title: VEGETATIVE1 is essential for development of the compound inflorescence in pea.
abstract: Unravelling the basis of variation in inflorescence architecture is important to understanding how the huge diversity in plant form has been generated. Inflorescences are divided between simple, as in Arabidopsis, with flowers directly formed at the main primary inflorescence axis, and compound, as in legumes, where they are formed at secondary or even higher order axes. The formation of secondary inflorescences predicts a novel genetic function in the development of the compound inflorescences. Here we show that in pea this function is controlled by VEGETATIVE1 (VEG1), whose mutation replaces secondary inflorescences by vegetative branches. We identify VEG1 as an AGL79-like MADS-box gene that specifies secondary inflorescence meristem identity. VEG1 misexpression in meristem identity mutants causes ectopic secondary inflorescence formation, suggesting a model for compound inflorescence development based on antagonistic interactions between VEG1 and genes conferring primary inflorescence and floral identity. Our study defines a novel mechanism to generate inflorescence complexity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia 46022, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berbel
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrándiz
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hecht
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dalmais
authors.forename: Ole S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Frances C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sussmilch
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Abdelhafid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bendahmane
authors.forename: T H Noel
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: José P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Beltrán
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Madueño
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D056626:Inflorescence / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018532:Pisum sativum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors