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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Experimental Design for Laser Microdissection RNA-Seq: Lessons from an Analysis of Maize Leaf Development

Experimental Design for Laser Microdissection RNA-Seq: Lessons from an Analysis of Maize Leaf Development

Published on: March 5, 2017

Auxin signaling modules regulate maize inflorescence architecture.

Mary Galli¹, Qiujie Liu¹, Britney L Moss²

¹Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020;

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|October 15, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Maize genes BIF1 and BIF4 regulate axillary meristem formation by controlling auxin signaling. This discovery reveals a fundamental mechanism controlling inflorescence architecture and reproductive success in crops.

Keywords:

auxin signaling axillary meristems boundary domains inflorescence development maize

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Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

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Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Published on: January 14, 2016

Area of Science:

Plant biology
Genetics
Developmental biology

Background:

Axillary meristems are crucial for plant branching and flower formation, impacting shoot architecture and reproductive success.
Proper development of axillary meristems requires the precise specification of boundary regions.
Understanding the genetic regulation of these processes is key to improving crop yield.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify maize genes involved in the early stages of inflorescence formation.
To elucidate the role of auxin signaling in regulating axillary meristem development.
To define the molecular mechanism controlling boundary domain specification during meristem formation.

Main Methods:

Gene identification and characterization in maize.
Analysis of auxin signaling pathways.
Investigating the regulation of BARREN STALK1 (BA1) expression.

Main Results:

Identified maize genes BARREN INFLORESCENCE1 (BIF1) and BARREN INFLORESCENCE4 (BIF4) regulating inflorescence formation.
BIF1 and BIF4 encode AUX/IAA proteins, integral to auxin signaling.
Demonstrated that BIF1 and BIF4 dynamically regulate the expression of BA1, a key regulator of axillary meristem formation.

Conclusions:

Auxin signaling directly controls boundary domains essential for axillary meristem formation.
BIF1 and BIF4 are critical components of the auxin signaling module governing meristem development.
This research defines a fundamental mechanism regulating inflorescence architecture in maize, a vital crop species.