The peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch) homeobox gene KNOPE3, which encodes a class 2 knotted-like transcription factor, is regulated during leaf development and triggered by sugars.

Class 1 KNOTTED1-like transcription factors (KNOX) are known to regulate plant development, whereas information on class 2 KNOX has been limited. The peach KNOPE3 gene was cloned, belonged to a family of few class 2 members and was located at 66 cM in the Prunus spp. G1 linkage-group.

Characterization of KNOX genes in Medicago truncatula.

We isolated three class I and three class II KNOX genes in Medicago truncatula. The predicted amino acid sequences suggested a possible orthology to the Arabidopsis homeodomain proteins STM, KNAT1/BP, KNAT3 and KNAT7 that was confirmed by phylogenetic and conserved structural domain analyses. Moreover, the STM-like MtKNOX1 and MtKNOX6 proteins were shown to retain the capability to interact with the Arabidopsis BELL protein partners of STM and KNAT1/BP.

Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] KNOPE1, a class 1 KNOX orthologue to Arabidopsis BREVIPEDICELLUS/KNAT1, is misexpressed during hyperplasia of leaf curl disease.

Class 1 KNOTTED-like (KNOX) transcription factors control cell meristematic identity. An investigation was carried out to determine whether they maintain this function in peach plants and might act in leaf curliness caused by the ascomycete Taphrina deformans. KNOPE1 function was assessed by overexpression in Arabidopsis and by yeast two-hybrid assays with Arabidopsis BELL proteins.

Strong increase of foliar inulin occurs in transgenic lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa L.) overexpressing the Asparagine Synthetase A gene from Escherichia coli.

Transgenic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. 'Cortina') lines expressing the asparagine synthetase A gene from Escherichia coli were produced to alter the plant nitrogen status and eventually enhance growth.

The gene geranylgeranyl reductase of peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch) is regulated during leaf development and responds differentially to distinct stress factors.

Plant geranylgeranyl hydrogenase (CHL P) reduces free geranylgeranyl diphosphate to phytil diphosphate, which provides the side chain to chlorophylls, tocopherols, and plastoquinones. In peach, the single copy gene (PpCHL P) encodes a deduced product of 51.68 kDa, which harbours a transit peptide for cytoplasm-to-chloroplast transport and a nicotinamide binding domain.

Isolation and characterization of a maintenance DNA-methyltransferase gene from peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch): transcript localization in vegetative and reproductive meristems of triple buds.

A cDNA coding for a DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase (METase) was isolated from peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch) and the corresponding gene designated as PpMETI. The latter encoded a predicted polypeptide of 1564 amino acid residues and harboured all the functional domains conserved in the maintenance METases group type I.

Distinct nuclear organization, DNA methylation pattern and cytokinin distribution mark juvenile, juvenile-like and adult vegetative apical meristems in peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch).

Chromatin organization, nuclear DNA methylation and endogenous zeatin localization were investigated in shoot apical meristems (SAM) during juvenile and adult phases of peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch). The aim was to examine the extent to which these parameters could discriminate the juvenile and adult SAMs.