Comparative transcriptomics as a tool for the identification of root branching genes in maize.
The root system is fundamental for plant development, is crucial for overall plant growth and is recently being recognized as the key for future crop productivity improvement. A major determinant of root system architecture is the initiation of lateral roots. While knowledge of the genetic and molecular mechanisms regulating lateral root initiation has mainly been achieved in the dicotyledonous plant Arabidopsis thaliana, only scarce data are available for major crop species, generally monocotyledonous plants. The existence of both similarities and differences at the morphological and anatomical level between plant species from both clades raises the question whether regulation of lateral root initiation may or may not be conserved through evolution. Here, we performed a targeted genome-wide transcriptome analysis during lateral root initiation both in primary and in adventitious roots of Zea mays and found evidence for the existence of common transcriptional regulation. Further, based on a comparative analysis with Arabidopsis transcriptome data, a core of genes putatively conserved across angiosperms could be identified. Therefore, it is plausible that common regulatory mechanisms for lateral root initiation are at play in maize and Arabidopsis, a finding that might encourage the extrapolation of knowledge obtained in Arabidopsis to crop species at the level of root system architecture.
Integrative Plant Biology division, Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Leentje
L
Jansen
Jens
J
Hollunder
Ianto
I
Roberts
Cristian
C
Forestan
Philippe
P
Fonteyne
Charlotte
C
Van Quickenborne
Rui-Guang
RG
Zhen
Bryan
B
McKersie
Boris
B
Parizot
Tom
T
Beeckman
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002455:Cell Division; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D010940:Plant Proteins; C030737:indoleacetic acid
Arabidopsis thaliana; auxin; comparative transcriptomics; lateral root initiation; maize