First published online July 9, 2004; 10.1104/pp.104.040832
Plant Physiology 135:1491-1501 (2004)
© 2004 American Society of Plant Biologists
DEVELOPMENT AND HORMONE ACTION
Floral Meristem Identity Genes Are Expressed during Tendril Development in Grapevine1
Myriam Calonje,
Pilar Cubas,
José M. Martínez-Zapater and
María José Carmona*
Departamento de Biotecnología, Escuela Técnica Superior Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain (M.C., M.J.C.); Departamento de Genética Molecular de Plantas, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain (P.C., J.M.M.-Z.); and Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain (J.M.M.-Z.)
To study the early steps of flower initiation and development in grapevine (Vitis vinifera), we have isolated two MADS-box genes, VFUL-L and VAP1, the putative FUL-like and AP1 grapevine orthologs, and analyzed their expression patterns during vegetative and reproductive development. Both genes are expressed in lateral meristems that, in grapevine, can give rise to either inflorescences or tendrils. They are also coexpressed in inflorescence and flower meristems. During flower development, VFUL-L transcripts are restricted to the central part of young flower meristems and, later, to the prospective carpel-forming region, which is consistent with a role of this gene in floral transition and carpel and fruit development. Expression pattern of VAP1 suggests that it may play a role in flowering transition and flower development. However, its lack of expression in sepal primordia, does not support its role as an A-function gene in grapevine. Neither VFUL-L nor VAP1 expression was detected in vegetative organs such as leaves or roots. In contrast, they are expressed throughout tendril development. Transcription of both genes in tendrils of very young plants that have not undergone flowering transition indicates that this expression is independent of the flowering process. These unique expression patterns of genes typically involved in reproductive development have implications on our understanding of flower induction and initiation in grapevine, on the origin of grapevine tendrils and on the functional roles of AP1-and FUL-like genes in plant development. These results also provide molecular support to the hypothesis that Vitis tendrils are modified reproductive organs adapted to climb.
1 This work was supported by the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (grant no. 07G–0046–2000 and a postdoctoral fellowship to M.C.) and by Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (grant no. BIO2001–3891–C02–02). Support to research activity at Centro Nacional de Biotecnología is provided through a specific agreement of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria.
Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.104.040832.
* Corresponding author; e-mail carmona{at}bit.etsia.upm.es; fax 34–913365757.
Received February 13, 2004;
returned for revision April 21, 2004;
accepted April 26, 2004.
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