scholarly journals Extended expression of MaKN1 contributes to the leaf morphology in aquatic forms of Myriophyllum aquaticum

Botany ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (9) ◽  
pp. 611-621
Author(s):  
M.D. Shafiullah ◽  
Christian R. Lacroix

Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. is heterophyllous in nature with highly dissected simple leaves consisting of several lobes. KNOX (KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX) genes are believed to have played an important role in the evolution of leaf diversity. Up-regulation of KNOX during leaf primordium initiation can lead to leaf dissection in plants with simple leaves and, if overexpressed, can produce ectopic meristems on leaves. A previous study on KNOX gene expression in the aerial form of this species showed that this gene is expressed in the shoot apical meristem (SAM), as well as in leaf primordia P0 to P8. Based on these results, it was hypothesized that the prolonged expression of the MaKN1 (Myriophyllum aquaticum Knotted1-like homeobox) gene beyond P8, might play an important role in the generation of more lobes, longer lobes, and hydathode formation in the aquatic leaves of M. aquaticum. The technique of in situ hybridization was carried out using a previously sequenced 300 bp fragment of MaKN1 to determine the expression patterns of this gene in the shoot of aquatic forms of the plant. Expression patterns of MaKN1 revealed that the SAM and leaf primordia of aquatic forms of M. aquaticum at levels P0 (youngest) to P4 were distributed throughout these structures. The level of expression of this MaKN1 gene progressively became more localized to lobes in older leaf primordia (levels P5 to P12). Previous studies of aerial forms of this plant showed MaKN1 expression until P8. Our results with aquatic forms show that the highly dissected leaf morphology in aquatic forms was the result of the prolonged expression of MaKN1 beyond P8. This resulted in the formation of elongated and slightly more numerous lobes, and hydathodes in aquatic forms. These findings support the view that KNOX genes are important developmental regulators of leaf morphogenesis and have played an important role in the evolution of leaf forms in the plant kingdom.

Botany ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 528-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Barabé ◽  
Laura Bourque ◽  
Xiaofeng Yin ◽  
Christian Lacroix

Previous studies on palm phyllotaxis deal mainly with the mature trunk. The goals of this study are (i) to determine the relationship between the number of parastichies, the divergence angle, and the plastochrone ratio at the level of the shoot apical meristem; (ii) to examine whether there are fluctuations in the divergence angle; (iii) to interpret the significance of phyllotactic parameters with respect to the mode of growth of the apex. The tubular base of the leaf primordium is more or less asymmetrical, and completely surrounds the shoot apical meristem. The phyllotactic system corresponds to a (2, 3) conspicuous parastichy pair. The mean divergence angle per apex varies between 126.9° ± 9.3° (mean ± SD) and 135. 8° ± 8.0°. Divergence angles for all apices fluctuate within a range of 115.89° to 157.33°. The mean plastochrone ratios between apices varies from 1.35 ± 0.18 to 1.58 ± 0.12. The plastochrone ratio at each plastochrone for all apices ranges from 1.09 to 2.00. There is no correlation between the angle of divergence and the plastochrone ratio. There is a fluctuation in the value of the divergence angle that falls within the range predicted by the fundamental theorem of phyllotaxis. The high value of the ratio of the diameter of leaf primordia over the diameter of the apex, and the long plastochrone might explain the lack of correlation between certain phyllotactic parameters.


Development ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.J. Gaunt ◽  
P.L. Coletta ◽  
D. Pravtcheva ◽  
P.T. Sharpe

A putative mouse homeobox gene (Hox-3.4) was previously identified 4kb downstream of the Hox-3.3 (Hox-6.1)* gene (Sharpe et al. 1988). We have now sequenced the Hox-3.4 homeobox region. The predicted amino acid sequence shows highest degree of homology in the mouse with Hox-1.3 and -2.1. This, together with similarities in the genomic organisation around these three genes, suggests that they are comembers of a subfamily, derived from a common ancestor. Hox-3.4 appears to be a homologue of the Xenopus Xlhbox5 and human cp11 genes (Fritz and De Robertis, 1988; Simeone et al. 1988). Using a panel of mouse-hamster somatic cell hybrids we have mapped the Hox-3.4 gene to chromosome 15. From the results of in situ hybridization experiments, we describe the distribution of Hox-3.4 transcripts within the 12 1/2 day mouse embryo, and we compare this with the distributions of transcripts shown by seven other members of the Hox gene network. We note three consistencies that underlie the patterns of expression shown by Hox-3.4. First, the anterior limits of Hox-3.4 transcripts in the embryo are related to the position of the Hox-3.4 gene within the Hox-3 locus. Second, the anterior limits of Hox-3.4 expression within the central nervous system are similar to those shown by subfamily homologues Hox-2.1 and Hox-1.3, although the tissue-specific patterns of expression for these three genes show many differences. Third, the patterns of Hox-3.4 expression within the spinal cord and the testis are very similar to those shown by a neighbouring Hox-3 gene (Hox-3.3), but they are quite different from those shown by Hox-1 genes (Hox-1.2, -1.3 and -1.4).


Development ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 791-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mackem ◽  
K.A. Mahon

Homeobox genes play a key role in specifying the segmented body plan of Drosophila, and recent work suggests that at least several homeobox genes may play a regulatory role during vertebrate limb morphogenesis. We have used degenerate oligonucleotide primers from highly conserved domains in the homeobox motif to amplify homeobox gene segments from chick embryo limb bud cDNAs using the polymerase chain reaction. Expression of a large number of homeobox genes (at least 17) is detected using this approach. One of these genes contains a novel homeobox loosely related to the Drosophila Abdominal B class, and was further analyzed by determining its complete coding sequence and evaluating its expression during embryogenesis by in situ hybridization. Based on sequence and expression patterns, we have designated this gene as Ghox 4.7 and believe that it is the chick homologue of the murine Hox 4.7 gene (formerly Hox 5.6). Ghox 4.7 is expressed primarily in limb buds during development and shows a striking spatial restriction to the posterior zone of the limb bud, suggesting a role in specifying anterior-posterior pattern formation. In chick, this gene also displays differences in expression between wing and leg buds, raising the possibility that it may participate in specifying limb-type identity.


Development ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.E. Fernandez ◽  
F.R. Turner ◽  
M.L. Crouch

Probes derived from cDNA clones of napin and cruciferin, the major storage proteins of Brassica napus, and in situ hybridization techniques were used to examine changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of storage protein messages during the course of embryogeny, with a special emphasis on the developing apical meristems. Napin mRNAs begin to accumulate in the cortex of the axis during late heart stage, in the outer faces of the cotyledons during torpedo stage and in the inner faces of the cotyledons during cotyledon stage. Cruciferin mRNAs accumulate in a similar pattern but approximately 5 days later. Cells in the apical regions where root and shoot meristems develop do not accumulate storage protein messages during early stages of embryogeny. In the upper axis, the boundary between these apical cells and immediately adjacent cells that accumulate napin and cruciferin mRNAs is particularly distinct. Our analysis indicates that this boundary is not related to differences in tissue or cell type, but appears instead to be coincident with the site of a particular set of early cell divisions. A major change in the mRNA accumulation patterns occurs halfway through embryogeny, as the embryos enter maturation stage and start drying down. Final maturation of the shoot apical meristem is associated with the development of leaf primordia and the accumulation of napin mRNAs in the meristem, associated leaf primordia and vascular tissue. Cruciferin mRNAs accumulate only in certain zones of the shoot apical meristem and on the flanks of leaf primordia. Neither type of mRNA accumulates in the root apical meristem at any stage.


Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (16) ◽  
pp. 3629-3636 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Satoh ◽  
S.K. Hong ◽  
A. Nishimura ◽  
M. Matsuoka ◽  
H. Kitano ◽  
...  

The regulatory mechanism of shoot apical meristem (SAM) initiation is an important subject in developmental plant biology. We characterized nine recessive mutations derived from four independent loci (SHL1-SHL4) causing the deletion of the SAM. Radicles were produced in these mutant embryos. Concomitant with the loss of SAM, two embryo-specific organs, coleoptile and epiblast, were lost, but the scutellum was formed normally. Therefore, differentiation of radicle and scutellum is regulated independently of SAM, but that of coleoptile and epiblast may depend on SAM. Regeneration experiments using adventitious shoots from the scutellum-derived calli showed that no adventitious shoots were regenerated in any shl mutant. However, small adventitious leaves were observed in both mutant and wild-type calli, but they soon became necrotic and showed no extensive growth. Thus, leaf primordia can initiate in the absence of SAM, but their extensive growth requires the SAM. An in situ hybridization experiment using a rice homeobox gene, OSH1, as a probe revealed that shl1 and shl2 modified the expression domain of OSH1, but normal expression of OSH1 was observed in shl3 and shl4 embryos. Accordingly, SHL1 and SHL2 function upstream of OSH1, and SHL3 and SHL4 downstream or independently of OSH1. These shl mutants are useful for elucidating the genetic program driving SAM initiation and for unraveling the interrelationships among various organs in grass embryos.


Author(s):  
Anastasiia I Maksimova ◽  
Lidija Berke ◽  
Marco G Salgado ◽  
Ekaterina A Klimova ◽  
Katharina Pawlowski ◽  
...  

Abstract KNOX genes encode transcription factors (TFs), several of which act non-cell-autonomously. KNOX genes evolved in algae, and two classes, class I KNOX and class II KNOX genes, were already present in charophytes. In tracheophytes, class I KNOX genes are expressed in shoot apical meristems (SAMs) and thought to inhibit cell differentiation, whereas class II KNOX genes are expressed in mature organs regulating differentiation. In this review, we summarize the data available on gene families and expression patterns of class I and class II KNOX genes in embryophytes. The expression patterns of class I KNOX genes should be seen in the context of SAM structure and of leaf primordium development where the inhibition of cell differentiation needs to be lifted. Although the SAMs of angiosperms and gnetophytes almost always belong to the duplex type, several other types are distributed in gymnosperms, ferns, lycopods and bryophytes. KNOX gene families remained small (maximally five genes) in the representatives of bryophytes, lycopods and ferns examined thus far; however, they expanded to some extent in gymnosperms and, independently and much more strongly, in angiosperms. The growing sophistication of mechanisms to repress and re-induce class KNOX I expression played a major role in the evolution of leaf shape.


Development ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Jackson ◽  
B. Veit ◽  
S. Hake

In this paper we describe the expression patterns of a family of homeobox genes in maize and their relationship to organogenic domains in the vegetative shoot apical meristem. These genes are related by sequence to KNOTTED1, a gene characterized by dominant neomorphic mutations which perturb specific aspects of maize leaf development. Four members of this gene family are expressed in shoot meristems and the developing stem, but not in determinate lateral organs such as leaves or floral organs. The genes show distinct expression patterns in the vegetative shoot apical meristem that together predict the site of leaf initiation and the basal limit of the vegetative ‘phytomer’ or segmentation unit of the shoot. These genes are also expressed in the inflorescence and floral meristems, where their patterns of expression are more similar, and they are not expressed in root apical meristems. These findings are discussed in relation to other studies of shoot apical meristem organization as well as possible commonality of homeobox gene function in the animal and plant kingdoms.


2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 598-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lacroix ◽  
Denis Barabé ◽  
Bernard Jeune

The developmental morphology of shoots of Thuja occidentalis L. (eastern white cedar) was investigated using scanning electron microscopy to determine the pattern of initiation of two types of leaves characteristic of higher (third and above) order branches. The shoots of eastern white cedar are bilateral in symmetry and bear leaves in an orthogonal decussate phyllotactic pattern. The shoot system is further characterized by the presence of two alternating and morphologically different pairs of leaves that constitute the basic repeating pattern of the shoot apical meristem (SAM). At maturity the dimorphism between leaf types is marked. Leaves in one plane are wide and flat in comparison with narrower and cup-shaped leaves growing in a plane perpendicular to the other leaf type. The early stages of development of each of the two types of leaves were compared using scanning electron microscopy. During the earliest visible stages of initiation (primordial crest), cup-shaped and flat leaves are very similar in morphology. As individual leaf primordia become more easily delimited as structures by the presence of a furrow between the SAM and the leaf, they differ in terms of width. As they develop further and begin to cover the SAM, the two leaf types are distinguishable morphologically (flat vs. cup shaped). Quantitative parameters such as diameter of the SAM, angle of insertion of individual leaves, and size of leaf primordia (in both a tangential and perpendicular plane) were measured on three categories of leaves: stage 1, earliest visible stage of initiation; stage 2, delineation of leaf primordium from SAM by furrowing; stage 3, leaf primordium partially covering SAM. These measurements corroborate our morphological observations, which show that during early stages of development, flat and cup-shaped leaves are morphologically similar and they diverge in their pattern of development postinitiation, especially as far as leaf width and thickness are concerned. Our results also suggest that the size and shape of the apex goes through a "repeating" cycle and is related to the type of primordium that will be initiated.Key words: Thuja occidentalis, eastern white cedar, leaf development, shoot apical meristem, phyllotaxy, leaf dimorphism.


1969 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas H. Haight ◽  
Charles Carroll Kuehnert

Arguments supported by the data given favor the interpretation that (1) adaxial buds are produced by Osmunda cinnamomea leaf primordia; (2) they are produced in addition to the leaf which bears them; (3) they are to be considered adventitious rather than axial; (4) they are of a strictly foliar rather than cauline nature; and (5) they are produced only when a primordium has been isolated from the rest of the shoot system.In O. cinnamomea, the bud, which is formed in addition to the leaf primordium, is evident at the end of the fifth to sixth week on singly cultured P3 and P4 leaf primordia. With younger leaf primordia, e.g. P2’s, often the only evidence of bud formation at the termination of an 8-week culturing period is the presence of the new apical meristem (the SAM′). In the case of older primordia, however, such as P4’s, whether cultured singly or isolated from the shoot apical meristem (SAM) on a plug of tissue, the bud is observed to consist of the SAM′, and from one to seven new leaf primordia. At this stage, the meristematic outgrowth can be considered to be in the true bud state. If the culturing period is extended beyond 8 weeks, the SAM′ develops from the bud state into the plantlet state bearing miniature juvenile leaves, and roots.


Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 957-964
Author(s):  
Joanna Wyrzykowska ◽  
Stéphane Pien ◽  
Wen Hui Shen ◽  
Andrew J. Fleming

The role of cell division as a causal element in plant morphogenesis is debatable, with accumulating evidence supporting the action of cell division-independent mechanisms. To directly test the morphogenic function of cell division, we have utilised a microinduction technique to locally and transiently manipulate the expression in transgenic plants of two genes encoding putative effectors of the cell cycle, a tobacco A-type cyclin and a yeast cdc25. The results show that local expression of these genes leads to modulation of cell division patterns. Moreover, whereas altered cell division in the apical meristem had no influence on organogenesis, local induction of cell proliferation on the flanks of young leaf primordia led to a dramatic change in lamina development and, thus, leaf shape. These data indicate that the role of cell division in plant morphogenesis is context dependent and identify cell division in the leaf primordium as a potential target for factors regulating leaf shape.


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