ROX1, a gene induced by rolB, is involved in procambial cell proliferation and xylem differentiation in tobacco stamen.

The Agrobacterium rhizogenes oncogene rolB mimics the effects of auxin in that it increases the sensitivity of transformed cells to this hormone. Here we isolated a tobacco gene, ROX1, acting downstream of rolB. We show that plants with reduced levels of ROX1 mRNA, due to the expression of a 35S-driven ROX1-antisense construct, have flowers with stamens and pistils longer than normal because of an increased number of cells. Localized expression of rolB in anthers results in overexpression of ROX1 and reduced growth of stamens, due to a reduced number of cells. In addition, the longer stamens of antisense plants show a delayed xylem differentiation in the lateral bundles, primarily of the junction region between anther and filament, while the shorter stamens of ROX1-overexpressing plants show a precocious differentiation of xylem cells in the same tissues. Expression of ROX1 in stamens peaks at early stages of stamen growth, and ROX1 mRNA is localized mostly in anther procambial cells. The sequence of ROX1 shares a conserved element with a number of plant genes, including TED3, which is involved in xylem differentiation. These results point to a role of ROX1 in the balance between proliferation of procambial cells and xylem differentiation during stamen development.