AI Article Synopsis
- Grasses exhibit different inflorescence shapes, but the genetic factors behind these variations are not well understood, prompting research into the role of the COMPOSITUM 1 (COM1) transcription factor.
- COM1 has different functions in barley (which promotes branch inhibition) compared to non-Triticeae grasses (which support branch formation), influencing cell growth and wall properties at inflorescence boundaries.
- This study suggests that COM1 not only regulates meristem identity by interacting with other genes but also is shaped by natural selection, impacting both the evolution of inflorescence structures and potential agricultural breeding strategies.
Article Abstract
Grasses have varying inflorescence shapes; however, little is known about the genetic mechanisms specifying such shapes among tribes. Here, we identify the grass-specific TCP transcription factor COMPOSITUM 1 (COM1) expressing in inflorescence meristematic boundaries of different grasses. COM1 specifies branch-inhibition in barley (Triticeae) versus branch-formation in non-Triticeae grasses. Analyses of cell size, cell walls and transcripts reveal barley COM1 regulates cell growth, thereby affecting cell wall properties and signaling specifically in meristematic boundaries to establish identity of adjacent meristems. COM1 acts upstream of the boundary gene Liguleless1 and confers meristem identity partially independent of the COM2 pathway. Furthermore, COM1 is subject to purifying natural selection, thereby contributing to specification of the spike inflorescence shape. This meristem identity pathway has conceptual implications for both inflorescence evolution and molecular breeding in Triticeae.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7550572 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18890-y | DOI Listing |
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