Enlarged meristems and delayed growth in plp mutants result from lack of CaaX prenyltransferases.
Meristems require a myriad of intercellular signaling pathways for coordination of cell division within and between functional zones and clonal cell layers. This control of cell division ensures a constant availability of stem cells throughout the life span of the meristem while limiting overproliferation of meristematic cells and maintaining the meristem structure. We have undertaken a genetic screen to identify additional components of meristem signaling pathways. We identified pluripetala (plp) mutants based on their dramatically larger meristems and increased floral organ number. PLURIPETALA encodes the alpha-subunit shared between protein farnesyltransferase and protein geranylgeranyltransferase-I. plp mutants also have altered abscisic acid responses and overall much slower growth rate. plp is epistatic to mutations in the beta-subunit of farnesyltransferase and shows a synergistic interaction with clavata3 mutants. plp mutants lead to insights into the mechanism of meristem homeostasis and provide a unique in vivo system for studying the functional role of prenylation in eukaryotes.
Running
Mark P
MP
U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Gene Expression Center, Albany, CA 94710, USA.
Lavy
Meirav
M
Sternberg
Hasana
H
Galichet
Arnaud
A
Gruissem
Wilhelm
W
Hake
Sarah
S
Ori
Naomi
N
Yalovsky
Shaul
S
D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018519:Meristem / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D017368:Protein Prenylation / Q000502:physiology*
D000040:Abscisic Acid