Significance Plants possess the remarkable ability to grow and produce new organs throughout their lifespan, owing activities of persistent populations pluripotent stem cells within meristematic tips. Here we isolated individual from microscopic shoot apical meristem (SAM) maize provide single-cell transcriptomic analysis a plant meristem. This study enabled an unbiased developmental genetic organization apex uncovered evolutionarily divergent conserved signatures SAM homeostasis. The...

Abstract Plant shoot organs arise from initial cells that are recruited meristematic tissues. Previous studies have shown members of the WUSCHEL-related HOMEOBOX (WOX) gene family function to organize various cell populations during plant development. The WOX4 is previously undescribed in any species. Comparative analyses transcription and presented Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), a simple-leafed with collateral vasculature, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), dissected-leafed species...

INTRODUCTION Zea mays ssp. is one of the world’s most important crop plants, boasting a multibillion dollar annual revenue. In addition to its agronomic importance, maize has been keystone model organism for basic research nearly century. Within cereals, which include other plant species such as rice ( Oryza sativa ), sorghum Sorghum bicolor wheat Triticum spp.), and barley Hordeum vulgare thoroughly researched genetic system. Several attributes plant, including vast collection mutant...

Leaf architecture directly influences canopy structure, consequentially affecting yield. We discovered a maize (Zea mays) mutant with aberrant leaf architecture, which we named drooping leaf1 (drl1). Pleiotropic mutations in drl1 affect length and width, angle, internode diameter. These phenotypes are enhanced by natural variation at the drl2 enhancer locus, including reduced expression of drl2-Mo17 allele Mo17 inbred. A second allele, produced transposon mutagenesis, interacted...

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) maintains a pool of indeterminate cells within the SAM proper, while lateral organs are initiated from periphery. Laser microdissection-microarray technology was used to compare transcriptional profiles these domains identify novel maize genes that function during leaf development. Nine hundred and sixty-two differentially expressed were detected; control known be upregulated in initiating (P0/P1) or proper verified precision microdissections. Genes involved...

The plant shoot apex houses the apical meristem, a highly organized and active stem-cell tissue where molecular signaling in discrete cells determines when leaves are initiated. We optimized spatial transcriptomics approach, situ sequencing (ISS), to colocalize transcripts of 90 genes simultaneously on same section from maize (Zea mays) apex. RNA ISS technology reported expression profiles that were comparable with those obtained by hybridizations (ISHs) allowed discrimination between...

Abstract Brassinosteroids (BR) and gibberellins (GA) regulate plant height leaf angle in maize (Zea mays). Mutants with defects BR or GA biosynthesis signaling identify components of these pathways enhance our knowledge about growth development. In this study, we characterized three recessive mutant alleles GRAS transcription factor 42 (gras42) maize, a gene orthologous to the DWARF AND LOW TILLERING (DLT) rice (Oryza sativa). These mutants exhibited semi-dwarf stature, shorter wider leaves,...

Abstract The gaseous plant hormone ethylene is a key developmental and growth regulator, pivotal endogenous response signal to abiotic biotic interactions, including stress. Much of what known about biosynthesis, perception signaling comes from decades research primarily in Arabidopsis thaliana other eudicot model systems. In contrast, detailed knowledge on the pathway markedly limited maize (Zea mays L.), global cereal crop that major source calories for humans livestock, as well industrial...

Abstract An early event in plant organogenesis is establishment of a boundary between the stem cell containing meristem and differentiating lateral organ. In maize ( Zea mays ), evidence suggests common gene network functions at boundaries distinct organs contributes to pleiotropy leaf angle tassel branch number, two agronomic traits. To uncover regulatory variation nexus these traits, we use topologies derived from specific developmental contexts guide multivariate genome-wide association...

Floral morphology is shaped by factors that modulate floral meristem activity and size, the identity, number arrangement of lateral organs they form. We report maize CRABS CLAW co-orthologs drooping leaf1 (drl1) drl2 are required for development ear tassel florets. Pistillate florets drl1 ears sterile with unfused carpels fail to enclose an expanded nucellus-like structure. Staminate tassels have extra stamens fertile anthers. Natural variation transposon alleles enhance mutant phenotypes...

Ethylene perception by ethylene receptors can be suppressed antagonists, such as 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). 1-MCP binds to blocking binding, and thereby represses responses, including flower senescence petal abscission. Despite its antagonistic propensity, plants treated with often regain sensitivity ethylene, suggesting that are synthesized de novo post-treatment. To investigate this observation, we determined the relationship between mRNA levels of biosynthesis receptor genes degree...

All aerial epidermal cells in land plants are covered by the cuticle, an extracellular hydrophobic layer that provides protection against abiotic and biotic stresses prevents organ fusion during development. Genetic morphological analysis of classic maize adherent1 (ad1) mutant was combined with genome-wide binding MYB transcription factor FUSED LEAVES1 (FDL1), coupled transcriptional profiling fdl1 mutants. We show AD1 encodes epidermally-expressed 3-KETOACYL-CoA SYNTHASE (KCS) belonging to...

Vegetative phase change is the developmental transition from juvenile to adult in which a plant becomes competent for sexual reproduction. The gain of ability flower often accompanied by changes patterns differentiation newly forming vegetative organs. In maize, leaves differ morphology, anatomy and cell wall composition. Whereas normal sequence followed repeated with every generation, this can be altered maize isolation culture shoot apex an plant: 'adult' meristem so treated reverts To...

Abstract Plant disease resistance is largely governed by complex genetic architecture. In maize, few loci have been characterized. Near-isogenic lines are a powerful tool to dissect quantitative trait loci. We analyzed an introgression library of maize (Zea mays) near-isogenic lines, termed nested line for northern leaf blight caused the fungal pathogen Setosphaeria turcica. The population was comprised 412 BC5F4 that originated from 18 diverse donor parents and common recurrent parent, B73....

Summary The formation of developmental boundaries is a common feature multicellular plants and animals, impacts the initiation, structure function all organs. Maize leaves comprise proximal sheath that encloses stem, distal photosynthetic blade projects away from plant axis. An epidermally derived ligule joint‐like auricle develop at blade/sheath boundary maize leaves. Mutations disturbing ligule/auricle region disrupt leaf patterning impact architecture, yet it unclear how this established....

Abstract An early event in plant organogenesis is establishment of a boundary between the meristem and differentiating lateral organ. In maize ( Zea mays ), evidence suggests common gene network functions at boundaries distinct organs contributes to pleiotropy leaf angle tassel branch number, two agronomic traits. To uncover regulatory variation nexus these traits, we used topologies derived from specific developmental contexts guide multivariate genome-wide association analyses. addition...

Allotopic expression is the term given for deliberate relocation of gene function from an organellar genome to nuclear genome. We hypothesized that allotopic essential mitochondrial using a promoter expressed efficiently in all cell types except those responsible male reproduction would yield cytoplasmic sterility (CMS) phenotype once endogenous was inactivated via editing. To test this, we repurposed mitochondrially encoded atp1 tobacco nucleus under transcriptional control CaMV 35S...

Plants maintain populations of pluripotent stem cells in shoot apical meristems (SAMs), which continuously produce new aboveground organs. We used single-cell RNA sequencing to achieve an unbiased characterization the transcriptional landscape maize stem-cell niche and its differentiating cellular descendants. Stem housed SAM tip are engaged genome integrity maintenance exhibit a low rate cell division, consistent with their contributions germline somatic fates. Surprisingly, we find no...

Abstract In C 4 plants, the enzymatic machinery underpinning photosynthesis can vary, with, for example, three distinct acid decarboxylases being used to release CO 2 in vicinity of RuBisCO. For decades, these have been classify species into biochemical sub‐types. However, more recently, notion that mix and match has increased popularity, as a consequence, validity specific sub‐types questioned. Using five from grass tribe Paniceae, we show that, although some transcripts enzymes involved...

Abstract The maize (Zea mays) gene RAGGED SEEDLING2-R (RGD2-R) encodes an ARGONAUTE7-like protein required for the biogenesis of trans-acting small interfering RNA, which regulates accumulation AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR3A transcripts in shoots. Although dorsiventral polarity is established narrow and cylindrical leaves rgd2-R mutant plants, swapping adaxial/abaxial epidermal identity occurs suggests a model wherein RGD2 to coordinate mediolateral patterning leaves. Laser...

Abstract In C 4 plants, the enzymatic machinery underpinning photosynthesis can vary, with, for example, three distinct acid decarboxylases being used to release CO 2 in vicinity of RuBisCO. For decades, these have been classify species into biochemical sub-types. However, more recently notion that mix and match has increased popularity and, as a consequence, validity specific sub-types questioned. Using five from grass tribe Paniceae, we show that, while some transcripts encoding multiple...