scholarly journals The CLV3 Homolog in Setaria viridis Selectively Controls Inflorescence Meristem Size

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuanmei Zhu ◽  
Lei Liu ◽  
Olivia Crowell ◽  
Hui Zhao ◽  
Thomas P. Brutnell ◽  
...  

The CLAVATA pathway controls meristem size during inflorescence development in both eudicots and grasses, and is initiated by peptide ligands encoded by CLV3/ESR-related (CLE) genes. While CLV3 controls all shoot meristems in Arabidopsis, evidence from cereal grasses indicates that different meristem types are regulated by different CLE peptides. The rice peptide FON2 primarily controls the size of the floral meristem, whereas the orthologous peptides CLE7 and CLE14 in maize have their most dramatic effects on inflorescence and branch meristems, hinting at diversification among CLE responses in the grasses. Setaria viridis is more closely related to maize than to rice, so can be used to test whether the maize CLE network can be generalized to all members of subfamily Panicoideae. We used CRISPR-Cas9 in S. viridis to knock out the SvFON2 gene, the closest homolog to CLV3 and FON2. Svfon2 mutants developed larger inflorescence meristems, as in maize, but had normal floral meristems, unlike Osfon2, suggesting a panicoid-specific CLE network. Vegetative traits such as plant height, tiller number and leaf number were not significantly different between mutant and wild type plants, but time to heading was shorter in the mutants. In situ hybridization showed strong expression of Svfon2 in the inflorescence and branch meristems, consistent with the mutant phenotype. Using bioinformatic analysis, we predicted the co-expression network of SvFON2 and its signaling components, which included genes known to control inflorescence architecture in maize as well as genes of unknown function. The similarity between SvFON2 function in Setaria and maize suggests that its developmental specialization in inflorescence meristem control may be shared among panicoid grasses.

Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (8) ◽  
pp. 1323-1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Fletcher

The regulation of proper shoot and floral meristem size during plant development is mediated by a complex interaction of stem cell promoting and restricting factors. The phenotypic effects of mutations in the ULTRAPETALA gene, which is required to control shoot and floral meristem cell accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana, are described. ultrapetala flowers contain more floral organs and whorls than wild-type plants, phenotypes that correlate with an increase in floral meristem size preceding organ initiation. ultrapetala plants also produce more floral meristems than wild-type plants, correlating with an increase in inflorescence meristem size without visible fasciation. Expression analysis indicates that ULTRAPETALA controls meristem cell accumulation partly by limiting the domain of CLAVATA1 expression. Genetic studies show that ULTRAPETALA acts independently of ERA1, but has overlapping functions with PERIANTHIA and the CLAVATA signal transduction pathway in controlling shoot and floral meristem size and meristem determinacy. Thus ULTRAPETALA defines a novel locus that restricts meristem cell accumulation in Arabidopsis shoot and floral meristems.


Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 733-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Souer ◽  
A. van der Krol ◽  
D. Kloos ◽  
C. Spelt ◽  
M. Bliek ◽  
...  

A main determinant of inflorescence architecture is the site where floral meristems are initiated. We show that in wild-type Petunia bifurcation of the inflorescence meristem yields two meristems of approximately equal size. One terminates into a floral meristem and the other maintains its inflorescence identity. By random transposon mutagenesis we have generated two mutants in which the architecture of the inflorescence is altered. In the extra petals- (exp) mutant the inflorescence terminates with the formation of a single terminal flower. Phenotypic analysis showed that exp is required for the bifurcation of inflorescence meristems. In contrast, the aberrant leaf and flower- (alf) mutant is affected in the specification of floral meristem identity while the branching pattern of the inflorescence remains unaltered. A weak alf allele was identified that, after bifurcation of the inflorescence meristem, yields a ‘floral’ meristem with partial inflorescence characteristics. By analysing independent transposon dTph1 insertion alleles we show that the alf locus encodes the Petunia FLORICAULA/LEAFY homolog. In situ hybridisation shows that alf is expressed in the floral meristem and also in the vegetative meristem. Differences and similarities between these Petunia mutants and mutations affecting inflorescence architecture in other species will be discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 1799-1805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingyu Wu ◽  
Fang Xu ◽  
Lei Liu ◽  
Si Nian Char ◽  
Yezhang Ding ◽  
...  

Heterotrimeric G proteins are important transducers of receptor signaling, functioning in plants with CLAVATA receptors in controlling shoot meristem size and with pathogen-associated molecular pattern receptors in basal immunity. However, whether specific members of the heterotrimeric complex potentiate cross-talk between development and defense, and the extent to which these functions are conserved across species, have not yet been addressed. Here we used CRISPR/Cas9 to knock out the maize G protein β subunit gene (Gβ) and found that the mutants are lethal, differing from those in Arabidopsis, in which homologous mutants have normal growth and fertility. We show that lethality is caused not by a specific developmental arrest, but by autoimmunity. We used a genetic diversity screen to suppress the lethal Gβ phenotype and also identified a maize Gβ allele with weak autoimmune responses but strong development phenotypes. Using these tools, we show that Gβ controls meristem size in maize, acting epistatically with G protein α subunit gene (Gα), suggesting that Gβ and Gα function in a common signaling complex. Furthermore, we used an association study to show that natural variation in Gβ influences maize kernel row number, an important agronomic trait. Our results demonstrate the dual role of Gβ in immunity and development in a cereal crop and suggest that it functions in cross-talk between these competing signaling networks. Therefore, modification of Gβ has the potential to optimize the trade-off between growth and defense signaling to improve agronomic production.


Botany ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (9) ◽  
pp. 642-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlène Antoun ◽  
François Ouellet

Plants adjust their growth and development to ensure survival under adverse environmental conditions. Nonoptimal growth temperatures can have a major impact on biomass and crop yield. A detailed phenotypic analysis (number and length of rosette and cauline branches, flowers, and buds) in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that growth temperatures below (12 and 17 °C) and above (27 and 32 °C) the control 22 °C affect branching and flowering. The elongation of internodes on the main stem and of primary branches at cauline leaves is reduced at lower temperatures and increased at higher temperatures. Similar results are observed in plants treated before or after bolting. Our data therefore indicate that plants that have transitioned to the reproductive stage before treatment are slightly less affected by temperature variations than plants that are in their vegetative stage. Our results also suggest that plants need to reach a maximum height (internodes length) before they begin forming floral meristems and that this “maximum height” is dependent on the growth temperature. Plants grown at 17 °C show a slightly reduced branching, while those at 27 °C show increased branching. This suggests that apical dominance is a temperature-dependent phenomenon. This is, to our knowledge, the first extensive analysis of the effect of temperature on Arabidopsis inflorescence development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1314-1323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wei ◽  
Robert E. Davis ◽  
Gary R. Bauchan ◽  
Yan Zhao

In flowering plants, the transition of a shoot apical meristem from vegetative to reproductive destiny is a graduated, multistage process that involves sequential conversion of the vegetative meristem to an inflorescence meristem, initiation of floral meristems, emergence of flower organ primordia, and formation of floral organs. This orderly process can be derailed by phytoplasma, a bacterium that parasitizes phloem sieve cells. In a previous study, we showed that phytoplasma-induced malformation of flowers reflects stage-specific derailment of shoot apical meristems from their genetically preprogrammed reproductive destiny. Our current study unveiled new symptoms of abnormal morphogenesis, pointing to derailment of meristem transition at additional stages previously unidentified. We also found that the fate of developing meristems may be derailed even after normal termination of the floral meristem and onset of seed production. Although previous reports by others have indicated that different symptoms may be induced by different phytoplasmal effectors, the phenomenon observed in our experiment raises interesting questions as to (i) whether effectors can act at specific stages of meristem transition and (ii) whether specific floral abnormalities are attributable to meristem fate-derailment events triggered by different effectors that each act at a specific stage in meristem transition. Research addressing such questions may lead to discoveries of an array of phytoplasmal effectors.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byoung Il Je ◽  
Fang Xu ◽  
Qingyu Wu ◽  
Lei Liu ◽  
Robert Meeley ◽  
...  

AbstractMeristems contain groups of indeterminate stem cells that are critical for organ initiation throughout plant development. The shoot apical meristem (SAM) maintains itself and initiates all shoot organs, such as leaves, floral organs and axillary branch meristems. Development and balanced proliferation of the SAM is regulated by a feedback loop between CLAVATA (CLV) and WUSCHEL (WUS) signaling. CLV signaling is initiated by secretion of the CLV3 peptide ligand, which is perceived directly or indirectly by a number of Leucine-Rich-Repeat (LRR) receptor-like kinases, including CLV1 and BARELY ANY MERISTEM (BAM) 1-3, and RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEIN KINASE 2 (RPK2), as well as the receptor-like protein CLV2 in a complex with the CORYNE (CRN) pseudokinase. However, CLV2, and its maize ortholog FASCIATED EAR2 (FEA2) appear to function in signaling by several related CLV3/EMBRYO-SURROUNDING REGION (CLE) peptide ligands, including CLV3. Nevertheless, it remains unknown how CLV2 or FEA2 transmit specific signals from distinct CLE peptides. Here we show that FEA2 is involved in signaling from at least 2 distinct CLE peptides, ZmCLE7, a maize CLV3 ortholog, and ZmFON2-LIKE CLE PROTEIN1 (ZmFCP1), a newly identified CLE peptide functioning in SAM regulation. Signaling from these 2 different CLE peptides appears to be transmitted through 2 different candidate downstream effectors, COMPACT PLANT2 (CT2), the alpha subunit of the maize heterotrimeric G protein, and maize CRN. Our data provide a novel framework to understand how diverse signaling peptides can activate different downstream pathways through common receptor proteins.


Nature Plants ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pu Huang ◽  
Hui Jiang ◽  
Chuanmei Zhu ◽  
Kerrie Barry ◽  
Jerry Jenkins ◽  
...  

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1258
Author(s):  
Carolina Schuchovski ◽  
Tea Meulia ◽  
Bruno Francisco Sant’Anna-Santos ◽  
Jonathan Fresnedo-Ramírez

Rubber dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin; TK) has received attention for its natural rubber content as a strategic biomaterial, and a promising, sustainable, and renewable alternative to synthetic rubber from fossil carbon sources. Extensive research on the domestication and rubber content of TK has demonstrated TK’s potential in industrial applications as a relevant natural rubber and latex-producing alternative crop. However, many aspects of its biology have been neglected in published studies. For example, floral development is still poorly characterized. TK inflorescences were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Nine stages of early inflorescence development are proposed, and floral micromorphology is detailed. Individual flower primordia development starts at the periphery and proceeds centripetally in the newly-formed inflorescence meristem. Floral organogenesis begins in the outermost flowers of the capitulum, with corolla ring and androecium formation. Following, pappus primordium—forming a ring around the base of the corolla tube—and gynoecium are observed. The transition from vegetative to inflorescence meristem was observed 21 days after germination. This description of inflorescence and flower development in TK sheds light on the complex process of flowering, pollination, and reproduction. This study will be useful for genetics, breeding, systematics, and development of agronomical practices for this new rubber-producing crop.


2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Welty ◽  
C. Radovich ◽  
T. Meulia ◽  
E. van der Knaap

The inflorescence of tomato has been characterized as either a cyme or raceme. Cymose inflorescences are determinate, whereas racemose inflorescences are indeterminate. In this study, we addressed the discrepancy in inflorescence architecture by analyzing the morphology of a wild relative of tomato Solanum pimpinellifolium L. and four domesticated Solanum lycopersicum L. lines. Careful observation of developing inflorescences of both species showed a bifurcation of the meristem into a determinate floral and an indeterminate inflorescence meristem. Interestingly, higher fruit carpel number was associated with delayed floral development, which might give the impression of determinate growth in some of the lines. Nevertheless, our results demonstrated that tomato inflorescences are indeterminate in nature regardless of the line studied. Floral buds were formed concomitantly with the development of the inflorescence meristem and not on the flanks of the peduncle, a characteristic of racemose growth. Thus, tomato inflorescences should be classified as a cyme with the note that the inflorescence meristem does not terminate into a flower and, in fact, maintains indeterminacy. In addition, S. pimpinellifolium produced many more flowers in a highly regular manner when compared with the cultivated types. This demonstrated the usefulness of wild relatives of tomato as a tool to further understand flower and fruit development in this crop species.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Li ◽  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Yanwen Wang ◽  
Ximing Gong ◽  
Hao Yu

Abstract A major obstacle for orchid (Orchidaceae)breeding and production is a long juvenile phase before orchid reproductive development. The molecular basis for prolonged vegetative growth in orchids remains largely unclear despite many efforts to clarify the relevant mechanisms. In this study, we report functional characterization of Dendrobium Orchid TERMINAL FLOWER1 (DOTFL1), an ortholog of TFL1 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), from the orchid Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile. DOTFL1 is highly expressed in pseudobulbs and the shoot apical meristem (SAM) before and during the floral transition, but is downregulated in inflorescence apices and open flowers. Ectopic expression of DOTFL1 rescues the early-flowering and terminal-flower phenotypes of tfl1-20 in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of DOTFL1 in Dendrobium orchids delays flowering and produces defective inflorescence meristems and flowers with vegetative traits, whereas knockdown of DOTFL1 accelerates flowering and perturbs the maintenance of the inflorescence meristem. Notably, DOTFL1 suppresses orchid flowering and associated pseudobulb formation during the floral transition. We further reveal that two orchid MADS-box transcription factors, Dendrobium Orchid SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (DOSOC1) and AGAMOUS-LIKE 24 (DOAGL24), could interact with each other and bind to the CArG-box motif at DOTFL1, implying a regulatory hierarchy similar to their counterparts in Arabidopsis. Taken together, our findings suggest that DOTFL1 promotes vegetative growth, modulates successive developmental events required for reproductive success in Dendrobium orchids, and may have evolved with a previously unknown role in controlling pseudobulb formation in the Orchidaceae family.


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