Ectopic expression of SUPERMAN suppresses development of petals and stamens

Plant Cell Physiol. 2002 Jan;43(1):52-7. doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcf018.

Abstract

The floral regulatory gene SUPERMAN (SUP) encodes a C2H2 type zinc finger protein that is required for maintaining boundaries between floral organs in Arabidopsis. It has been proposed that the main function of SUP is to balance cell proliferation in the third and fourth whorl of developing flowers, thereby maintaining the boundaries between the two whorls. To gain further insight into the function of SUP, we have ectopically expressed SUP using the promoter of APETALA1 (AP1), a gene that is initially expressed throughout floral meristems and later becomes restricted to the first and second whorls. Flowers of AP1::SUP plants have fewer floral organs, consistent with an effect of SUP on cell proliferation. In addition, the AP1::SUP transgene caused the conversion of petals to sepals and suppressed the development of stamens. The expression of the B function homeotic gene APETALA3 (AP3) and its regulator UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS (UFO) were delayed and reduced in AP1::SUP flowers. However, SUP does not act merely through UFO, as constitutive expression of UFO did not rescue the defects in petal and stamen development in AP1::SUP flowers. Together, these results suggest that SUP has both indirect and direct effects on the expression of B function homeotic genes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / physiology
  • Cell Division / genetics
  • Cell Division / physiology
  • Gene Expression / genetics
  • Gene Expression / physiology
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / physiology
  • Leucine Zippers / genetics
  • Leucine Zippers / physiology
  • MADS Domain Proteins / genetics
  • MADS Domain Proteins / physiology
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / physiology
  • Plant Stems / genetics*
  • Plant Stems / growth & development
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Transcription Factors / physiology
  • Zinc Fingers / genetics
  • Zinc Fingers / physiology

Substances

  • AP1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • APETALA 3 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • MADS Domain Proteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • UFO protein, Arabidopsis
  • superman protein, Arabidopsis