title: The MADS-domain protein MPF1 of Physalis floridana controls plant architecture, seed development and flowering time.
abstract: Floral and vegetative development of plants is dependent on the combinatorial action of MADS-domain transcription factors. Members of the STMADS11 subclade, such as MPF1 of Physalis, are abundantly expressed in leaves as well as in floral organs, but their function is not yet clear. Our studies with transgenic Arabidopsis that over-express MPF1 suggest that MPF1 interacts with SOC1 to determine flowering time. However, MPF1 RNAi-mediated knockdown Physalis plants revealed a complex phenotype with changes in flowering time, plant architecture and seed size. Flowering of these plants was delayed by about 20% as compared to wild type. Expression of PFLFY is upregulated in the MPF1 RNAi lines, while PFFT and MPF3 genes are strongly repressed. MPF1 interacts with a subset of MADS-domain factors, namely with PFSOC1 in planta, and with PFSEP3 and PFFUL in yeast, supporting a regulatory role for this protein in flowering. The average size of seeds produced by the transgenic MPF1 RNAi plants is increased almost twofold. The height of these plants is also increased about twofold, but most axillary buds are stunted when compared to controls. Taken together, this suggests that members of the STMADS11 subclade act as positive regulators of flowering but have diverse functions in plant growth.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Nanxincun 20, 100093 Beijing, China. chaoying@ibcas.ac.cn
authors.forename: Chaoying
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saedler
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Efremova
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Riss
authors.forename: Muhammad Ramzan
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yephremov
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saedler
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D032321:Physalis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins