SPOROCYTELESS/NOZZLE cooperates with MADS-domain transcription factors to regulate an auxin-dependent network controlling Megaspore-Mother-Cell differentiation

The formation of the female gamete is a complex developmental process that begins with the differentiation of the Megaspore Mother Cell (MMC) within the ovule. SPOROCYTELESS/NOZZLE (SPL/NZZ) is the principal regulator of the MMC formation, as mutations in the SPL/NZZ gene lead to the failure of the MMC differentiation. Nonetheless, the SPL/NZZ-dependent regulatory pathway governing the MMC development remains largely unknown. Using a multi-omics approach, we identify direct SPL/NZZ targets and their downstream network. We discover that SPL/NZZ interacts with ovule-identity MADS-domain transcription factor complexes to regulate the expression of common target genes. By integrating the omics data with the analysis of either complementation or mutant lines, we describe a comprehensive regulatory mechanism in which SPL/NZZ controls the differentiation of the MMC by acting on an auxin-dependent downstream network.