February 11, 2005
Control of seed mass and seed
yield by the floral homeotic gene APETALA2
K. Diane Jofuku, Pamela K. Omidyar, Zorana
Gee, and Jack K. Okamuro
Biology Board, Sinsheimer Laboratories,
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
ABSTRACT
APETALA2 (AP2) is
best known for its role in the regulation of flower
meristem and flower organ identity and development in
Arabidopsis. We show here that AP2 also plays an
important role in determining seed size, seed weight,
and the accumulation of seed oil and protein. We
demonstrate genetically that AP2 acts through
the maternal sporophyte and endosperm genomes to
control seed weight and seed yield. Thus, AP2 functions
outside the boundaries of flower meristem and flower
organ development to affect agronomically relevant
traits in Arabidopsis.
Source:
PNAS Online (Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of
America)
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0409893102v1?etoc
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