Diversification of C-function activity in maize flower development.

M Mena; B A Ambrose; R B Meeley; S P Briggs; M F Yanofsky; R J Schmidt

doi:10.1126/science.274.5292.1537

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Diversification of C-function activity in maize flower development.

M Mena·B A Ambrose·R B Meeley·S P Briggs·M F Yanofsky·R J Schmidt

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Abstract

The Arabidopsis gene AGAMOUS is required for male and female reproductive organ development and for floral determinacy. Reverse genetics allowed the isolation of a transposon-induced mutation in ZAG1, the maize homolog of AGAMOUS. ZAG1 mutants exhibited a loss of determinacy, but the identity of reproductive organs was largely unaffected. This suggested a redundancy in maize sex organ specification that led to the identification and cloning of a second AGAMOUS homolog, ZMM2, that has a pattern of expression distinct from that of ZAG1. C-function organ identity in maize (as defined by the A, B, C model of floral organ development) may therefore be orchestrated by two closely related genes, ZAG1 and ZMM2, with overlapping but nonidentical activities.

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Alleles Amino Acid Sequence DNA Transposable Elements DNA-Binding Proteins Gene Expression Genes, Plant MADS Domain Proteins Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Molecular Sequence Data Morphogenesis Mutation Phenotype Plant Proteins RNA, Messenger RNA, Plant Transcription Factors Zea mays Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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M Mena, B A Ambrose, R B Meeley, S P Briggs, M F Yanofsky, R J Schmidt. 1996-11-29. Diversification of C-function activity in maize flower development.. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.274.5292.1537

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