Gene duplication at the <i>Fascicled ear1</i> locus controls the fate of inflorescence meristem cells in maize
Yanfang Du, China Lunde, Yunfu Li, David Jackson, Sarah Hake, Zuxin Zhang
Abstract
Significance The maize ear is unbranched and terminates in a single point. The ear and tassel inflorescences of Fascicled ear mutants fail to grow as a single point and instead are branched. This phenotype results from the misexpression of duplicated transcription factors, ZMM8 and DRL2. We hypothesize that these gene rearrangements create regulatory sequences that cause misexpression in early inflorescence meristems, thus activating a laminar program, ablating the meristem, and producing branches. This work demonstrates that zmm8 and drl2 must be restricted from the inflorescence meristem to maintain its terminal point, and conversely, a mechanism by which branching may be imposed. Manipulation of these genes can be used to alter plant architecture, potentially to improve agronomic traits.