JKD

JKD is a nuclear-localized putative transcription factor with three zinc finger domains. jkd mutants show a number of root patterning defects including ectopic periclinal divisions in the cortex, increased cell numbers in the cortical and epidermal layers, a disrupted QC marker expression pattern, and disorganized QC and columella cells. jkd mutants also have a reduced number of meristematic cells in their roots. JKD can interact with the SCR and SHR proteins implicated in root patterning, as well as another zinc finger transcription factor, MAGPIE. All of these interactions require the first zinc finger in JKD according to a Y2H assay. There are also transcriptional interactions among these proteins. The initiation of JKD transcription does not appear to depend on SCR and SHR, but later expression in the post-embryonic QC cells and ground tissue initials is reduced in scr and shr mutants. JKD also appears to be required for SCR transcription beginning in the embryo. There is also some evidence that JKD plays a role in promoting the movement of SHR into the nucleus, particularly in QC cells, but this may be indirect.

C2H2-like zinc finger protein