The peptidyl-prolyl isomerases FKBP15-1 and FKBP15-2 negatively affect lateral root development by repressing the vacuolar invertase VIN2 in Arabidopsis.

The peptidyl-prolyl isomerases FKBP15-1 and FKBP15-2 negatively modulate lateral root development by repressing vacuolar invertase VIN2 activity. Lateral root (LR) architecture greatly affects the efficiency of nutrient absorption and the anchorage of plants. Although the internal phytohormone regulatory mechanisms that control LR development are well known, how external nutrients influence lateral root development remains elusive. Here, we characterized the function of two FK506-binding proteins, namely, FKBP15-1 and FKBP15-2, in Arabidopsis. FKBP15-1/15-2 genes were expressed prominently in the vascular bundles of the root basal meristem region, and the FKBP15-1/15-2 proteins were localized to the endoplasmic reticulum of the cells. Using IP-MS, Co-IP, and BiFC assays, we demonstrated that FKBP15-1 and FKBP15-2 interacted with vacuolar invertase 2 (VIN2). Compared to Col-0 and the single mutants, the fkbp15-1fkbp15-2 double mutant had more LRs, and presented higher sucrose catalytic activity. Moreover, genetic analysis showed genetic epistasis of VIN2 over FKBP15-1/FKBP15-2 in controlling LR development. Our results indicate that FKBP15-1 and FKBP15-2 participate in the control of LR number by inhibiting the catalytic activity of VIN2. Owing to the conserved peptidylprolyl cis-trans isomerase activity of FKBP family proteins, our results provide a clue for further analysis of the interplay between lateral root development and protein modification by FKBPs.