR  - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78943-6
AB  - Floral nectaries, typically located at stamen bases, secrete sugar-rich nectar containing diverse secondary metabolites. Despite their defined position and specialized function, the mechanisms governing nectary formation remain unclear. Using publicly available single-nucleus RNA-seq data and newly generated spatial transcriptomic data, we identify a putative ordering of transcriptional states associated with nectary development and a spatial regulatory network controlling nectary growth in Arabidopsis thaliana . We further show that CRABS CLAW (CRC) is central to this network, integrating transcriptional regulation with spatial auxin transport and pathways controlling phytohormone signaling, sugar transport and terpene biosynthesis. CRC interacts with MYB21, MYB24 and MYB57 to form a complex that binds the 5′ and 3′ regulatory regions of MACCHI-BOU 4 ( MAB4 ), promoting a chromatin loop that enhances MAB4 expression and supports proper nectary size. MAB4 reinforces PIN-FORMED 1-mediated auxin transport to establish auxin maxima at the nectary tip and regulates PIN6 localization to maintain auxin gradients. These findings link transcriptional regulation and auxin transport with nectary organogenesis and metabolic function.
SN  - 2041-1723
ER  -

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