AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 3 integrates the functions of AGAMOUS and APETALA2 in floral meristem determinacy. (1st October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Xigang; Dinh, Thanh Theresa; Li, Dongming; Shi, Bihai; Li, Yongpeng; Cao, Xiuwei; Guo, Lin; Pan, Yanyun; Jiao, Yuling; Chen, Xuemei
• Is Part Of: Plant journal. Volume 80:Number 4(2014:Nov.)
• Page Start: 629
• Page End: 641
• Publication Date: 2014-10-01
• Subjects: Plant molecular biology -- Periodicals; Plant cells and tissues -- Periodicals; Botany -- Periodicals; 580
• DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12658
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-7412

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="tpj12658-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <p>In Arabidopsis, AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 3 (ARF3) belongs to the auxin response factor (ARF) family that regulates the expression of auxin‐responsive genes. <italic>ARF3</italic> is known to function in leaf polarity specification and gynoecium patterning. In this study, we discovered a previously unknown role for <italic>ARF3</italic> in floral meristem (FM) determinacy through the isolation and characterization of a mutant of <italic>ARF3</italic> that enhanced the FM determinacy defects of <italic>agamous (ag)‐10</italic>, a weak <italic>ag</italic> allele. Central players in FM determinacy include <italic>WUSCHEL</italic> (<italic>WUS</italic>), a gene critical for FM maintenance, and <italic>AG</italic> and <italic>APETALA2</italic> (<italic>AP2</italic>), which regulate FM determinacy by repression and promotion of <italic>WUS</italic> expression, respectively. We showed that <italic>ARF3</italic> confers FM determinacy through repression of <italic>WUS</italic> expression, and associates with the <italic>WUS</italic> locus in part in an AG‐dependent manner. We demonstrated that <italic>ARF3</italic> is a direct target of <italic>AP2</italic> and partially mediates <italic>AP2</italic>'s function in FM determinacy. <italic>ARF3</italic> exhibits dynamic and complex expression patterns in floral organ primordia; altering the patterns spatially compromised FM determinacy. This study uncovered a role for <italic>ARF3</italic> in FM determinacy and revealed relationships among genes in the genetic network governing FM determinacy.</p> </abstract>