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Identification and characterization of Mini1, a gene regulating rice shoot development
Yunxia Fang1, Jiang Hu, Jie Xu
1State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 359 Tiyuchang Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China; College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
A new rice mutant, mini rice 1 (mini1), exhibits premature shoot termination. The Mini1 gene, encoding a putative HOTHEAD protein, is crucial for maintaining shoot apical meristem activity and plant development.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Genetics
- Molecular biology
Background:
- The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is essential for generating aerial plant structures.
- Understanding genes regulating SAM activity is key to plant development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize genes involved in regulating shoot apical meristem (SAM) activity and plant development in rice (Oryza sativa L.).
Main Methods:
- Isolation and characterization of a rice mutant exhibiting premature shoot termination (mini rice 1 or mini1).
- Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and map-based cloning to identify the responsible gene.
- Sequence analysis, genetic complementation, and expression analysis.
Main Results:
- The mini1 mutant displayed premature termination of shoot development.
- The causative gene, Mini1 (Os09g0363900), was fine-mapped and identified as encoding a putative adhesion of calyx edges protein (ACE), similar to Arabidopsis HOTHEAD (HTH).
- Mini1 is highly expressed in young shoots, and its mutation reduced auxin-related gene expression.
Conclusions:
- Mini1 plays a critical role in maintaining SAM activity and promoting shoot development in rice.
- The Mini1 gene product is essential for normal plant architecture and development.
