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Asymmetric leaves1 mediates leaf patterning and stem cell function in Arabidopsis

Nature volume 408, pages 967–971 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Meristem function in plants requires both the maintenance of stem cells and the specification of founder cells from which lateral organs arise. Lateral organs are patterned along proximodistal, dorsoventral and mediolateral axes1,2. Here we show that the Arabidopsis mutant asymmetric leaves1 (as1) disrupts this process. AS1 encodes a myb domain protein, closely related to PHANTASTICA in Antirrhinum and ROUGH SHEATH2 in maize, both of which negatively regulate knotted-class homeobox genes. AS1 negatively regulates the homeobox genes KNAT1 and KNAT2 and is, in turn, negatively regulated by the meristematic homeobox gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS. This genetic pathway defines a mechanism for differentiating between stem cells and organ founder cells within the shoot apical meristem and demonstrates that genes expressed in organ primordia interact with meristematic genes to regulate shoot morphogenesis.

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Figure 1: Comparison of as1 mutant and wild-type Arabidopsis.
Figure 2: Polymerase chain reaction after reverse transcription of RNA (RT–PCR) analysis of KNOX gene expression in as1 and wild type.
Figure 3: Expression of AS1 and KNAT1.
Figure 4: as1 shows genetic interaction with stm-1.

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Acknowledgements

We thank A. Groover, C. Kidner, E. Vollbrecht, M. Timmermans, J. Golz and D. Jackson for helpful discussions, Q. Gu, P. Springer, J. Li and J. Chory for help with mapping and T. Laux for wus-1 seed. We also thank T. Mulligan for plant care, and K. Schutz and D. McCombie for help with sequencing. This work was supported by a Human Frontiers Science Program postdoctoral fellowship to M.C., a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council studentship to R.B. and grant support from the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy and United States Department of Agriculture to R.M.

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  1. Mark Curtis

    Present address: Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK

  2. Maitreya Dunham

    Present address: Genetics Department, Stanford, California, 94305, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, New York, USA

    Mary E. Byrne, Mark Curtis, Juana Maria Arroyo, Maitreya Dunham & Robert A. Martienssen

  2. Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JR, UK

    Ross Barley & Andrew Hudson

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Correspondence to Robert A. Martienssen.

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Byrne, M., Barley, R., Curtis, M. et al. Asymmetric leaves1 mediates leaf patterning and stem cell function in Arabidopsis. Nature 408, 967–971 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35050091

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