The Zinc Finger Protein 3 of Arabidopsis Thaliana Regulates Vegetative Growth and Root Hair Development

The study investigates the role of the zinc finger protein 3 (ZFP3) in the growth and development of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. It was found that overexpression of ZFP3 led to reduced vegetative growth and root hair development. This was observed in plants with different genetic backgrounds, suggesting that ZFP3 controls growth parallel to ABA regulation. ZFP3-overexpressing plants had smaller leaf epidermal cells and a less complex cell shape. The study identified hundreds of genes regulated by ZFP3, many of which are involved in cell wall biosynthesis and organization, root hair differentiation and elongation, and response to oxidative stress and water deprivation. Overexpression of ZFP3 resulted in a 50% to 75% decrease in root hair abundance and a 30% to 60% reduction in root hair length. ZFP3 also downregulated the expression of many genes involved in cell wall biogenesis, modification, cell expansion, and root hair differentiation and elongation. The study suggests that ZFP3 reduces plant growth independently of ABA-controlled pathways and can interfere with the transcription regulatory network that controls root hair development. The exact number of plants involved in the study was not specified.