Regulation of developmental transitions

DnFCA Isoforms Cooperatively Regulate Temperature-Related Flowering in Dendrobium nobile

Timely flowering is a determinative trait for many economically valuable species in the Dendrobium genus of the Orchidaceae family, some of which are used for ornamental and medicinal purposes. D. nobile, a representative species of nobile-type Dendrobium, normally flowers in spring after exposure to sufficient low temperatures in winter. However, flowering can be stopped or disrupted by the untimely application of high temperatures. Little is known about the regulation and the mechanisms behind this switch. In this study, we report two isoforms from the KFK09_017173 locus of the D. nobile genome, named DnFCAγ and DnFCAβ, respectively, that cooperatively regulate flowering in D. nobile. These two isoforms are generated by alternative 3' polyadenylation of DnFCA (FLOWERING CONTROL LOCUS C in D. nobile) pre-mRNA and contain a distinct 3'-terminus. Both can partially rescue late flowering in the Arabidopsis fca-1 mutant, while in wild-type Arabidopsis, they tend to delay the flowering time. When introduced into the detached axillary buds or young seedlings of D. nobile, both were able to induce the transcription of DnAGL19 (AGAMOUS LIKE 19 in D. nobile) in seedlings, whereas only DnFCAγ was able to suppress the transcription of DnAPL1 (AP1-LIKE 1 in D. nobile) in axillary buds. Furthermore, the time-course change of DnFCAγ accumulation was opposite to that of DnAPL1 in axillary buds, which was remarkable under low temperatures and within a short time after the application of high temperatures, supporting the suggestion that the expression of DnAPL1 can be inhibited by a high accumulation of DnFCAγ in floral buds. In leaves, the accumulation of DnFCAβ was in accordance with that of DnAGL19 and DnFT (FLOWERING LOCUS T in D. nobile) to a large extent, suggesting the activation of the DnAGL19-DnFT pathway by DnFCAβ. Taken together, these results suggest that the DnFCAγ-DnAPL1 pathway in axillary buds and the DnFCAβ-DnAGL19 pathway in the leaves cooperatively promote flowering under low temperatures. The long-term and constant, or untimely, application of high temperatures leads to the constitutive suppression of DnAPL1 by a high level of DnFCAγ in axillary buds, which consequently delays floral development.

Genome-wide exploration and characterization of miR172/euAP2 genes in Brassica napus L. for likely role in flower organ development

BACKGROUND

APETALA2-like genes encode plant-specific transcription factors, some of which possess one microRNA172 (miR172) binding site. The miR172 and its target euAP2 genes are involved in the process of phase transformation and flower organ development in many plants. However, the roles of miR172 and its target AP2 genes remain largely unknown in Brassica napus (B. napus).

RESULTS

In this study, 19 euAP2 and four miR172 genes were identified in the B. napus genome. A sequence analysis suggested that 17 euAP2 genes were targeted by Bna-miR172 in the 3' coding region. EuAP2s were classified into five major groups in B.napus. This classification was consistent with the exon-intron structure and motif organization. An analysis of the nonsynonymous and synonymous substitution rates revealed that the euAP2 genes had gone through purifying selection. Whole genome duplication (WGD) or segmental duplication events played a major role in the expansion of the euAP2 gene family. A cis-regulatory element (CRE) analysis suggested that the euAP2s were involved in the response to light, hormones, stress, and developmental processes including circadian control, endosperm and meristem expression. Expression analysis of the miR172-targeted euAP2s in nine different tissues showed diverse spatiotemporal expression patterns. Most euAP2 genes were highly expressed in the floral organs, suggesting their specific functions in flower development. BnaAP2-1, BnaAP2-5 and BnaTOE1-2 had higher expression levels in late-flowering material than early-flowering material based on RNA-seq and qRT-PCR, indicating that they may act as floral suppressors.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, analyses of the evolution, structure, tissue specificity and expression of the euAP2 genes were peformed in B.napus. Based on the RNA-seq and experimental data, euAP2 may be involved in flower development. Three euAP2 genes (BnaAP2-1, BnaAP2-5 and BnaTOE1-2) might be regarded as floral suppressors. The results of this study provide insights for further functional characterization of the miR172 /euAP2 module in B.napus.

Functional characterization of GhSOC1 and GhMADS42 homologs from upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

In Arabidopsis flowering pathway, MADS-box genes encode transcription factors, with their structures and functions highly conserved in many species. In our study, two MADS-box genes GhSOC1 and GhMADS42 (Gossypium hirsutum L.) were cloned from upland cotton CCRI36 and transformed into Arabidopsis. GhSOC1 was additionally transformed into upland cotton. Comparative analysis demonstrated sequence conservation between GhSOC1 and GhMADS42 and genes of other plant species. Tissue-specific expression analysis of GhSOC1 and GhMADS42 revealed spatiotemporal expression patterns involving high transcript levels in leaves, shoot apical buds, and flowers. In addition, overexpression of both GhSOC1 and GhMADS42 in Arabidopsis accelerated flowering, with GhMADS42 transgenic plants showing abnormal floral organ phenotypes. Overexpression of GhSOC1 in upland cotton also produced variations in floral organs. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that GhSOC1 could regulate GhMADS41 and GhMADS42, but not FLOWERING LOCUS T, by directly binding to the genes promoter. Finally, yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation approaches were undertaken to better understand the interaction of GhSOC1 and other MADS-box factors. These experiments showed that GhSOC1 can interact with APETALA1/FRUITFULL-like proteins in cotton.

Towards modelling the flexible timing of shoot development: simulation of maize organogenesis based on coordination within and between phytomers

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Experimental evidence challenges the approximation, central in crop models, that developmental events follow a fixed thermal time schedule, and indicates that leaf emergence events play a role in the timing of development. The objective of this study was to build a structural development model of maize (Zea mays) based on a set of coordination rules at organ level that regulate duration of elongation, and to show how the distribution of leaf sizes emerges from this.

METHODS

A model of maize development was constructed based on three coordination rules between leaf emergence events and the dynamics of organ extension. The model was parameterized with data from maize grown at a low plant population density and tested using data from maize grown at high population density.

KEY RESULTS

The model gave a good account of the timing and duration of organ extension. By using initial conditions associated with high population density, the model reproduced well the increase in blade elongation duration and the delay in sheath extension in high-density populations compared with low-density populations. Predictions of the sizes of sheaths at high density were accurate, whereas predictions of the dynamics of blade length were accurate up to rank 9; moderate overestimation of blade length occurred at higher ranks.

CONCLUSIONS

A set of simple rules for coordinated growth of organs is sufficient to simulate the development of maize plant structure without taking into account any regulation by assimilates. In this model, whole-plant architecture is shaped through initial conditions that feed a cascade of coordination events.

Genetic control of maize shoot apical meristem architecture

The shoot apical meristem contains a pool of undifferentiated stem cells and generates all above-ground organs of the plant. During vegetative growth, cells differentiate from the meristem to initiate leaves while the pool of meristematic cells is preserved; this balance is determined in part by genetic regulatory mechanisms. To assess vegetative meristem growth and genetic control in Zea mays, we investigated its morphology at multiple time points and identified three stages of growth. We measured meristem height, width, plastochron internode length, and associated traits from 86 individuals of the intermated B73 × Mo17 recombinant inbred line population. For meristem height-related traits, the parents exhibited markedly different phenotypes, with B73 being very tall, Mo17 short, and the population distributed between. In the outer cell layer, differences appeared to be related to number of cells rather than cell size. In contrast, B73 and Mo17 were similar in meristem width traits and plastochron internode length, with transgressive segregation in the population. Multiple loci (6−9 for each trait) were mapped, indicating meristem architecture is controlled by many regions; none of these coincided with previously described mutants impacting meristem development. Major loci for height and width explaining 16% and 19% of the variation were identified on chromosomes 5 and 8, respectively. Significant loci for related traits frequently coincided, whereas those for unrelated traits did not overlap. With the use of three near-isogenic lines, a locus explaining 16% of the parental variation in meristem height was validated. Published expression data were leveraged to identify candidate genes in significant regions.

Comparative transcriptomics as a tool for the identification of root branching genes in maize

The root system is fundamental for plant development, is crucial for overall plant growth and is recently being recognized as the key for future crop productivity improvement. A major determinant of root system architecture is the initiation of lateral roots. While knowledge of the genetic and molecular mechanisms regulating lateral root initiation has mainly been achieved in the dicotyledonous plant Arabidopsis thaliana, only scarce data are available for major crop species, generally monocotyledonous plants. The existence of both similarities and differences at the morphological and anatomical level between plant species from both clades raises the question whether regulation of lateral root initiation may or may not be conserved through evolution. Here, we performed a targeted genome-wide transcriptome analysis during lateral root initiation both in primary and in adventitious roots of Zea mays and found evidence for the existence of common transcriptional regulation. Further, based on a comparative analysis with Arabidopsis transcriptome data, a core of genes putatively conserved across angiosperms could be identified. Therefore, it is plausible that common regulatory mechanisms for lateral root initiation are at play in maize and Arabidopsis, a finding that might encourage the extrapolation of knowledge obtained in Arabidopsis to crop species at the level of root system architecture.

Ethylene and the regulation of plant development

Often considered an 'aging' hormone due to its role in accelerating such developmental processes as ripening, senescence, and abscission, the plant hormone ethylene also regulates many aspects of growth and development throughout the life cycle of the plant. Multiple mechanisms have been identified by which transcriptional output from the ethylene signaling pathway can be tailored to meet the needs of particular developmental pathways. Of special interest is the report by Lumba et al. in BMC Biology on how vegetative transitions are regulated through the effect of the transcription factor FUSCA3 on ethylene-controlled gene expression, providing an elegant example of how hormonal control can be integrated into a developmental pathway.

See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/10/8

Orchestration of floral initiation by APETALA1

The MADS-domain transcription factor APETALA1 (AP1) is a key regulator of Arabidopsis flower development. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying AP1 function, we identified its target genes during floral initiation using a combination of gene expression profiling and genome-wide binding studies. Many of its targets encode transcriptional regulators, including known floral repressors. The latter genes are down-regulated by AP1, suggesting that it initiates floral development by abrogating the inhibitory effects of these genes. Although AP1 acts predominantly as a transcriptional repressor during the earliest stages of flower development, at more advanced stages it also activates regulatory genes required for floral organ formation, indicating a dynamic mode of action. Our results further imply that AP1 orchestrates floral initiation by integrating growth, patterning, and hormonal pathways.

The sequential action of miR156 and miR172 regulates developmental timing in Arabidopsis

The transition from the juvenile to the adult phase of shoot development in plants is accompanied by changes in vegetative morphology and an increase in reproductive potential. Here, we describe the regulatory mechanism of this transition. We show that miR156 is necessary and sufficient for the expression of the juvenile phase, and regulates the timing of the juvenile-to-adult transition by coordinating the expression of several pathways that control different aspects of this process. miR156 acts by repressing the expression of functionally distinct SPL transcription factors. miR172 acts downstream of miR156 to promote adult epidermal identity. miR156 regulates the expression of miR172 via SPL9 which, redundantly with SPL10, directly promotes the transcription of miR172b. Thus, like the larval-to-adult transition in Caenorhabditis elegans, the juvenile-to-adult transition in Arabidopsis is mediated by sequentially operating miRNAs. miR156 and miR172 are positively regulated by the transcription factors they target, suggesting that negative feedback loops contribute to the stability of the juvenile and adult phases.

Target genes of the MADS transcription factor SEPALLATA3: integration of developmental and hormonal pathways in the Arabidopsis flower

The molecular mechanisms by which floral homeotic genes act as major developmental switches to specify the identity of floral organs are still largely unknown. Floral homeotic genes encode transcription factors of the MADS-box family, which are supposed to assemble in a combinatorial fashion into organ-specific multimeric protein complexes. Major mediators of protein interactions are MADS-domain proteins of the SEPALLATA subfamily, which play a crucial role in the development of all types of floral organs. In order to characterize the roles of the SEPALLATA3 transcription factor complexes at the molecular level, we analyzed genome-wide the direct targets of SEPALLATA3. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by ultrahigh-throughput sequencing or hybridization to whole-genome tiling arrays to obtain genome-wide DNA-binding patterns of SEPALLATA3. The results demonstrate that SEPALLATA3 binds to thousands of sites in the genome. Most potential target sites that were strongly bound in wild-type inflorescences are also bound in the floral homeotic agamous mutant, which displays only the perianth organs, sepals, and petals. Characterization of the target genes shows that SEPALLATA3 integrates and modulates different growth-related and hormonal pathways in a combinatorial fashion with other MADS-box proteins and possibly with non-MADS transcription factors. In particular, the results suggest multiple links between SEPALLATA3 and auxin signaling pathways. Our gene expression analyses link the genomic binding site data with the phenotype of plants expressing a dominant repressor version of SEPALLATA3, suggesting that it modulates auxin response to facilitate floral organ outgrowth and morphogenesis. Furthermore, the binding of the SEPALLATA3 protein to cis-regulatory elements of other MADS-box genes and expression analyses reveal that this protein is a key component in the regulatory transcriptional network underlying the formation of floral organs.

Most regulatory genes encode transcription factors, which modulate gene expression by binding to regulatory sequences of their target genes. In plants in particular, which genes are directly controlled by these transcription factors, and the molecular mechanisms of target gene recognition in vivo, are still largely unexplored. One of the best-understood developmental processes in plants is flower development. In different combinations, transcription factors of the MADS-box family control the identities of the different types of floral organs: sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Here, we present the first genome-wide analysis of binding sites of a MADS-box transcription factor in plants. We show that the MADS-domain protein SEPALLATA3 (SEP3) binds to the regulatory regions of thousands of potential target genes, many of which are also transcription factors. We provide insight into mechanisms of DNA recognition by SEP3, and suggest roles for other transcription factor families in SEP3 target gene regulation. In addition to effects on genes involved in floral organ identity, our data suggest that SEP3 binds to, and modulates, the transcription of target genes involved in hormonal signaling pathways.

The key floral regulator SEPALLATA3 binds to the promoters of a large number of potential direct target genes to integrate different growth-related and hormonal pathways in flower development.

Towards molecular breeding of reproductive traits in cereal crops

The transition from vegetative to reproductive phase, flowering per se, floral organ development, panicle structure and morphology, meiosis, pollination and fertilization, cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and fertility restoration, and grain development are the main reproductive traits. Unlocking their genetic insights will enable plant breeders to manipulate these traits in cereal germplasm enhancement. Multiple genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting flowering (phase transition, photoperiod and vernalization, flowering per se), panicle morphology and grain development have been cloned, and gene expression research has provided new information about the nature of complex genetic networks involved in the expression of these traits. Molecular biology is also facilitating the identification of diverse CMS sources in hybrid breeding. Few Rf (fertility restorer) genes have been cloned in maize, rice and sorghum. DNA markers are now used to assess the genetic purity of hybrids and their parental lines, and to pyramid Rf or tms (thermosensitive male sterility) genes in rice. Transgene(s) can be used to create de novo CMS trait in cereals. The understanding of reproductive biology facilitated by functional genomics will allow a better manipulation of genes by crop breeders and their potential use across species through genetic transformation.

Flowering and apical meristem growth dynamics

The shoot apical meristem generates stem, leaves, and lateral shoot meristems during the entire shoot ontogeny. Vegetative leaves are generated by the meristem in the vegetative developmental phase, while in the reproductive phase either bracts subtending lateral flower primordia (or paraclades), or perianth and strictly reproductive organs are formed. Meristem growth is fully characterized by the principal growth rates, directions, volumetric, and areal growth rates. Growth modelling or sequential in vivo methods of meristem observation complemented by growth quantification allow the above growth variables to be estimated. Indirectly, growth is assessed by cell division rates and other cell cycle parameters. Temporal and spatial changes of growth and geometry take place at the meristem during the transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase. During the vegetative phase, meristem growth is generally indeterminate. In the reproductive phase it is almost always determinate, but the extent of determinacy depends on the inflorescence architecture. In the vegetative phase the central meristem zone is the slowest growing region. The transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase is accompanied by an increase in mitotic activity in this zone. The more determinate is the meristem growth, the stronger is this mitotic activation. However, regardless of the extent of the activation, in angiosperms the tunica/corpus structure of the meristem is preserved and therefore the mitotic activity of germ line cells remains relatively low. In the case of the thoroughly studied model angiosperm plant Arabidopsis thaliana, it is important to recognize that the flower primordium develops in the axil of a rudimentary bract. Another important feature of growth of the inflorescence shoot apical meristem is the heterogeneity of the peripheral zone. Finally, the role of mechanical factors in growth and functioning of the meristem needs further investigation.

The rice heterochronic gene SUPERNUMERARY BRACT regulates the transition from spikelet meristem to floral meristem

Regulating the transition of meristem identity is a critical step in reproductive development. After the shoot apical meristem (SAM) acquires inflorescence meristem identity, it goes through a sequential transition to second- and higher-order meristems that can eventually give rise to floral organs. Despite ample information on the molecular mechanisms that control the transition from SAM to inflorescence meristems, little is known about the mechanism for inflorescence development, especially in monocots. Here, we report the identification of the SUPERNUMERARY BRACT (SNB) gene controlling the transition from spikelet meristem to floral meristem and the floral organ development. This gene encodes a putative transcription factor carrying two AP2 domains. The SNB:GFP fusion protein is localized to the nucleus. SNB is expressed in all the examined tissues, but most strongly in the newly emerging spikelet meristems. In SNB knockout plants, the transition from spikelet meristems to floral meristems is delayed, resulting in the production of multiple rudimentary glumes in an alternative phyllotaxy. The development of additional bracts interferes with subsequent floral architecture. In some spikelets, the empty glumes and lodicules are transformed into lemma/palea-like organs. Occasionally, the number of stamens and carpels is altered and an ectopic floret occurs in the axil of the rachilla. These phenotypes suggest that snb is a heterochronic mutant, affecting the phase transition of spikelet meristems, the pattern formation of floral organs and spikelet meristem determinancy.

Asymmetric cell divisions in flowering plants - one mother, "two-many" daughters

Plant development shows a fascinating range of asymmetric cell divisions. Over the years, however, cellular differentiation has been interpreted mostly in terms of a mother cell dividing mitotically to produce two daughter cells of different fates. This popular view has masked the significance of an entirely different cell fate specification pathway, where the mother cell first becomes a coenocyte and then cellularizes to simultaneously produce more than two specialized daughter cells. The "one mother - two different daughters" pathways rely on spindle-assisted mechanisms, such as translocation of the nucleus/spindle to a specific cellular site and orientation of the spindle, which are coordinated with cell-specific allocation of cell fate determinants and cytokinesis. By contrast, during "coenocyte-cellularization" pathways, the spindle-assisted mechanisms are irrelevant since cell fate specification emerges only after the nuclear divisions are complete, and the number of specialized daughter cells produced depends on the developmental context. The key events, such as the formation of a coenocyte and migration of the nuclei to specific cellular locations, are coordinated with cellularization by unique types of cell wall formation. Both one mother - two different daughters and the coenocyte-cellularization pathways are used by higher plants in precise spatial and time windows during development. In both the pathways, epigenetic regulation of gene expression is crucial not only for cell fate specification but also for its maintenance through cell lineage. In this review, the focus is on the coenocyte-cellularization pathways in the context of our current understanding of the asymmetric cell divisions. Instances where cell differentiation does not involve an asymmetric division are also discussed to provide a comprehensive account of cell differentiation.