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Non-cell-autonomous signaling associated with barley ALOG1 specifies spikelet meristem determinacy.

Authors :
Jiang G
Koppolu R
Rutten T
Hensel G
Lundqvist U
Tandron Moya YA
Huang Y
Rajaraman J
Poursarebani N
von Wirén N
Kumlehn J
Mascher M
Schnurbusch T
Source :
Current biology : CB [Curr Biol] 2024 Jun 03; Vol. 34 (11), pp. 2344-2358.e5. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 May 22.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Inflorescence architecture and crop productivity are often tightly coupled in our major cereal crops. However, the underlying genetic mechanisms controlling cereal inflorescence development remain poorly understood. Here, we identified recessive alleles of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) HvALOG1 (Arabidopsis thaliana LSH1 and Oryza G1) that produce non-canonical extra spikelets and fused glumes abaxially to the central spikelet from the upper-mid portion until the tip of the inflorescence. Notably, we found that HvALOG1 exhibits a boundary-specific expression pattern that specifically excludes reproductive meristems, implying the involvement of previously proposed localized signaling centers for branch regulation. Importantly, during early spikelet formation, non-cell-autonomous signals associated with HvALOG1 expression may specify spikelet meristem determinacy, while boundary formation of floret organs appears to be coordinated in a cell-autonomous manner. Moreover, barley ALOG family members synergistically modulate inflorescence morphology, with HvALOG1 predominantly governing meristem maintenance and floral organ development. We further propose that spatiotemporal redundancies of expressed HvALOG members specifically in the basal inflorescence may be accountable for proper patterning of spikelet formation in mutant plants. Our research offers new perspectives on regulatory signaling roles of ALOG transcription factors during the development of reproductive meristems in cereal inflorescences.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests.<br /> (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1879-0445
Volume :
34
Issue :
11
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Current biology : CB
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
38781954
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.083