Redundant regulation of meristem identity and plant architecture by FRUITFULL, APETALA1 and CAULIFLOWER

The transition from vegetative to reproductive phases during Arabidopsis development is the result of a complex interaction of environmental and endogenous factors. One of the key regulators of this transition is LEAFY (LFY), whose threshold levels of activity are proposed to mediate the initiation of flowers. The closely related APETALA1 (AP1) and CAULIFLOWER (CAL) meristem identity genes are also important for flower initiation, in part because of their roles in upregulating LFY expression. We have found that mutations in the FRUITFULL (FUL) MADS-box gene, when combined with mutations in AP1 and CAL, lead to a dramatic non-flowering phenotype in which plants continuously elaborate leafy shoots in place of flowers. We demonstrate that this phenotype is caused both by the lack of LFY upregulation and by the ectopic expression of the TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) gene. Our results suggest that the FUL, AP1 and CAL genes act redundantly to control inflorescence architecture by affecting the domains of LFY and TFL1 expression as well as the relative levels of their activities.     

The SEP4 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana functions in floral organ and meristem identity

The ABC model of flower organ identity is widely recognized as providing a framework for understanding the specification of flower organs in diverse plant species. Recent studies in Arabidopsis thaliana have shown that three closely related MADS-box genes, SEPALLATA1 (SEP1), SEP2 and SEP3, are required to specify petals, stamens, and carpels because these organs are converted into sepals in sep1 sep2 sep3 triple mutants. Additional studies indicate that the SEP proteins form multimeric complexes with the products of the B and C organ identity genes. Here, we characterize the SEP4 gene, which shares extensive sequence similarity to and an overlapping expression pattern with the other SEP genes. Although sep4 single mutants display a phenotype similar to that of wild-type plants, we find that floral organs are converted into leaf-like organs in sep1 sep2 sep3 sep4 quadruple mutants, indicating the involvement of all four SEP genes in the development of sepals. We also find that SEP4 contributes to the development of petals, stamens, and carpels in addition to sepals and that it plays an important role in meristem identity. These and other data demonstrate that the SEP genes play central roles in flower meristem identity and organ identity.     

与花球发生相关的BoCAL和BoAP1互作因子的筛选

CAL(CAULIFLOWER)基因与AP1(APETALA1)基因都是控制花分生组织发育的基因,二者都属于MADS-box转录因子编码基因,在拟南芥中,它们同时突变时会使花分生组织保持花序分生组织的无限分生特性,大量增生分生组织结构,形成花球表型。而花椰菜(Brasscia oleracea L.var.botrytis)中BobCAL基因单突变就能形成花球,显然两个物种中CAL的功能可能不同。为了研究芸苔属植物中CAL和AP1同源蛋白的功能,尤其是在花球形成方面的调控作用,我们利用酵母双杂交方法对拟南芥中结球甘蓝(B.oleracea vat capitata L.)BoCAL的互作因子进行了筛选。与BoCAL互作较强的四类蛋白,分别涉及蛋白质的磷酸化和去磷酸化、蛋白质的修饰、蛋白质的结合位点等,它们分别与转录调控途径及信号转导途径有着密切的联系,这些因子的获得为BoCAL作用机制研究提供了线索。我们同时检测了部分BoCAL的互作因子和BoAP1之间的互作关系以及部分已知的MADS盒转录因子分别与BoCAL和BoAP1的互作,结果表明BoCAL特异性地与SnRKβ2互作,BoCAL、BoAP1和拟南芥中同源蛋白都能与SVP互作,但与拟南芥中同源蛋白不同的是,BoCAL、BoAP1与FLM、SOC1(SUPPRESSOR OF CO OVEREXPRESSION 1)和AGL24(AGAMOUS-LIKE24)作用很弱或不能互作,暗示BoCAL和BoAP1与拟南芥中同源蛋白功能上是不同的。     

MADS-box protein complexes control carpel and ovule development in Arabidopsis

The AGAMOUS (AG) gene is necessary for stamen and carpel development and is part of a monophyletic clade of MADS-box genes that also includes SHATTERPROOF1 (SHP1), SHP2, and SEEDSTICK (STK). Here, we show that ectopic expression of either the STK or SHP gene is sufficient to induce the transformation of sepals into carpeloid organs bearing ovules. Moreover, the fact that these organ transformations occur when the STK gene is expressed ectopically in ag mutants shows that STK can promote carpel development in the absence of AG activity. We also show that STK, AG, SHP1, and SHP2 can form multimeric complexes and that these interactions require the SEPALLATA (SEP) MADS-box proteins. We provide genetic evidence for this role of the SEP proteins by showing that a reduction in SEP activity leads to the loss of normal ovule development, similar to what occurs in stk shp1 shp2 triple mutants. Together, these results indicate that the SEP proteins, which are known to form multimeric complexes in the control of flower organ identity, also form complexes to control normal ovule development.     

利用酵母双杂系统筛选与春兰CgSEP1相互作用的蛋白

兰花形态优雅,花香馥郁,花形奇特,具有高度特化的花器官,观赏价值较高。有关兰花花器官形成分子机理以及基因组测序正在不断研究中。为了探讨兰花基因间相互作用情况,本研究以春兰为材料进行基因克隆,获得了18个花发育相关基因的编码序列,经测序鉴定分别属于ABCDE类MADS-box家族基因。再以其中春兰AP/AGL9组的CgSEP1为诱饵蛋白,亚克隆至pGBKT7质粒,构建诱饵载体,将18个蛋白编码亚克隆至pGADT7质粒。通过酵母双杂系统筛选到了3个与其互作的蛋白:pGADT7-AG1、p GADT7-SEP2、pGADT7-AGL6-3。结果表明,C类AG-like和E类SEP-like、AGL-like家族基因参与SEP1基因春兰花发育过程,并形成多种蛋白混合物,共同调控花瓣和萼片的形成,进一步揭示了春兰的成花机理。     

板栗MADS-box蛋白基因(CmMADS3)的克隆和表达分析

根据MADS-box基因保守区结构,设计简并引物,从板栗（Castanea mollissima）中分离出花特异表达基因的cDNA片段。并通过5’RACE方法获得了全长cDNA,命名为CmMADS3。该片段全长1016bp,包含一个729bp的开放阅读框,推导的氨基酸序列（243个氨基酸）与拟南芥的SEPl、SEP2和SEP33类MADS-box蛋白有很高的序列相似性。系统进化分析同样将CmMADS3基因归入MADS-box基因家族的AGL2组。RT-PCR分析显示,该基因在板栗的花和幼果中表达丰度高,在茎中有微弱的表达,在叶中不表达,研究结果表明CmMADS3基因是板栗花器官发育中具有E功能的功能基因。