QC (Quiescent centre)是根干细胞组织中心，其建立和维持由PLT途径和SHR/SCR途径共同调控。WOX5是特异在QC中表达的干细胞维持因子。我们发现在plt突变体中，WOX5表达量升高，QC发生分裂；而在scr突变体中，WOX5表达量显著降低，QC特性丧失。该结果表明，PLT途径将WOX5表达限定在QC中；SHR/SCR途径激活WOX5在QC中表达。为阐明SHR/SCR途径激活WOX5表达从而促进干细胞组织中心建立的机制，我们利用SCR筛选得到与之互作的转录辅因子RWE1 (Reduced WOX5 expression 1, RWE1)。与scr突变体相似，rwe1中WOX5表达显著降低。RWE1作用于SHR/SCR途径激活WOX5表达从而维持QC特性。本项目拟采用细胞生物学、生物化学等手段揭示RWE1-SCR功能复合体促进干细胞组织中心建立的分子机理及其生物学意义。

QC (Quiescent centre) is a group of root stem cell organizer cells. Root stem cell organizer specification and maintenance are regulated through SHR/SCR pathway and PLT pathway. WOX5 is highly enriched in QC and acts as the key factor maintaining stem cell niche. We found that WOX5 expression was increased in the plt mutant which was accompanied with additional QC divisions. While WOX5 expression was reduced in the scr mutant, which resulted in defects in QC specification. These results suggested that PLT pathway limited WOX5 expression to QC and SHR/SCR pathway activated WOX5 expression in QC. For illustrating the mechanism of SHR/SCR pathway activating WOX5 expression, we identified a SCARECROW-interacting protein RWE1 (Reduced WOX5 expression 1, RWE1) by using yeast-two hybrid screening. As in the scr mutant, WOX5 expression was reduced in rwe1 mutants. RWE1 plays a role in root stem cell organizer maintenance by acting in SHR/SCR pathway to activate WOX5 expression. We propose to employ a combination of cytobiological and biochemical approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanism of RWE1-SCR functional complex in promoting root stem cell organizer specification and maintenance.