click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Plant bio
Plant development II
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Regulating developmental pathways in plants | Transcription factors determine cell, tissue and organ identity • Developmental pathways are controlled by networks of interacting genes. These networks are regulated by transcription factors |
Regulating developmental pathways in plants | • Movement of transcription factors can contribute to the patterning process • Development is regulated by cell-to-cell signalling • Cell fate is determined by position, not clonal history (cell extrinsic information) |
Radial patterning | WT Arabidopsis roots have a distinct radial patterning of cell layers ▪ Defined plane of cell division in stem cells gives rise to specific cell files ▪ In roots, cell divisions are mostly anticlinal |
Radial patterning | - periclinal division is necessary to give rise to endoderm and cortex |
Genetic control of root development in Arabidopsis | - mutants are lacking distinct endodermis and cortex Mutations SHORTROOT (SHR) and SCARECROW (SCR) genes result in slow growing roots that lack distinct endodermal and cortical cell layers ▪ Both genes encode GRAS transcription factors |
Periclinal cell division | - lack of this (blocked by shr and scr genes) fails to produce two cell types |
Agrobacterium transformation to analyse expression patterns | Localising expression of the SHORTROOT (SHR) mRNA and protein in Arabidopsis roots |
Transcriptional fusion between pSHR and GFP | ▪ A recombinant gene was constructed ▪ The cellular transcription pattern can be determined following UV illumination of longitudinal sections |
Translational fusion between SHR and GFP | ▪ A recombinant gene was constructed ▪ Translation of the mRNA produces a chimeric protein ▪ The cellular location of the protein can be determined |
Analysing SHR transcription and protein localization | - Transcriptional fusion: SHR promoter: GFP fusion shows SHR is transcribed in cells of the vascular cylinder - Translational fusion: SHR protein: GFP fusions show the protein is also located in the adjacent endodermal cell layer and the QC. |
Analysing SCR protein localization | The SCR protein is expressed in a single cell layer in roots – the endodermis, but NOT the cortex. ▪ SCR expression is weak in the endodermal cell layer when SHR is absent. ▪ SHR expression stimulates SCR! |
SHR role in endodermal cell fate determination | SHR synthesised in stele cells moves in both directions across the nuclear pore complex (this accounts for the diffuse appearance of GFP in stele cells) ▪ SHR moves through plasmadesmata to neighbouring cell |
SHR role in endodermal cell fate determination | ▪ Modification of SHR when it enters the endodermal cell prevents further transport through PD ▪ SHR activation of SCR initiates endodermal cell development |
SCR role in endodermal cell fate determination | In scr mutants the single cell layer has features of both cell types. In shr mutants the single cell layer lacks endodermal features ▪ SCR and SHR are required in the same cell to specify endodermal characters |
SCR role in endodermal cell fate determination | ▪ Studies show the SCR and SHR proteins form a heterodimer complex that switches on expression of endodermal genes |
Why are these important? | Plane of cell division plays an important role in development • Transcription factors play an important role • Developmental pathways are controlled by networks of interacting genes |
Why are these important? | • Development is regulated by cell-to-cell signalling • Movement of transcription factors can contribute to the patterning process |
Floral transition | - the switch from vegetative to reproductive development - the SAM changes from a vegetative meristem to an inflorescence meristem |
Factor that influence floral transition | Age Photoperiod vernalization Ambient temperature Gibberelin Light quality Abiotic stress Sucrose |
Timing of floral transition | - several factors influence the timing All flowering cues are acting on the floral integrators: FT, SOC1, LFY |
Floral transition mediation | • Floral integrators activate the meristem identity genes on the position where the floral meristem will form • Floral meristem identity genes: LFY, AP1 (CAL) |
Meristem identity genes are necessary to form a flower | - CAULIFLOWER (CAL) is another floral meristem identity gene |
Ap1/cal double mutant produces inflorescence meristems instead of floral meristems | - Meristem identity genes activate downstream genes required for floral organ development |
Flower body plan | - four main floral organs: carpels, stamens, petals, sepals |
Forward genetics helped understand flower development | - Many mutants in flower development affect 2 consecutive whorls |
Homeotic mutants in arabidopsis | - ie. apetala2-2: 1 and 2 whorls affected |
ABC-model of flower development | • 3 classes of activity: A-, B- and C-function • Each of the ABC function encompasses 2 whorls • A and C function mutually repress each other |
Floral organ identity genes | - sepal and petal: APETALA1/2 - petal: APETALA3/PISTILLATA - stamen: PISTILLATA/AGAMOUS - carpel: AGAMOUS - phenotypes can be predicted using the ABC-model |
Quadruple ABC-mutant changes floral organs into leaves | • Quadruple mutant of Ap1, ap2, ap3/pi, Ag • Ectopic expression of these genes in leaves did not lead to homeotic transformations into floral organs - E class genes also needed for flower development |
ABCE model is sufficient to specify floral organs | Ectopic expression of A- , B- and E-genes gives rise to petals |
SEPALLATA1-4 | - additional gene needed for flower development |
ABCE genes encode transcription factors | Most ABCE genes encode MADSdomain transcription factors. • These transcription factors bind to DNA in dimers • These dimers can also form tetramers |
Gene regulatory network alongside ABCE model | ABCE genes regulate hundreds of genes • The regulatory networks downstream of the ABCE-proteins is complex |