Investigating the Roles of Three Aintegumenta-Like Genes In Maintenance of Arabidopsis Shoot Meristem Activity

TL;DRAbstract

The shoot apical meristem, a small dome-shaped structure at the shoot apex of higher plants, is established during development of the embryo. After germination, the indeterminate activity of the shoot apical meristem is responsible for the initiation of all aboveground parts of the plant. The shoot apical meristem continuously produces lateral organs on its periphery and provides cells to the elongating stem below the meristem while maintaining a small pluripotent stem cell population. Shoot meristem function is precisely regulated by the combined activities of genetic regulators and plant hormones. We have identified three novel regulators of shoot meristem activity in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. These three genes: AINTEGUMENTA (ANT), AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE6 (AIL6) and AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE7 (AIL7) encode related AIL/ PLT transcription factors. Loss of these genes results in plants that produce only a few abnormally-shaped leaves prior to termination of shoot meristem activity. Meris

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