Homologous proteins occurring through gene duplication may give rise to novel functions mutations affecting protein sequence or expression. Comparison of such homologues allows insight into how morphological traits evolve. However, it is often unclear which changes are key determining new functions. To address these ideas, we have studied a system where two evolved clear and opposite in controlling major developmental switch. In plants, flowering transition that critical reproductive...

Abstract The cellular polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are ubiquitous in nature have been implicated a wide range of growth developmental processes. There is little information, however, on mutant plants or animals defective the synthesis polyamines. Arabidopsis genome has two genes encoding spermidine synthase, SPDS1 SPDS2. In this paper, we describe T-DNA insertion mutants both these genes. While each allele shows normal growth, spds1-1 spds2-1 double-mutant seeds abnormally...

Abstract The pathways responsible for flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana comprise one of the best characterized genetic networks plants. We harness this extensive molecular knowledge to identify potential quantitative trait genes (QTGs) through candidate gene association mapping using 51 loci. genotyped common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at these 275 A. accessions that were also phenotyped and rosette leaf number long short days. Using structured techniques, we find...

CONSTANS (CO) plays a central role in photoperiodic flowering control of plants. However, much remains unknown about the function CO gene family soybean and molecular mechanisms underlying short-day soybean. We identified 26 homologs (GmCOLs) genome, many them previously unreported. Phylogenic analysis classified GmCOLs into three clades conserved among Two homeologous pairs Clade I, GmCOL1a/GmCOL1b GmCOL2a/GmCOL2b, showed highest sequence similarity to Arabidopsis CO. The mRNA abundance...

Loss-of-function mutants of the Arabidopsis thaliana ACAULIS 5 (ACL5) gene, which encodes spermine synthase, exhibit a severe dwarf phenotype. To elucidate ACL5-mediated regulatory pathways stem internode elongation, we isolated four suppressor acaulis (sac) that reverse acl5 Because these do not rescue dwarfism known phytohormone-related mutants, SAC genes appear to act specifically on ACL5 pathways. We identify gene responsible for dominant sac51-d mutant, almost completely suppresses...

Abstract The onset of flowering, the change from vegetative to reproductive development, is a major life history transition in flowering plants. Recent work suggests that mutations cis -regulatory should play critical roles evolution this (as well as other) important adaptive traits, but thus far there has been little evidence directly links regulatory evolutionary at species level. While several genes have previously shown affect natural variation time Arabidopsis thaliana , most either...

The Arabidopsis genome contains four genes that encode proteins similar to both spermidine synthase and spermine of other organisms. Our previous study revealed one these genes, designated ACAULIS5 ( ACL5 ), encodes its null mutation results in a severe defect the elongation stem internodes. Here we report characterization three SPDS1 , SPDS2 SPDS3 . showed possess activity yeast synthase‐deficient mutants, but enzyme remained be determined. RNA gel blot analysis all are expressed plant...

Summary In rosette plants, the formation of initial flowers is closely linked to lengthening internodes (bolting). order clarify molecular basis bolting, mutants with reduced lengths were screened. This paper presents identification and characterization recessive mutations in ACAULIS5 ( ACL5 ), a gene required for internodal growth Arabidopsis thaliana . Unlike previously described size organs, acl5 mutant has severe defect that restricted process cell elongation after transition...

The time to flowering is a key component of the life-history strategy model plant Arabidopsis thaliana that varies quantitatively among genotypes. A significant problem for evolutionary and ecological genetics understand how natural selection may operate on this ecologically trait. Here, we conduct population genomic study resequencing data from 52 genes in network. McDonald–Kreitman tests neutrality suggested strong excess amino acid polymorphism when pooling across loci. This replacement...

Models for the control of above-ground plant architectures show how meristems can be programmed to either shoots or flowers. Molecular, genetic, transgenic, and mathematical studies have greatly refined these models, suggesting that phase shoot reflects different genes contributing its repression flowering, vegetativeness ('veg'), before activators promote flower development. Key elements repressor flowering meristem gene TFL1 acts now been tested, by changing spatiotemporal pattern. It is...

To clarify the molecular bases of flowering time evolution in crop domestication, here we investigate evolutionary fates a set four recently duplicated genes soybean: FT2a, FT2b, FT2c and FT2d that are homologues floral inducer FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). While FT2a maintained function, other went through contrasting paths. FT2b evolved attenuated expression potentially associated with transposon insertion upstream intergenic region, while obtained structural rearrangement, respectively. In...

TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) is a key regulator of Arabidopsis plant architecture, which responds to developmental and environmental signals control flowering time the fate shoot meristems. TFL1 expression pattern dynamic, being found in all meristems, but not floral with its level distribution changing throughout development. Using variety experimental approaches, we have analysed promoter elucidate functional structure. based on distinct cis-regulatory regions, most important ones located 3'...

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important crop species and has become a legume model for the studies of genetic biochemical pathways. Therefore, it to establish efficient transient gene expression system in soybean. Here, we report simple protocol preparation soybean protoplasts its application functional analyses. We found that young unifoliate leaves from seedlings resulted large quantities high quality protoplasts. By optimizing PEG-calcium-mediated transformation method, achieved...

Abstract A mutant of Arabidopsis with reduced internodal cell length, acaulis5 (acl5), has recently been shown to have transcript levels a gene for endoxyloglucan transferase, EXGT-A1 (Y. Hanzawa, T. Takahashi, Y. Komeda [1997] Plant J 12: 863–874). In the present study, we cloned genomic fragments five members theEXGT family, EXGT-A1,EXGT-A3, EXGT-A4, XTR2, and XTR3, examined their expression in wild type series acl mutants. wild-type plants, theEXGT-A3 showed higher lower internodes...

Photoperiodic flowering, a plant response to seasonal photoperiod changes in the control of reproductive transition, is an important agronomic trait that has been central target crop domestication and modern breeding programs. However, our understanding about molecular mechanisms photoperiodic flowering regulation species lagging behind. To better understand regulatory gene networks controlling soybeans, we elucidated global expression patterns under different regimes using near isogenic...

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important crop species and has become a legume model for the studies of genetic biochemical pathways. Therefore, it to establish efficient transient gene expression system in soybean. Here, we report simple protocol preparation soybean protoplasts its application functional analyses. We found that young unifoliate leaves from seedlings resulted large quantities high quality protoplasts. By optimizing PEG-calcium-mediated transformation method, achieved...

A gene regulatory network can be described at a high level by directed graph with signed edges, and more detailed system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The former qualitatively models the causal interactions between ordered pairs genes, while latter quantitatively time-varying concentrations mRNA proteins. This paper clarifies connection two types models. We propose property, called constant sign for general class ODE property characterizes set conditions (system parameters,...

Pleiotropy is considered to have a significant impact on multi-trait evolution, but its roles in the evolution of domestication-related traits crop species been unclear. In soybean, several known quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling maturity, called maturity loci, are major effects both flowering and highly correlated pleiotropic manner. Aiming at identification non-pleiotropic QTLs that independently control dissecting pleiotropy these important agronomic traits, we conducted QTL...