title: A conserved genetic pathway determines inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis and rice.
abstract: The spatiotemporal architecture of inflorescences that bear flowers determines plant reproductive success by affecting fruit set and plant interaction with pollinators. The inflorescence architecture that displays great diversity across flowering plants depends on developmental decisions at inflorescence meristems. Here we report a key conserved genetic pathway determining inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa (rice). In Arabidopsis, four MADS-box genes, SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1, SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE, AGAMOUS-LIKE 24, and SEPALLATA 4 act redundantly and directly to suppress TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) in emerging floral meristems. This is indispensable for the well-known function of APETALA1 in specifying floral meristems and is coupled with a conformational change in chromosome looping at the TFL1 locus. Similarly, we demonstrate that the orthologs of these MADS-box genes in rice determine panicle branching by regulating TFL1-like genes. Our findings reveal a conserved regulatory pathway that determines inflorescence architecture in flowering plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhi Wei Norman
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Teo
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Shiyong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Wanyan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Xiaobei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhongchao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D026342:AGAMOUS Protein, Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D056626:Inflorescence / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018519:Meristem / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D026342:AGAMOUS Protein, Arabidopsis; C419046:AGL20 protein, Arabidopsis; C091535:AP1 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; C496271:SEP4 protein, Arabidopsis thaliana; C407549:SVP protein, Arabidopsis; C102864:TFL1 protein, Arabidopsis; D014157:Transcription Factors