Roles for Class III HD-Zip and KANADI genes in Arabidopsis root development

Meristems within the plant body differ in their structure and the patterns and identities of organs they produce. Despite these differences, it is becoming apparent that shoot and root apical and vascular meristems share significant gene expression patterns. Class III HD-Zip genes are required for the formation of a functional shoot apical meristem. In addition, Class III HD-Zip and KANADI genes function in patterning lateral organs and vascular bundles produced from the shoot apical and vascular meristems, respectively. We utilize both gain- and loss-of-function mutants and gene expression patterns to analyze the function of Class III HD-Zip and KANADI genes in Arabidopsis roots. Here we show that both Class III HD-Zip and KANADI genes play roles in the ontogeny of lateral roots and suggest that Class III HD-Zip gene activity is required for meristematic activity in the pericycle analogous to its requirement in the shoot apical meristem.     

高表达水稻WRKY72基因影响拟南芥生长素信号传导

植物转录调控因子WRKY基因家族是一个拥有众多成员的超家族,功能涵盖了植物生长发育的控制与抗病耐逆的调节。我们主要分析了OsWRKY72基因在外源植物拟南芥中的生物学功能。通过转基因拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)的遗传学研究发现外源高表达该基因不单明显地抑制转基因植株的顶端优势,增强植株侧枝的生长,还改变了转基因植株叶片和角果的发育。进一步分析证实,高表达OsWRKY72基因所导致转基因拟南芥植株的表型和其它生理现象都与生长素信号通路改变所导致的表型和生理变化极其相近。这些结果说明OsWRKY72基因在外源植物拟南芥体内高表达后很可能改变了其正常的生长素信号通路。     

FASCIATA genes for chromatin assembly factor-1 in arabidopsis maintain the cellular organization of apical meristems

Postembryonic development of plants depends on the activity of apical meristems established during embryogenesis. The shoot apical meristem (SAM) and the root apical meristem (RAM) have similar but distinct cellular organization. Arabidopsis FASCIATA1 (FAS1) and FAS2 genes maintain the cellular and functional organization of both SAM and RAM, and FAS gene products are subunits of the Arabidopsis counterpart of chromatin assembly factor-1 (CAF-1). fas mutants are defective in maintenance of the expression states of WUSCHEL (WUS) in SAM and SCARECROW (SCR) in RAM. We suggest that CAF-1 plays a critical role in the organization of SAM and RAM during postembryonic development by facilitating stable maintenance of gene expression states.     

Shoot apical meristem and cotyledon formation during Arabidopsis embryogenesis: interaction among the CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS genes

The shoot apical meristem and cotyledons of higher plants are established during embryogenesis in the apex. Redundant CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON 1 (CUC1) and CUC2 as well as SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) of Arabidopsis are required for shoot apical meristem formation and cotyledon separation. To elucidate how the apical region of the embryo is established, we investigated genetic interactions among CUC1, CUC2 and STM, as well as the expression patterns of CUC2 and STM mRNA. Expression of these genes marked the incipient shoot apical meristem as well as the boundaries of cotyledon primordia, consistent with their roles for shoot apical meristem formation and cotyledon separation. Genetic and expression analyses indicate that CUC1 and CUC2 are redundantly required for expression of STM to form the shoot apical meristem, and that STM is required for proper spatial expression of CUC2 to separate cotyledons. A model for pattern formation in the apical region of the Arabidopsis embryo is presented.     

拟南芥AtNHX2启动子的克隆及表达模式分析

AtNHX2基因是拟南芥NHX基因家族的一员,编码了一种液泡膜中的Na+/H+反向运输体并对拟南芥的耐盐能力起着重要的作用.采用PCR扩增的方法克隆了拟南芥AtNHX2基因启始密码子上游约2.8kb的DNA片段,并将其克隆到植物表达载体pCAMBIA1301-1中,通过基因枪轰击洋葱表皮瞬时表达的方法,初步检测启动子的活性.将重组质粒pCAMBIA1301-1/AtNHX2 promoter转化拟南芥并筛选纯合子.AtNHX2 promoter-GUS分析显示AtNHX2在所有的组织中均有表达,包括根尖.在保卫细胞中检测到了强烈的GUS表达,这一结果表明,AtNHX2对特殊细胞的pH调控和K+自身稳定方面起着重要的作用.AtNHX2启动子的活性可被NaCl抑制,并且抑制的强度和NaCl的浓度成正相关.300 mmol/L KCl处理可增强启动子的活性,说明NaCl和KCl是在转录水平上调控AtNHX2的表达.在老叶中GUS活性比在新叶中GUS活性强,这说明了AtNHX2优先将有毒的离子积累在老叶中,从而有利于植物的正常发育.在根毛细胞中也观测到了强烈的GUS活性,这就暗示了AtNHX2在扩大的液泡中储存Na+.