Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
05:38
Using Ustilago maydis as a Trojan Horse for In Situ Delivery of Maize Proteins
Published on: February 8, 2019
Developmental disaster1: A novel mutation causing defects during vegetative and inflorescence development in maize
Kimberly A Phillips1, Andrea L Skirpan, Nicholas J Kaplinsky
1Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 USA.
American Journal of Botany
|June 2, 2011
Summary
Researchers identified a new maize mutant, Developmental disaster1 (Dvd1), affecting axillary meristem initiation. This mutant impacts plant architecture, reproduction, and internode development, revealing a novel regulator in maize.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Genetics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Axillary meristems are crucial for plant architecture, producing branches and flowers.
- Understanding axillary meristem initiation is key to controlling plant development.
- Mutants in maize (Zea mays) have been screened to identify genes controlling this process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize a novel maize mutant, Developmental disaster1 (Dvd1), with defects in axillary meristem initiation.
- To elucidate the role of Dvd1 in both vegetative and reproductive development.
- To understand the genetic interactions of Dvd1 with known regulators of meristem development.
Main Methods:
- Screening for maize mutants with defects in axillary meristem initiation.
- Phenotypic characterization of the Dvd1 mutant, including analysis of branching, inflorescence, and internode development.
- Double mutant analysis with teosinte branched1 and genetic interaction studies with barren inflorescence2.
Main Results:
- Dvd1 mutants exhibit reduced branching, spikelet, floret, and floral organ numbers due to defective axillary meristem initiation.
- Dvd1 functions in axillary meristems during vegetative development, as shown by double mutant analysis with teosinte branched1.
- Dvd1 mutants display semidwarfism, shorter internodes, and leaf production in the inflorescence, indicating pleiotropic effects.
Conclusions:
- Developmental disaster1 (Dvd1) is a novel regulator of axillary meristem and internode development in maize.
- Dvd1 plays critical roles in both vegetative and reproductive development, influencing plant architecture and floral organ formation.
- Genetic interactions suggest Dvd1 acts in a pathway with other known regulators of meristem and internode development.
Related Concept Videos
02:19Morphogenesis
Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.
01:20Mismatch Repair
Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
01:35Mutations
Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
01:39Mutations
Overview
01:18Mutations in Microorganisms
Mutations are heritable changes in an organism’s genome involving alterations in the base sequence of DNA or RNA. These changes can influence cellular processes and phenotypic traits, potentially transforming the unaltered wild type into a mutant form. Such changes, termed forward mutations, are pivotal in shaping the genetic diversity of organisms.RNA viruses exhibit the highest mutation rates due to the absence of robust proofreading mechanisms during genome replication. In contrast,...
02:16Light Acquisition
In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.