WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 13 suppresses de novo shoot regeneration via cell fate control of pluripotent callus

Outstanding regenerative capacity of plants relies on their ability to produce pluripotent callus from somatic cells and establish de novo shoot apical meristems (SAMs) from the callus. Only small fraction of callus cells is eventually specified into SAMs but the molecular mechanisms underlying fate specification remain obscure. Here, we provide genetic evidence that WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 13 (WOX13) represses WUS and other SAM regulators while activating cell wall modifiers, thereby promoting non-meristematic cell fate in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our study revealed that WOX13 mediates a critical fate determination event in pluripotent cell population, which has a major impact on regeneration efficiency.