Abstract
Members of plant-specific Dof transcription factors have been suggested to play various roles in growth and development and in the responses to phytohormones and environmental signals in various plant species. Arabidopsis has 36 members of Dof transcription factors but analyses of a limited number of them have been reported so far. We have characterized the expression and the function of a member of Dof proteins of Arabidopsis. The GUS reporter gene under the control of the promoter of the Dof gene was expressed in the precursor cells of vasculature, procambium, in embryo, leaf primordia and root tips. Overexpression of the Dof gene caused the interruption of vascular network in cotyledons and true leaves. In severe cases, the overexpressing plants developed curled-up leaves. These results suggest the involvement of the Dof protein in vascular development in Arabidopsis.
