Ectopic expression of the knox homeo box gene rough sheath1 alters cell fate in the maize leaf

Rough sheath1 (Rs1) is a dominant mutation that alters cell fate and causes unregulated cell division and expansion in the maize leaf. A knox (Kn1 like-homeo box gene) sequence closely linked to the Rs1-O mutation was cloned and shown by transposon mutagenesis to encode the rs1 gene. The deduced amino acid sequence of the RS1 protein is highly similar to KN1 in the homeo domain but contains a unique amino-terminal region. rs1 is expressed in the shoot apical meristem in a circular pattern preceding leaf initiation, but is not detectable in leaf primordia or mature leaves in normal plants. Rings of rs1 expression subtend leaf insertion sites in the shoot, and lateral organ primordia in inflorescence and floral meristems. The timing and position of rs1 expression in meristems suggests a possible role for rs1 in patterning the placement of lateral organs along the axis of the shoot. In contrast to wild type, rs1 is expressed in early leaf primordia of Rs1 mutant plants, suggesting that ectopic expression causes the mutant phenotype. Ectopic expression in Rs1-O plants suggests the ligular [corrected] region is more competent to respond to rs1 than blade or sheath tissues.