Poster: Vegetative development
Abs #
336: Molecular cloning and characterization of FEATHERD gene involved in establishment of organ polarity in the Japanese morning glory
In the Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil), many mutants
for leaf and flower morphology are maintained in our laboratory. The semi-dominant feathered (fe) mutation has strongly
crumpled or rolled leaves, and flowers with deeply split or tube-like
petals folding back at their tips. Moreover, the number of stomata in
abaxial side decreased in fe mutants. These mutant phenotypes
suggest that FE is involved in establishment of organ
polarity. We isolated a rare fe revertant caused by excision
of a transposable element inserted in FE gene. Tpn1
family which belong to En/Spn-related transposable elements is
known to induce most mutations in the Japanese morning glory.
FE gene was isolated using Simplified Transposon Display (STD)
method which allows visualization and isolation of Tpn
transposon-flanking sequences from high copy-number lines. FE
gene encodes a protein in the GARP family of putative transcription
factors, and has high homology with KANADI1 (KAN1) gene
of Arabidopsis. We suppose that FE expresses on abaxial
side of lateral organs, and specify the abaxial identity as
KAN. Gentic and molecular analyses showed that the strong
fe phenotype is caused by an additional mutation occurred in
fe background.
