Abstract
ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 (AS2) gene encodes a plant specific protein that has cysteine repeats, conserved glycine and leucine-zipper-like sequence in the N-terminal half. Leaves of loss-of-function of AS2 mutants have the asymmetric shape of the lamina and a malformed vein system. AS2 is involved in development of a symmetric leaf lamina and the establishment of the leaf venation system. Although the AS2 transcripts were detected in the root by Northern blot analysis, roots of as2 mutants did not exhibit visible phenotypic change. To study the function of AS2 in the root, we examined GUS activity in transgenic plants that had been transformed with a GUS gene controlled by the AS2 promoter. GUS expression was observed not only in the shoot apical meristem and the developing leaves but also in the root caps. We investigate the effects of mutation in AS2 or over-expression of AS2 on the structures of the root tips.
