RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Evolution of Floral Meristem Identity Genes. Analysis of<em>Lolium temulentum</em> Genes Related to <em>APETALA1</em> and<em>LEAFY</em> of Arabidopsis
JF Plant Physiology
JO Plant Physiol.
FD American Society of Plant Biologists
SP 1788
OP 1801
DO 10.1104/pp.125.4.1788
VO 125
IS 4
A1 Gocal, Greg F.W.
A1 King, Rod W.
A1 Blundell, Cheryl A.
A1 Schwartz, Owen M.
A1 Andersen, Claus H.
A1 Weigel, Detlef
YR 2001
UL http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/125/4/1788.abstract
AB Flowering (inflorescence formation) of the grass Lolium temulentum is strictly regulated, occurring rapidly on exposure to a single long day (LD). During floral induction, L. temulentum differs significantly from dicot species such as Arabidopsis in the expression, at the shoot apex, of twoAPETALA1 (AP1)-like genes, LtMADS1 andLtMADS2, and of L. temulentum LEAFY(LtLFY). As shown by in situ hybridization,LtMADS1 and LtMADS2 are expressed in the vegetative shoot apical meristem, but expression increases strongly within 30 h of LD floral induction. Later in floral development,LtMADS1 and LtMADS2 are expressed within spikelet and floret meristems and in the glume and lemma primordia. It is interesting that LtLFY is detected quite late (about 12 d after LD induction) within the spikelet meristems, glumes, and lemma primordia. These patterns contrast with Arabidopsis, whereLFY and AP1 are consecutively activated early during flower formation. LtMADS2, when expressed in transgenic Arabidopsis plants under the control of theAP1 promoter, could partially complement the organ number defect of the severe ap1-15 mutant allele, confirming a close relationship between LtMADS2 andAP1.