title: Enlarged meristems and delayed growth in plp mutants result from lack of CaaX prenyltransferases.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Gene Expression Center, Albany, CA 94710, USA.
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Running
authors.forename: Meirav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lavy
authors.forename: Hasana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sternberg
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galichet
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gruissem
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hake
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ori
authors.forename: Shaul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yalovsky
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000040:Abscisic Acid