The homeobox transcription factor WUSCHEL （WUS） plays a critical role in keeping the balance between the maintenance and differentiation of stem cell population in shoot and floral meristems of Arabidopsis thaliana. The corresponding gene SlWUS is yet to be characterized in tomato. In order to characterize SlWUS gene and its biological function, we cloned it from tomato and analyzed its structure. Tissue expression showed that the SlWUS highly expressed in tomato flower abscission zone. The overexpression of SlWUS in Arabidopsis could trigger undifferentiation of plant flower organ and indeterminacy of flower identity, suggesting that SlWUS maybe involved in flower structure development as well as flower organ identity. Taken together, our results indicated that the SlWUS plays an important role in flower abscission zone and plant organ shedding.
WANG XiangWANG Xin-guoREN Jiang-pingMA YingYIN Jun
SQUAMOSA Promoter-Binding Protein-Like （SPL） genes encode plantspecific transcription factors that play important roles in plant phase transition,flower and fruit development,plant architecture,gibberellins signaling,sporogenesis,and response to copper and fungal toxins.In Arabidopsis,many SPL genes are post-transcriptionally regulated by the microRNA （miRNA） miR156,among which AtSPL9 in turn positively regulates the expression of the second miRNA miR172.This miR156AtSPL9-miR172 regulatory pathway plays critical roles during juvenile to adult leaf development and the miR156-SPLs feedback interaction persists all through the plant development,which may be conserved in other plants.In the present paper,we provide a concise review on the most recent progress in the regulatory mechanisms associated with plant SPL transcription factors,especially in relation to miRNAs.The potential application of these discoveries in agriculture is briefly discussed.
Xiaobo Chen Zenglin Zhang Danmei Liu Kai Zhang Aili Li Long Mao
