Upregulation of a <i>KN1</i> homolog by transposon insertion promotes leafy head development in lettuce
Changchun Yu, Chenghuan Yan, Yuling Liu, Yali Liu, Yue Jia, Dean Lavelle, Guanghui An, Weiyi Zhang, Lei Zhang, Rongkui Han, Robert M. Larkin, Jiongjiong Chen, Richard W. Michelmore, Hanhui Kuang
Abstract
Significance Heading, which facilitates harvest and contributes to taste and shelf life, is an important trait in some vegetable crops. However, litter is known about its genetic and molecular mechanism. Here, we report the genetic cloning of a key regulator ( LsKN1 ) of heading in lettuce, which is homologous to the knotted 1 ( KN1 ) gene in maize. The LsKN1 gene is upregulated by the insertion of a CACTA-like transposon. Its enhanced expression suppressed the LsAS1 gene and consequently altered leaf polarity and led to a heading phenotype.
Topics & Concepts
Transposable elementLeafyInsertionBiologyGeneticsGeneTransposon mutagenesisHeading (navigation)MutantPositional cloningPhenotypeDownregulation and upregulationCell biologyBotanyGeodesyGeographyChromosomal and Genetic VariationsPlant Molecular Biology ResearchPlant nutrient uptake and metabolism