The diversity of plant architecture is determined by axillary meristems (AMs). AMs are produced from small groups of stem cells in the axils of leaf primordia and generate vegetative branches and reproductive inflores...The diversity of plant architecture is determined by axillary meristems (AMs). AMs are produced from small groups of stem cells in the axils of leaf primordia and generate vegetative branches and reproductive inflorescences . Previous studies identified genes critical for AM development that function in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling. barren stalkl (ba1), a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, acts downstream of auxin to control AM formation. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of barren stalk2 (ba2), a mutant that fails to produce ears and has fewer branches and spikelets in the tassel, indicating that ba2 functions in reproductive AM development. Furthermore, the ba2 mutation suppresses tiller growth in the teosinte branchedl mutant, indicating that ba2 also plays an essential role in vegetative AM development. The ba2 gene encodes a protein that co-localizes and heterodimerizes with BA1 in the nucleus . Characterization of the genetic interaction between ba2 and ba1 demonstrates that ba1 shows a gene dosage effect in ba2 mutants, providing further evidence that BA1 and BA2 act together in the same pathway. Characterization of the molecular and genetic interaction between ba2 and additional genes required for the regulation of ba1 further supports this finding. The ba1 and ba2 genes are orthologs of rice genes, LAX PANICLE1 (LAX1) and LAX2, respectively, hence providing insights into pathways controlling AMs development in grasses.展开更多
The phytohormone auxin has been shown to be of pivotal importance in growth and development of land plants.The underlying molecular players involved in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling are quite well under...The phytohormone auxin has been shown to be of pivotal importance in growth and development of land plants.The underlying molecular players involved in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling are quite well understood in Arabidopsis.However, functional characterizations of auxin-related genes in economically important crops, specifically maize and rice, are still limited.In this article, we comprehensively review recent functional studies on auxirelated genes in both maize and rice, compared with what is known in Arabidopsis, and highlight conservation and diversification of their functions. Our analysis is illustrated by phylogenetic analysis and publicly available gene expression data for each gene family, which will aid in the identification of auxin-related genes for future research.Current challenges and future directions for auxin research in maize and rice are discussed.Developments in gene editing techniques provide powerful tools for overcoming the issue of redundancy in these gene families and will undoubtedly advance auxin research in crops.展开更多
基金the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program IOS-1114484/0820729 to P.M.and S.M.and NSF PGRP IOS-1546873 to P.M.
文摘The diversity of plant architecture is determined by axillary meristems (AMs). AMs are produced from small groups of stem cells in the axils of leaf primordia and generate vegetative branches and reproductive inflorescences . Previous studies identified genes critical for AM development that function in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling. barren stalkl (ba1), a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, acts downstream of auxin to control AM formation. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of barren stalk2 (ba2), a mutant that fails to produce ears and has fewer branches and spikelets in the tassel, indicating that ba2 functions in reproductive AM development. Furthermore, the ba2 mutation suppresses tiller growth in the teosinte branchedl mutant, indicating that ba2 also plays an essential role in vegetative AM development. The ba2 gene encodes a protein that co-localizes and heterodimerizes with BA1 in the nucleus . Characterization of the genetic interaction between ba2 and ba1 demonstrates that ba1 shows a gene dosage effect in ba2 mutants, providing further evidence that BA1 and BA2 act together in the same pathway. Characterization of the molecular and genetic interaction between ba2 and additional genes required for the regulation of ba1 further supports this finding. The ba1 and ba2 genes are orthologs of rice genes, LAX PANICLE1 (LAX1) and LAX2, respectively, hence providing insights into pathways controlling AMs development in grasses.
基金the National Science FoundationPlant Genome Research Program IOS-1114484/0820729 to P.M.+1 种基金S.M.and A.G.and IOS-1546873 to P.M.and A.G.
文摘The phytohormone auxin has been shown to be of pivotal importance in growth and development of land plants.The underlying molecular players involved in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling are quite well understood in Arabidopsis.However, functional characterizations of auxin-related genes in economically important crops, specifically maize and rice, are still limited.In this article, we comprehensively review recent functional studies on auxirelated genes in both maize and rice, compared with what is known in Arabidopsis, and highlight conservation and diversification of their functions. Our analysis is illustrated by phylogenetic analysis and publicly available gene expression data for each gene family, which will aid in the identification of auxin-related genes for future research.Current challenges and future directions for auxin research in maize and rice are discussed.Developments in gene editing techniques provide powerful tools for overcoming the issue of redundancy in these gene families and will undoubtedly advance auxin research in crops.
