How wounding triggers plant regeneration

April 27, 2026

Heat stress-responsive factors HSFA1 regulate cellular reprogramming

Researchers at the RIKEN CSRS has uncovered a new mechanism by which wounding triggers plant regeneration.

Like animals, plants are composed of specialized cells that play distinct functions. When plants are damaged by environmental stresses or pests, they can regenerate organs such as leaves and stalks through a process called cellular reprogramming in which cells around the wounds change their cellular differentiation states and acquire new identities. This remarkable regenerative capacity is one of plants’ distinct characteristics. However, the molecular basis by which environmental stimuli such as wounding trigger cellular reprogramming has remained largely unclear.

In this study, an international collaborative research team including researchers at the RIKEN CSRS demonstrated that a group of transcription factors called HEAT SHOCK FACTOR A1 (HSFA1), which are best known for their roles in heat-stress responses, play a central role in triggering cellular reprogramming in response to injuries. The team further found that HSFA1 directly activates key reprogramming factors, such as WOUND-INDUCED DEDIFFERENTIATION 1 (WIND1), PLETHORA 3 (PLT3) and ZINC FINGER OF ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA 6 (ZAT6). These findings reveal how wound signals activate a transcriptional network that drives cellular reprogramming.

The results of this study are expected to deepen our understanding of plant regeneration and contribute to the development of improved technologies for crop propagation, regeneration and breeding in agricultural and horticultural species.

 

Original article

The Plant Cell　doi: 10.1093/plcell/koag124

D. Coleman, A. Iwase, A. Kawamura, A. Takebayashi, Y. Chen, M. Minne, K. E. Jager, M. Peng, Y. Kodama, D. S. Favero, T. Takahashi, M. Ikeuchi, T. Suzuki, N. Ohama, K. Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, P. A. Wigge, L. d. Veylder, K. Sugimoto,

"Wounding activates the HSFA1 transcription factors to promote cellular reprogramming in Arabidopsis".

Contact

Keiko Sugimoto; Team Director
Duncan Coleman; Visiting Scientist
Cell Function Research Team